Saúl Ovalle Sanles - Biobío, Chile

Chances are you are unfamiliar with the Biobío Region in Southern Chile. It is so named because of the mighty Biobío River which, for over 350 years, served as a natural impassable border known as “La Frontera” (The Borderline) which kept the Inca Empire and then Spanish Empire from entering its borders. Interestingly, between 1715 and 1820, thousands of miners and ranchers from Biobío helped build the California cities of San Francisco, San Jose, and Los Angeles.

The Biobío Region is also known for its exceptional wines from centuries old vines dating back to 1766. It is also ground zero for the most powerful and devastating earthquakes ever recorded with magnitudes reaching 9.5 on the Richter scale.

In this fascinating region of the world, we are very pleased to introduce you to Rev. Saúl Ovalle Sanles. He married his lovely wife just five years ago and God has blessed them with a beautiful daughter who is now three with another daughter on her way. Saúl earned his bachelor’s degree in theology from the Facultad de Teología Reformada de Chile and was ordained as a pastor in the Iberia Presbiteriana de Chile in 2022.

Saúl explains that in 2011, “the Lord worked in my life in a very real way. By His grace, he called me to faith, drew me to Himself and awakened  in my heart the desire to serve Him.” Like the prophet Isaiah who was overwhelmed by God’s majesty and his own sinfulness (Isaiah 6:1-5), Saúl recalls “falling to the feet of my Lord.” With great joy he continues, “my calling to serve the Lord was so strong, I had no choice and dedicated my life to serving Christ.”

Saúl continues, “From the very start of my journey of faith, I felt a strong calling to become a pastor. It was during my theological studies I discovered various LOGOI (FLET) textbooks, like “How to Study and Interpret the Bible, The Church Where I Serve, Great Doctrines of the Faith and others. These Bible resources have been a great help in my preparation for ministry. LOGOI’s Bible resources are a great blessing and help in deepening biblical knowledge and as tools to help proclaim the Gospel to others.”

Today, Saúl is in the process of moving to the “city of Osorno to integrate ourselves and serve this community.” Saúl explains, “Osorno is a growing city with agricultural, industrial and commercial activity, and a developing tourist area. More and more people in Osorno are seeking for God. It is an ideal time for the church to joyfully proclaim the Gospel and introduce the people of Osorno to our Lord and Savior.”

During his transition from Biobío to Osorno, Saúl will be teaching and preaching in different churches and providing pastoral guidance and training to church leadership teams. While working to determine where the Lord will lead (regarding location in Osorno), he intends to pursue a master’s degree in theological studies and perhaps a doctorate. “I love to study God’s Word,” he says, “and want to be fully equipped to serve Him.”

Would you take a moment right now and pray for Saúl? He is a man of great drive to proclaim God’s Word and specifically asks that we, “Pray for Chile, especially in these times of political polarization that also affect the churches. Please pray that the Lord will grant unity, spiritual maturity and genuine love among the believers."

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