wfn.org | Latin American Methodists seek stronger connection

[NewsDesk <NewsDesk@UMCOM.UMC.ORG>]

May 6, 1998	Contact: Linda Bloom*(212) 870-3803*New York
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NOTE:  This is a sidebar to UMNS story number 284

By United Methodist News Service

Methodists in Latin America and the Caribbean want to strengthen
connections with their counterparts in the United States and other
regions.

That issue was a major topic of discussion during the April 26-May 3
Assembly of the Council of Evangelical Methodist Churches of Latin
America and the Caribbean (CIEMAL), in Cochabamba, Bolivia. 

In an April 25th letter to the United Methodist Council of Bishops --
meeting at the same time in Lincoln, Neb. - bishops from Latin America
and the Caribbean noted the "connectionality on behalf of life" that
exists among them.

"Since the early part of the 19th century and through the years until
now, churches who now form the United Methodist Church have been used by
God in mighty ways to initiate and support Gospel witness through
Methodist churches in many countries of South and Central America, the
Caribbean, and in Mexico," the letter said.

CIEMAL, the letter continued, has provided evangelism training and
leadership development and a significant outreach through the creation
of comprehensive community-based health care programs in seven
countries. Church growth has been renewed in some long-established
Methodist communities and new churches have formed in Nicaragua, El
Salvador, Venezuela and Colombia.

"Likewise, we give thanks for faithfulness in Christian social witness,
often under difficult and costly circumstances," the letter said.
"Across the years `a great cloud' of Methodist faithful have been on the
front edge of the struggle for human rights and in the building of more
just societies in many countries."

But the struggle in Latin America and the Caribbean also has been
economic. As a May 4 letter from the CIEMAL Assembly to several United
Methodist agency leaders pointed out, "opportunities for creative
connectional ministries abound yet financial crises and the spiraling
cost of living throughout our region severely limit our possibilities.

"We are grateful for the long and fruitful years of faithful partnership
with the United Methodist Church and predecessor bodies," the CIEMAL
letter said. "Yet we must share our growing concern regarding apparent
signs of disengagement, and perhaps diminishing vision for the future of
our mission partnership."

CIEMAL recognized "with much gratitude" a growing support for a United
Methodist Board of Global Ministries permanent fund for "Encounter with
Christ in Latin America and the Caribbean. But members expressed
frustration that the board's new Millennium Fund for Mission focuses
only on rebuilding churches in Africa, Europe and urban areas of the
United States.

The CIEMAL Assembly passed an action proposing that a special
initiative, through The Advance, be designated for Latin America and the
Caribbean. Priorities would be established by CIEMAL and support
developed through "a vigorous and adequately funded effort" by The
Advance.

United Methodist News Service
(615)742-5470
News releases and photos available at
http://www.umc.org/umns/