Bishop Walter Toro, who died on the 17th April aged 58, was the first indigenous Bolivian bishop of the Diocese of Bolivia. He was first and foremost a pastor who loved the people of his own church (El Buen Pastor in Tarija) and who cared deeply about the other pastors and congregations of his diocese. I first met Bishop Walter on a mission trip with folk from Christ Church Selly Park in 2013. Since then, our friendship developed rapidly, as did his embrace of all the churches in the Birmingham Diocesan Bolivia link.
Bishop Walter was a man of his people (literally living above his church). He related well to those of different backgrounds and never stood on ceremony. I vividly remember him preaching at a small church plant in a shantytown on the edge of Tarija. Walter spoke with deep compassion to the 20 people present (all of whom were very poor and victims of abuse of various kinds). He engaged with them expertly at an appropriate level with skill and kindness. He was not even thrown when a feral dog suddenly appeared from under the altar!
Bishop Walter was a very humble man, who worked extremely hard to serve his people. He always treated those he encountered with gentleness and dignity. His was a faithful ministry in very fragile times, particularly during Covid, when the Bolivian health service was overwhelmed. He worked himself too hard without the breaks that we ourselves would take for granted. He loved his Lord and immersed himself in the scriptures. His faith sustained him through times that would undoubtedly have sunk other leaders.
Having served in parishes in Cochabamba and Tarija, Walter was consecrated Bishop in 2023. He was a profoundly prayerful person with a strong desire that his clergy’s natural activism be balanced with roots in the stillness of a deep Christ-centred spirituality. He led services and prayed with depth and passion. I remember hearing reports of how, on a visit, he had prayed in Spanish for people at St. Nicholas’ Kings Norton and how moved they were by the prophetic quality to his words.
Though the Bolivian churches have far less than we do in terms of resources, all the Birmingham teams that have visited Bolivia experienced generous hospitality. Bishop Walter and his wife were invariably checking that we had enough to eat and producing yet more food. I remember him running around down the street trying to flag down a bus when our transport for our next engagement failed to show up. He was such an attentive host.
The constant worries about finance, developing leaders and encouraging growth inevitably took a heavy toll. However, Bishop Walter always faced those challenges with faith and grace. It meant a lot to him to know that his diocese was remembered by our diocese. He and I shared a dislike of heights, both clinging to the flag pole on a trip up Knowle church tower. In other moments of vulnerability, Bishop Walter shared his stresses and struggles. It was not easy leading the diocese in a time of economic crisis and political turmoil. He led with wisdom and a deep desire to depend upon God. He was a great encourager of his people.
It's tragic that the life of this gentle, courageous servant has been cut short. We grieve with his dear wife Adela and his daughters Brisa and Cielo and the grandchildren. We pray that his vision and legacy will be taken and built upon by whoever succeeds him. We will miss him greatly; his smile, his modelling of gratitude, his graciousness, his hiding of the fact that he understood more English than he let on. Please pray for the clergy and people of the Diocese of Bolivia as they come to terms with their shock.
Rev Canon Geoff Lanham (Chair of the Diocesan Bolivia Task Group)