Nicaragua

Guillermo Martinez was born in El Salvador. Orphaned at an early age, he was taken in by an uncle living in Honduras, and that's where he grew up. Well-educated, he became superintendent of schools. When he became a Christian, he resigned from his secular work, went to Bible school, and became a United Brethren pastor on the north coast of Honduras, serving churches in Jutiapa and La Ceiba.

Then, in 1969, the Soccer War erupted between El Salvador and Honduras (precipitated by a soccer game, thus the name). Guillermo, like other Salvadorans living in Honduras, was arrested and detained in the La Ceiba soccer stadium for two months. Eventually, the missionaries secured his release on the condition that they send him out of the country. With a Honduran wife, he couldn't go back to El Salvador. Instead, he agreed to go to Nicaragua, where, a few years before, Honduras Conference had started an outreach under the leadership of Juan Campos. Rev. Martinez served there his whole life, and has since retired and was able to return to Honduras. 

We now have 28 churches in Nicaragua. For 15 years, Guillermo served as conference superintendent. Today, the superintendent is Juan Pavon.

In 1995, Nicaragua and Honduras cooperated in starting a new work in Costa Rica. Nicaragua has provided the primary oversight of this work. The conference also has reached into Guatemala, and eight new congregations have been established there.

Our church work is focused around the capital of Managua and the city of Masaya to the south.

No North American UB missionaries have ever served in Nicaragua. The leaders have all come from Nicaragua and Honduras.