Daniel Mita Ayala, a pastor and former district superintendent, passed away April 13 after a four-year battle with intestinal cancer. He was 65. 

"He was a fighter up to the end," said Macedonio Daza, rector of Seminario Nazareno del Área Central in Bolivia. "He always attended national and district events; one of those being his participation in the beginning of a new work in the city of Cobija, a national event in June 2014. He helped put on the church's roof so the new brethren could meet. He was a servant who labored with love and passion in the work of God."

Mita was born in Corocoro, Bolivia, January 4, 1950. He accepted Jesus Christ at a young age in the Church of the Nazarene. When Mita was an adolescent, his family moved to Los Yungas, where he attended the Los Amigos (Friends) Church. Later, when the Church of the Nazarene spread out, he was obedient to God’s call and became a part of the leadership as a youth.

As a young man, Mita met María Chagua and they were married on April 15, 1972. They had a daughter, Flavia Noemí Mita Chagua.

Mita began his theological studies in 1977 at the Bolivian Nazarene seminary. Three years later he graduated with a diploma in Christian ministry. Later he earned his bachelor’s in theology and then continued his academic studies sporadically.

On January 24, 1990, he was ordained by the general superintendent in jurisdiction, Eugene L. Stowe.

Mita served for 31 years. For 27 years he pastored local churches on the La Paz, Alto NorOeste, and Los Yungas districts. Some of the churches he pastored are Cotacota, Villa Fátima, Munaypata, Calla Baja (Jesús de Machaca), 7 de Septiembre, Senkata, 1 de Mayo, and Villa Mercedes. During his last years he pastored the Church of the Nazarene in Centro Tocoroni. He was still preaching two Sundays before his passing.

He held district offices such as Nazarene Missions International president and treasurer, and for two years he was the director of the radio program La Hora Nazarena.

Mita was superintendent of the Yungas District for four years, a position he was obliged to give up due to illness. During his district leadership he promoted three new works on the district and one off the district. He was a zealous preacher of the doctrine of holiness. His last charge to the pastors was “Don’t stop preaching holiness or teaching stewardship to the church.”

Pastor Daniel also served in public administration as deputy mayor of Laja in the city of El Alto for three years.

--Church of the Nazarene South America Region