Larry & Bonnie Secrest – Lima, Peru

Biography

The Secrests began their missionary career in 1974 in Perú serving with the Association of Baptists for World Evangelism. They served in Perú until 1979 at which time they returned to the States to become better grounded in the Reformed perspective. They were then sent out to Puerto Rico by Grace Baptist Church in Carlisle, Pa. In 2015, they returned to Lima with the South America Mission. After serving in Lima as church planters in the 1970s, they went back with the vision of seeing churches strengthened throughout Perú. Praise God that the church planted in the 1970s continues today!

They came back to the States in March of 2023 and settled in Simpsonville, SC, where several members of Bonnie`s family reside. They now focus their time on family, the local church, and the organization of Perúvian teams through VASE, Voluntarios en Ayuda Social y Evangelismo (Volunteers in Social Help and Evangelism). They currently arrange three to four teams per year to go work with local churches on the coast, mountains, and jungle areas of Perú.

Larry and Bonnie still maintain contact with the leadership of a new church plant in the area of Miraflores, called Iglesia Bíblica Gracia y Verdad. The church has adopted the 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith and has an average attendance of 200.

Iglesia Bíblica Gracia y Verdad has initiated a church plant in Villa Maria del Triunfo, another area of Lima. It has also commissioned one of its elders, Miguel Jimenez, as a missionary to Spain. The church in Villa Maria del Triunfo will maintain the oversight of Miguel’s ministry as he works alongside the IMB (Southern Baptists) missionaries in Spain. Please pray for Miguel and his family as they continue to raise personal support and adapt to a new culture and environment.

Bonnie and Larry are thankful for their continued contact with the work in Perú. Please pray that the Lord would continue to use them to encourage the churches in Perú and in the preparations for this year´s medical campaigns.

The Secrests’ sending church was Providence Baptist Church in Lecanto, Florida, and they are now working with Iglesia Piedra Angular in Greenville, SC, an hispanic church plant.