Waldensian Evangelical Church of the River Plate

Waldensian Evangelical Church of Rio de la Plata

Classification| Protestant
Orientation| Reformed
Theology| Waldensian
Polity| Presbyterian
Associations| World Communion of Reformed Churches[1]
Region| Argentina and Uruguay
Origin| 1858
Branched from| Waldensian Evangelical Church
Congregations| 24
Official website| iglesia-valdense.org

The Waldensian Evangelical Church of Rio de la Plata (in Spanish: Iglesia evangélica valdense del Río de la Plata or IEVRP) is a Waldensian denomination present in Uruguay and Argentina, founded in 1858, by Italian immigrants, previously linked to Waldensian Evangelical Church.[2][3][4][5][6][7][8]

## History

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In 1852, Juan Pedro Planchón was the first Waldensian present in the Rio de la Plata Basin. He was sent to South America with the task of verifying the possibility of promoting the settlement of Waldensian families from the Vales Waldensians in Uruguay or Argentina. After his favorable report, in January 1857 he arrived in Montevideo the first contingent of Waldensian families, who were immediately transferred to  Florida in Uruguay. A few months later, in September of the same year, the second contingent arrived; the third contingent would arrive in January of the following year.[2][3]

The immigrants quickly realized that the conditions for their peaceful integration were not given in Florida and, in July 1858, they signed the contract to colonize what is now La Paz and Colônia Valdense, in the Colonia Department.[4][5]

A few years later, in 1860, part of the immigrants moved to Argentina, to the city of San Carlos Centro, in the province of Santa Fe Province, city founded a few years earlier by Swiss immigrants. Ten years later they arrived in El Sombrerito, province of Santa Fe and Rosario del Tala, in the province of Entre Ríos Province. Some of the communities formed by Waldensian immigrants in Argentina will be served, from a spiritual point of view, by the Methodist Church.[6][7][8]

In Uruguay, from the initial settlement in La Paz and Colônia Valdense , organized groups were progressively created in the departments of Soriano, Río Negro and Paysandú, in the western region of the country, and in the Rocha Department, in the east.[2][3][4]

The flow of Waldensian immigrants has continued over time, with peaks in the flow of immigrants being observed in the years following the two World Wars.[5][6][7]

## Inter-ecclesiastical relations

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The church is a member of the World Communion of Reformed Churches.[1] Furthermore, the denomination is closely related to the Waldensian Evangelical Church, with which it holds meetings on theological matters.[9]

## Doctrine

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The church subscribes to the Apostles' Creed and the Nicene Creed.[8] In addition, the denomination subscribes to the Waldensian Confession of Faith, drawn up in 1655.[10]

The denomination supports the ordination of women and same-sex marriage.[11]

## References

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1. ^ a b "World Council of Churches: Members". Archived from the original on 2015-12-30. Retrieved January 8, 2016.
2. ^ a b c Joseph Anthony Matthew (January 2011). "Migration, religiosity and celebration. The sacred and the profane at the Feast of the Harvest of the Waldensian Church in Argentina and Uruguay". Paraná, Argentina: National University of Entre Rios. ISSN 0719-4994. Retrieved July 23, 2022.
3. ^ a b c Carlos Delmonte (July 30, 2018). "The emigration of the Waldensians to the Río de la Plata". Archived from the original on July 23, 2022. Retrieved July 23, 2022.
4. ^ a b c Arthur Engster Varreira (December 2019). "The Waldensians: From the Alps to Plata" (PDF). Federal University of Santa Maria. ISSN 1688-5317. Retrieved July 23, 2022.
5. ^ a b c "Chronology of Waldensian History". May 2, 1946. Archived from the original on June 29, 2022. Retrieved July 23, 2022.
6. ^ a b c Caíque Cunha Bellato (September 2020). "Under the law of God: evangelicals and politics in Uruguay" (PDF). Rio de Janeiro: Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro. p. 73. Retrieved July 23, 2022.
7. ^ a b c Arthur Engster Varreira (2021). "They traveled in ships on the oceans, casting their nets and being guided to the desired point: Migration of Italian Protestant Waldensians in the Platinum border region in the 19th century" (PDF). Santa Maria: Federal University of Santa Maria. Retrieved July 23, 2022.
8. ^ a b c "Iglesia Evangelica Valdense de Rio de la Plata". Reformiert Online. April 15, 2006. Archived from the original on July 23, 2022. Retrieved July 23, 2022.
9. ^ "The Synodal Assembly of the Waldensian Churches of Rio da Prata is open". February 9, 2015. Archived from the original on 23 July 2022. Retrieved 23 July 2022.
10. ^ "Confession of faith of the Waldensian Evangelical Church (1655)". Retrieved July 23, 2022.
11. ^ Daniel Jones and Juan Marco Vaggione (September 1, 2020). "Religious pluralism and sexual politics in Argentina:Roman Catholic groups and evangelical churches in favor of same-sex marriage". Buenos Aires: University of Buenos Aires and National University of Córdoba. pp. 146–158. Retrieved July 23, 2022.