Perú

Peru was home to various indigenous cultures and later to the Inca empire. The Spanish conquered it in 1532 and exploited the gold and silver mines. Lima became the political and economic centre of the region for several centuries. The Catholic Church established an archbishopric in Lima as early as 1546. Evangelical, Pentecostal, and Holiness churches have grown rapidly in the 20th century, especially among the Andinos. Many of these are members of the National Evangelical Council of Peru. Some of largest churches are the Seventh-day Adventists, the Evangelical Church of Peru, and the Assemblies of God (Pentecostal). Together, the Evangelicals and Pentecostals/Charismatics represented about 12 percent of the Christians in Peru in 2005. The WCC cooperates with several ecumenical groups.