Colombia was the second country in Latin America where Christ for All Cities Ministries held the Jesus Festival. It took place in the city of Cartagena one week after the Jesus Festival in Ecuador.
Cartagena, known as Cartagena de Indias to distinguish it from Cartagena in Spain, is the fifth-largest city in Colombia with population over one million people. It is located on the Caribbean coast and is the capital city of the Bolívar Department of the Caribbean Region of Colombia. Cartagena is a historical and tourist center of Colombia. Founded in 1533, Cartagena was one of the oldest colonial cities in Latin America. It was known for long time as the entrance to Latin America, being a port of connection between Europe, Latin America, and Africa.
The population of the city is very diverse, consisting of the descendants of three main ethnic groups: local Indigenous (Amerindian people), Europeans (mainly from Spain, who originally came to colonize the land), and Africans (who were brought to the region in large numbers during the slave era). This ancestral admixture has predominantly resulted in mixed racial groups, namely, mulatto (miscegenation between Spanish and African ethnic groups), mestizo (miscegenation between Spanish and native ethnic groups), and zambo (mixed Amerindian and African ancestry).
The culture of the city is largely influenced by Christian heritage. Cathedrals and sanctuaries are the main historical locations of the city, along with the old colonial walled city and the fortress. The city district adjacent to the walled city is called Getsemaní, originating from the name of the garden where Jesus Christ was seized before having been crucified. One of the streets in Getsemaní bears the name of the Holy Spirit, as there was the Holy Spirit hospital located on this street in the past.
Owing to the Christian heritage, the city of Cartagena is quite open to the Gospel. Jesus Festival in this city was rebranded by local pastors as the “Festival del Amigo” meaning “Festival of Friends” if translated into English from Spanish. Everyone had an opportunity to invite their friends to the Festival. The event took place at Plaza de Toros Cartagena de Indias—the famous bull fight arena, which is one of the most significant historical places of the city. Although corrida is abandoned nowadays, the place still has the same view as in the time of bull fights.
The organizing committee of the Festival united the efforts of about 150 local pastors and churches, who had been hardly working for the last six months to set up the event. It was organized as a part of Pentecost26 Global Evangelistic Initiative. Unbelievers were the main focus of the outreach before the Festival. 30,000 free tickets were distributed among people on the streets, and nearly 50 buses were rented to bring people from distant regions to the Festival. There were also several outreaches at schools where hundreds of children heard about the love of Jesus Christ.
Several days before the start of the event, the team of local pastors and the team of Ukrainian missionaries, who came to the Festival together with Pastor Henry Madava—the main speaker of the event, met in the arena to discuss the plan of preparations to the Festival. The location of the stage, pathways for people, sound and video setup, and many other important details were discussed during the meeting. The meeting ended with a fervent prayer for the forthcoming Festival.
The Festival itself preceded with a special meeting for pastors, leaders, and soul winners where Pastor Henry was invited to share his ministry experience and pray for the local church. It took place in the International Baptist Church of Brotherly Love, whose pastor is the President of the Association of pastors of the city. Pastor Henry taught about the acceleration in the ministry that can happen when God’s power is combined with the wisdom and understanding from God. In the end, Pastor Henry prayed for pastors who attended the meeting and laid his hands on many of them.
Everyone was eagerly looking forward to the beginning of the Festival!
