wfn.org | Hispanic United Methodist caucus looks to the future

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

Nov. 25, 1998   Contact: Joretta Purdue*(202)546-8722*Washington
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ROLLING MEADOWS, Ill. (UMNS) - The Hispanic caucus within the United
Methodist Church focused much of its attention on the future when it met
Nov. 19-22.

Bishop Juan A. Vera-Mendez, of the autonomous Methodist Church of Puerto
Rico,  challenged MARCHA (Methodists Associated Representing  the Cause
of Hispanic Americans) to continue building agendas, based on faith, for
the life of the church as well as the Hispanic community.

The election of officers for two-year terms was MARCHA's first order of
business after opening worship. Mary Silva of San Antonio was re-elected
president.

Two youth/young adults were elected to the executive committee: Eduardo
Bousson, a Puerto Rican who is a student at Saint Paul School of
Theology, Kansas City, will head the leadership committee and Dorella
Walters of Brooklyn, N.Y., will head the nominations committee.

Other officers elected were vice-president, the Rev. Awilda Nolla,
Waukegan, Ill.; secretary,  Myrna Soto, San Juan, Puerto Rico; and
treasurer, Oscar Garza IV, Alice, Texas. Also elected to head committees
and to serve on the executive committee were, personnel, Clara
Soto-Ivey, Claremont, Calif.; strategy, the Rev. Cristian de la Rosa,
Lincoln, Neb.; statutes and by-laws, Magda E. Morales, Germantown, Md.;
and finance, the Rev. Gustavo Betancourt, Milwaukee, Wis.

Two committees were added. A committee on Hispanic woman's concerns was
quickly agreed to by the assembly. According to the legislation, this
committee will be headed by a woman who is already a member of the
executive committee. Magda Morales was chosen to lead this work.

A committee on youth and young adults drew much more discussion. The
young people had proposed that the head of this committee be between the
ages of 16 and 30 and elected by the whole assembly. Among the
suggestions for amendment were that its leadership be like that of the
Hispanic women's concerns committee or that the representative be
elected by youth and young adults, not the whole assembly. A point of
contention was whether such a vote required two-thirds of the whole
membership or two-thirds of those present and voting. At one point the
parliamentarian for the assembly resigned his office so he could
participate in the debate.

An offering netted $431 for relief efforts in Latin America following
Hurricane Mitch and will be transmitted via the United Methodist
Committee on Relief.

MARCHA called on the annual conferences to use all the resources
available to defend the rights of undocumented immigrants living in
their areas. It also asked the Council of Bishops to issue a declaration
reiterating the principles expressed in all the denomination's
resolutions approved by the General Conferences of the past two decades
as well as the bishops' own document "To Love the Sojurner." MARCHA
wants such a document to speak to the Immigration Law of 1996, which,
the assembly said, was a continuing source of discrimination and
oppression to millions of people in the United States, but particularly
to Hispanic communities.

Churches and caucuses are being urged by the assembly to advocate in
state legislatures and Congress for affirmative action proposals, the
elimination of institutional racism and the provision of social services
for the all the poor and families at risk without regard to immigration
status.

In other business, the MARCHA assembly:
* agreed to support continuing the transition period between the United
Methodist Church and the Methodist Church of Puerto Rico until 2004;
* passed a policy on sexual harassment, sexual abuse and improper sexual
conduct;
* decided to investigate whether the National Council of Churches (NCC)
has been guilty of ageism, racism and discrimination based on national
origin in its employment practices, in response to a request by the Rev.
Esdras E. Rodriguez-Diaz, who has brought such a suit against the NCC;
* began to plan for an orientation for General Conference delegates and
another for observers;
* committed to work for the continuation, implementation and follow-up
on the goals and programs of the National Hispanic Plan of the
denomination; and 
* approved several other resolutions.

The continuing education segment on domestic violence was led by the
Rev. William Chignoli of St. Louis, a pastor and psychologist, but also
provided a theme for the gathering. The Rev. Francisco Estrada, Dallas,
preached on the topic, telling the members that the church must respond
with a prophetic call for change.  He pointed out that there are three
times as many animal shelters in the United States as there are shelters
for battered women and children.  In a panel presentation, the Rev.
Joaquin Garcia, Nashville, Tenn., said that the church cannot decide for
the victims but should warn them of the danger and make sure they see
all their options.

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