In a landmark moment for prison ministry in Argentina, the Mesa Coordinadora Evangélica Carcelaria (MeCEC) — a network of evangelical pastors dedicated to supporting incarcerated individuals — was formally recognized this week in Rosario, the capital of Santa Fe province. The initiative aims to bring spiritual transformation and social reintegration to prisons through evangelism and the preaching of God’s Word.
Last year, the Mesa Coordinadora Evangélica Carcelaria, or MeCEC, was established in Rosario, the capital of Argentina’s Santa Fe province.
MeCEC is composed of evangelical pastors with experience in prison ministry. They oversee evangelistic activities within the province’s penitentiary units through two main avenues: the Evangelization Pavilion and the Church Pavilion. On Wednesday (April 2), the initiative was formally recognized during a credentialing ceremony that authorized pastors and leaders to provide spiritual accompaniment to those deprived of liberty in Santa Fe.
“It was very nice, very emotional, because they honored my father and my mother, who started working in prisons 37 years ago,” Pastor David Sensini told Diario Cristiano, Christian Daily International's Spanish edition, in an exclusive interview.
Oscar and Maricarmen Sensini were pioneers in prison ministry, beginning their work in the late 1980s. Today, more than 100 pastors serve regularly in the Coronda and Piñero prisons.
The event was attended by Dr. Masneri Lucía Calderari, secretary of penitentiary affairs for the province, who noted that the Sensini family had been working in prisons for as long as she has been alive.
“They have a lot to teach me, and I have a lot to learn,” Calderari said, in a clear expression of the respect the family has earned over the years.
While Santa Fe Gov. Maximiliano Pullaro recently announced plans to construct a maximum-security prison named “El Infierno” (Hell) — modeled after a prison initiative in El Salvador under President Nayib Bukele — the provincial government still recognizes the positive impact of evangelical ministries on inmate rehabilitation.
“The act was very powerful,” Sensini said. “Because imagine that they launched the ‘Hell’ prison for all the high-profile ones. But for all those [deprived of their freedom] who want change, they are saying that there is an option for reintegration through the evangelical church.”
A total of 300 individuals received credentials recognizing them as spiritual assistants — a milestone in the organization and development of evangelical ministry inside provincial prisons.
“All those who want to enter the prisons have to register at that table, and we do a reorganization,” Sensini said. “Then they are authorized to enter the penitentiary establishments. In this orderly way, the state knows who is who and what guarantees they have to participate in social reintegration programs.”
The initiative is supported by the Council of Pastors of Santa Fe and the Christian Alliance of Evangelical Churches of the Argentine Republic, or ACIERA.
Representing ACIERA at the event were members of its National Board of Directors: Pastor José Luis Urso, who also serves as general coordinator of the Council of Pastors in Rosario; Pastor David Sensini; and Provincial Deputy Walter Ghione, who is also an evangelical Christian.
Originally published by Diario Cristiano, Christian Daily International's Spanish edition.
