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07471 July 31, 2007
Going out with joy to share and serve
Encuentro gathers Hispanic Latina Presbyterian women
by Cat Garlit Bucher
IRVING, TX - Tired from long travel
schedules and the rigor of a weekend conference, but energized by the worship, learning, and fellowship, close to 400 women of all ages started the journey back home July 29 after the close of "Encuentro V" - the Fifth National Conference sponsored by Hispanic Latin Presbyterian Women (HLPW).
They were called together by the theme "Go, share, and serve: Freely you have received, freely give," (Matthew 10:8b), and they now go back to their regions - across the continental United States and Puerto Rico - to do just that.
"As in the days of Biblical shepherds, there are still plenty of wild beasts threatening God's flock. Wild beasts like the party politics that want to criminalize all undocumented immigrants, despite common knowledge that the economy relies on their labor, and ferocious animals that want to break up our families, even when these include under age children who are United States citizens," said the Rev. Magdalena García, Pastor of Ravenswood Presbyterian Church in Chicago, during her opening keynote address.
"God's flock still needs shepherds willing to guard its life and integrity, pastors willing to confront the contemporary philistines who deceive and threaten the fold, and leaders willing to protect the most vulnerable in society," she added.
Participants were also challenged to look beyond their own borders, and to remember their sisters in their countries of origin and the entire world as they carry on their ministries.
"Naomi and Jonah both had to learn that the message of salvation is for everyone, for the whole world," said the Rev. Alice Winters, a Presbyterian Mission Worker who has served in Colombia for more than 30 years, during the Bible study session.
"We have a lot to learn from Naomi and Jonah, as we discover what it means for us to go, and share, and serve, and pray, and accompany those who need both our charity and our solidarity in order to denounce and turn around an unjust situation," added Winters, who knows first hand the every day Latin American realities of poverty, violence, death, and displacement of millions of refugees.
She teaches Bible and biblical languages at the School of Theology of the Reformed University of Colombia, in Barranquilla. Winters is also on the editorial council of RIBLA (acronym in Spanish for the Journal of Latin American Biblical Studies), and participates in ecumenical Bible study programs across South America.
One of the highlights of the conference was the immigration forum, where a local lawyer outlined many of the alternatives available for those who want to obtain a visa to stay in the United States or claim a relative, while also encouraging believers to take their faith seriously and reach out to others in need.
"There is a lot that the church communities have done and can continue to do for immigrants in our midst," said Nelly Rocha Andresen, who is in private practice in the Dallas area. "The church can play a very important role in immigrants' lives by offering education, assistance, and economic support, and by encouraging citizens to participate in the political process and to have an active voice in matters like the ongoing immigration reform debate," she added.
The three-day conference included an evening to celebrate the gifts of ordained women in the Presbyterian Church - deacons, elders, and ministers of the Word and Sacrament - followed by a social hour that had participants on their feet singing along with a mariachi band.
"Women are the backbone of our homes, communities, and the church. They are hard workers, who often are so invested in caring for others that they neglect themselves. Encuentro gives us an opportunity to model for women a healthy lifestyle, where work and play are interconnected in the ongoing dance of life and ministry," said Elder Cecilia Casal, newly elected moderator for HLPW, as she strolled around the ballroom sporting a colorful sarape (Mexican blanket), cowboy boots and a cowboy hat.
Encuentro serves as the platform for a triennial business meeting of HLPW which includes the election of officers. Newly elected members of the Coordinating Team for 2007-2010 are: Elder Cecilia Casal, Synod of the Sun, moderator; Elder Florence Vargas, Synod of Puerto Rico, vice-moderator; Elder Lety Heredia, Synod of the Northeast, secretary and historian; Elder Luz Fonseca, Synod of Lincoln Trails, treasurer; the Rev. Nydia Fernández, Synod of the Northeast, spiritual coordinator, and Elder Yolanda Hernández, Synod of South Atlantic, volunteer advisor.
Synod representatives approved a resolution that in July 2010 Encuentro be held in conjunction with Hispanic Presbyterian Men and the emerging national organization for Hispanic Presbyterian youth.
The concluding worship service included a spectacular display of clergy and laywomen sporting colorful robes and stoles, while they led participants in singing, praying, reading, preaching, and breaking bread at the Lord's table.
"Go out, as the prophet Isaiah encourages us, in joy, and be messengers of peace and goodwill everywhere, so that creation and all its creatures can indeed burst into song and clap their hands," said the Rev. Marielis Barreto, preacher for the closing plenary and pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Aguada, Puerto Rico.
"Work to make the world the idyllic place that our national anthems sing about, until the "rockets red glare" are fireworks of celebration instead of bombs of annihilation," she added.
An offering totaling almost $3,500 was taken up during the worship service. These funds, along with $335 from the sale of bookmarkers crocheted by women from Puerto Rico, will be invested in Fondo Adelante (Forward Fund), an endowment established through the Presbyterian Foundation with funds raised by Encuentros III and IV, and other private gifts.
Fondo Adelante honors the legacy of the late Rev. Idalisa Fernández, a New York pastor who was a pioneer for women's rights, and Elder Yolanda S. Hernández, a retired Presbyterian Women field staffer whose prophetic vision and dedicated service gave birth to Encuentro and HLPW.
Dividends from this endowment will be used to grant scholarships for the leadership development of Hispanic Latin Presbyterian women.
Regional Encuentros will be held next year. Since 1995, when the first triennial Encuentro was held, MHLP have worked with this rippling model, thus helping to strengthen the leadership and witness of many other women in the local churches.
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