Overview

KEY COUNTRY TRENDS

Panama is a country of service, with a strong tendency to heavily exploit this sector of the economy, with emphasis on education, more distributive social policies and investments in infrastructure (expansion of the Panama Canal, coastal belt, buildings, technology, etc.), and is one of the few countries in the region with a sustainable economic growth.

This trend gives us the opportunity to be part of this growth by using existing and new media in order to arrive more rapidly at different segments of the population. 

At the same time, we will not escape to the global economic crisis that forced our country to double the cost of the food; this is due partly to the “boom” of the real estate in Panama brought by large number of foreigners with greater purchasing power than Panamanians.

Not only the strong influx of foreigners but also of new ideas has begun to impact our small nation, for example, new models of sexual education, religious intolerance, among others, have a strong impact because the Christian faith is trying to be relegated the churches. Finally, the problems of corruption, the usage of Panama as a bridge from the drug trade, and the economic crisis are bringing a climate of intolerance that is taking us to extreme violence. 

KEY DEMOGRAPHICS OF THE COUNTRY

The Panamanian population is about 3.400.000 inhabitants, 70% mestizo, 14% black, 10% white, 6% Indians and 1% Asian. 59% of the population lives in urban areas. An estimated 10% of the population is of Colombian origin. The population is 75% Catholic (mostly nominal), 20% other Christian denominations and 5% other groups.

CULTURAL VALUES AND HISTORICAL FACTORS RELEVANTS TO OUR MISSION

This is a country with a grand reception for faith in Jesus Christ, but traditionally peaceful and carefree at the same time. Its main language is Spanish and 14% of the population speaks English. Its historical links with the United States creates a culture influenced by this nation, but which keeps its identity and development in all its artistic manifestations. 

KEY MINISTRY IMPACT FACTORS

Our main target is the non-believers, but this high Catholic population (nominal) has a high percentage of people who really do not know the word of God and this impact the ministry because some of them believe that are Christians but they don’t really know Christ. 

Moreover although there is sustainable economic growth we are the second country in Latin America with the worst distribution of wealth and do not stop to see what we have already mentioned as new ideas: post modernism and the new philosophies that impact the lives of citizens by making them reluctant to the Gospel.