Pentecostal Alliance in Chile Criticizes Satire Page as Pastor’s Speech in Concepción, Chile, Draws Outrage

Pentecostal churches in Chile have been drawn into a public debate over two recent incidents, which have raised questions about how the church responds to messages made in its name. The commentary that reports on the episodes says they expose tensions between the community’s stated values and its practice.

The first incident involved a video released on March 4 by the Biobio.cl platform. It shows a person described in the source as a supposed evangelical pastor speaking in the main square of Concepción, where his words were amplified by loudspeakers. According to the source, he blamed women and girls for being victims of rape and murder. The source describes the remarks as deeply grave and says they were widely shared and drew immediate public outrage. Its reporting does not confirm the speaker’s identity or religious standing beyond the word “supposed.”

The second incident came two days earlier, on March 2. The Agrupación de Iglesias Evangélicas Pentecostales de Sana Doctrina (A.I.E.P.) issued a statement that was circulated on the social media accounts of Pastor Marcos Morales and other leaders. It was addressed to the page “Es de Canutos,” run by Pastor Santiago Endara. The page is known for using humor to criticize the Pentecostal movement, including through a fictional character, Pastor Rocha. In its statement, the A.I.E.P. accused the page of distorting the church’s image and mocking what it called the “precious Pentecostal movement.”

The source contrasts these two responses. It argues that the organization appeared more concerned with the satirical portrayal of a fictional character than with the speech of a real figure who, in the source’s words, legitimized the oppression of women. The article states that the statement did not show the same determination to address those whose messages it says violate basic Christian principles. It frames this as a question of which is more damaging to the church’s reputation: satire or hate speech that, the source says, is accepted within the church’s own circles. Protecting the vulnerable is the principle at stake in the source’s critique (Proverbs 31:8-9).

The article also points to broader concerns it attributes to the church’s internal life. It says some churches allow preachers without adequate preparation or theological training to speak from the pulpit, and that these leaders may promote views it describes as machista and violent. The source calls for internal reform, including the formation of leaders grounded in Scripture and Christian history. It presents this as necessary for the church’s credibility, while stressing that these are the author’s views and not findings reported by any authority.

Source: Read the original report (translated from Spanish)