Paraguayan Senate Advances Bill for National Evangelical Church Day

The Paraguayan Senate has granted preliminary approval to a bill establishing a National Day of the Evangelical Church. The proposed observance is scheduled for the last Sunday of October each year. The legislation, introduced by a group of senators including Orlando Penner and Lizarella Valiente, aims to acknowledge the historical, social, and spiritual contributions of evangelical congregations to the nation.

While the original proposal sought to align the date with the October 31 anniversary of the Protestant Reformation, the Senate amended the bill to designate the final Sunday of the month instead. The current version of the bill does not establish a national holiday, nor does it mandate the inclusion of the observance in the national school calendar, following the removal of an article that would have required the Ministry of Education to promote commemorative activities.

The bill has now been forwarded to the Chamber of Deputies for further consideration. Supporters state the initiative was developed in coordination with the Association of Evangelical Churches of Paraguay to honor the work of local congregations.