A handbook of councils and churches profiles of ecumenical relationships

(Asociación Bautista de El Salvador, ABES)

Church Family: Baptist

Membership: 5,927

Local churches: 57

Preaching points: 155

Member of: WCC (1991) – CLAI – BWA – UBLA

Periodical: Bautista en Acción (in Spanish)

The first Protestant mission in El Salvador was the Bible Society Mission to Central America, which arrived in the country in 1896. They preached the gospel and distributed literature, but did not establish churches. In 1910, the local lead­ers related to the mission called on the American Baptist Foreign Mission Society (now the American Baptist Churches in the USA) to send missionaries. This is how the Baptist Mission was inaugurated in San Salvador in 1911. In the two decades following the arrival of the first Baptist missionaries, churches were set up in various cities, regional associations were formed, and two Baptist colleges were founded. In 1928 there were 19 churches, 14 church buildings and 10 ordained pastors. In this context the Baptist Association of El Salvador officially came into being in 1934. The first generation of Baptist Christians in El Salvador had to endure hardships on the part of the Catholic Church and rejection by the society at large, to the point of denying them the basic necessities of life.

The Baptist Association of El Salvador understands its mission as preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ, promoting the distribution and study of the Bible, and advancing the values of the kingdom of God on earth. The main objectives it pur­sues are 1) coordinating the efforts of its members in evangelization, education and cooperation, on the basis of Baptist principles, 2) promoting actions of Chris­tian solidarity which make it possible to live the gospel in daily life, and 3) enhanc­ing solidarity with sister churches at the international level, to extend Christian support to all the poor, the afflicted and the distressed. Currently the association is involved in the organization of evangelization campaigns to win new souls for Christ and initiate new missionary activities; in the development of theological seminars for the training of pastors, lay people and missionaries; in working with young people and the formation of young leaders; and in diaconal work, especially homes for the elderly and persons without relatives who need the compassion and love of Christ offered to them through these efforts.

(Sínodo Luterano Salvadoreña, SLS)

Church Family: Lutheran
Membership: 15,000
Congregations: 68
Pastors: 17
Evangelists: 11
Deacons: 19
Member of: WCC (1991) – CLAI – LWF
Publication: column in El Heraldo Luterano (weekly, in Spanish)
In 1954 the Missouri Synod (USA) began missionary work in El Salvador; Already in 1965 the first three national pastors were ordained. In 1985 the Sal­vadorian Lutheran Synod became an autonomous church. The relationship with the Missouri Synod was disrupted in 1986 because of differing views on libera­tion theology and solidarity with the oppressed, ecumenical commitment, ordi­nation of women, etc. During the war in El Salvador the SLS played an outstand­ing role, advocating for justice and assisting the displaced and the poor. The church had to pay a high price for its clear prophetic stance: one of its pastors was murdered. Many church workers, including the bishop, received threats and had to go into hiding or flee the country.

The SLS currently has 204 “Communities of Faith and Life”, small, well-orga-nized groups in which holistic mission is lived and carried out, and which are con­nected to the congregations. Each congregation has a pastoral team. After an eval­uation in 1998 the church strengthened its executive body and structured the work in four departments: diakonia and development, communication, pastoral work and education. A further review was done in 2004. The SLS implements its work in a holistic way, holding together proclamation and service. It was strongly involved in relief operations following hurricane Mitch and the earthquake of 2001. The church has a strong public profile of advocating for social justice.

Population: 106,384,786 Surface area: 2 million sq.km Capital: Mexico City GNI per capita: 6,770 US$ Classification: Developing economy Languages: Spanish, Nahuatl, Maya, other Religions: Christian 96% Christianity: Catholics 99,200,000; Protestants 4,434,030; Orthodox 103,100;

Anglicans 25,400; Independent 3,791,720 (double affiliation)

Latin America

Indigenous civilizations (e.g. Maya, Aztec) existed in Mexico before the Span­ish colonized it in 1539 and eliminated much of the Indian population. Mexico achieved independence in 1821. It lost half of its territory in the war with the US in 1846. The Mexican revolution of 1910-17, under Emiliano Zapata, brought dic­tatorship to an end. A new constitution was adopted, but the ideals, including land reform, were not carried through during the increasingly corrupt reign of the Institutional Revolutionary Party, from 1929 to 2000. Another uprising occurred in 1994, among the indigenous population of Chiapas, in opposition to Mexico’s signing of the North America Free Trade Area. The Zapatistas, as they call them­selves, initiated an alternative popular movement and became a focal group for the struggle against neo-liberalism and globalization. Mexico has developed a strong economy, based on oil production and modern industry. The relatively high per capita income hides however a highly unequal distribution of wealth between a small elite and the majority of urban and rural poor, mostly Indians. Many Mex­icans try to migrate to the USA. Mexico was Christianized by the Catholic Church from the beginning of colonization. Protestant missions came in the 19th and 20th centuries. The Presbyterian Church is the largest Protestant church, followed by the Seventh-day Adventists, the Union of Evangelical Indigenous Churches, the Assemblies of God (Pentecostal), the Baptists, Methodists, and others. Pente­costals represent about 25 percent of all the non-Catholic Christians. The Evan­gelical Fellowship of Mexico is affiliated with the WEA.

Methodist Church of Mexico

(Iglesia Metodista de México, IMM)

Church Family: Methodist

Membership: 50,000

Congregations: 400

Pastors: 400

Member of : WCC (1948) – CLAI – WMC – CIEMAL

Methodist work in Mexico began in 1871 when a young Mexican was con­verted to Methodism in the USA and returned to his country to share his new faith. The Methodist Episcopal Church, South, and the Methodist Episcopal Church followed in 1873, sending missionaries to explore possibilities and estab­lish congregations. In 1930 Methodism in Mexico became united and the Methodist Church in Mexico was born as an autonomous church. Its bishops are elected every four years. At present the church has six episcopal areas covering 28 of the 30 states of the nation and the federal district. It has a university, two theological seminaries, 150 centres of theological study by extension, 12 schools from nursery to high school, four social centres, two hospitals, two clinics, two orphanages, two homes for the elderly, and a girls’ hostel.

Population: 5,727,367

Surface area: 130,000 sq.km

Capital: Managua

GNI per capita: 790 US$

Classification: Developing economy

Languages : Spanish, Miskito

Religions: Christian 97%

(Convención Bautista de Nicaragua, CBN)

Church Family: Baptist

Membership: 25,000

Local churches: 170

Pastors: 170

Member of : WCC (1983) – CLAI – BWA – UBLA

The Baptist Convention of Nicaragua was founded in 1917 under the auspices of missionaries of the American Baptist churches. Its main objective is to proclaim and live out the gospel of the reign of God in Nicaraguan society. From the begin­ning the CBN has developed an integrated way of proclaiming the gospel, as is manifested through its Baptist hospital, the Baptist college, its home for the men­tally handicapped, a radio station, a programme of preventive health care, a centre for theological formation and a university of Protestant inspiration. Many of the local churches have in similar ways integrated evangelization and service to the community. The CBN has also taken an active part in the founding of larger min­istries such as CEPAD (Council of Evangelical Churches of Nicaragua), the first Protestant radio in the country, and the Inter-Church Centre for Social and The­ological Studies (CIEETS). Besides the pastors in the local churches, the conven­tion employs several hundred leaders and workers in its institutions. The highest governing body of the CBN is the general assembly which meets once a year. An executive board and the general secretariat look after the on-going matters and the programmes in between the sessions of the general assembly.

The CBN sees as its main challenges an articulation of the gospel which responds to the needs of society, and the development of a prophetic and biblical testimony in different socio-economic circumstances; the strengthening of the

Latin America

local churches and institutional ministries; the modernization of the governance and administration of the convention, in response to new institutional developments and new forms of ecclesial expression which are emerging in its constituency.

Moravian Church in Nicaragua

Church Family: Free Church

Membership: 82,944

Congregations: 199

Bishops: 3

Pastors: 70

Lay pastors: 120

Member of: WCC (1984) – CLAI – MUB

Moravian presence in Nicaragua dates back to 1847, when German Moravian missionaries started work in Bluefields. From the beginning, their work devel­oped among the ethnic groups of the Caribbean coast: the Afro-Caribbeans, and Miskito, Sumu and Rama Indians, which is why today 96 percent of the mem­bership of the Moravian church is in this area. In 1899 the first Nicaraguan pastor was ordained. During the first world war communication became difficult and the mission board in Herrnhut (Germany) decided, in 1916, to transfer the responsi­bility of administration and finance to the Moravian Church in the USA. In 1949, the first Nicaraguan bishop was consecrated. In 1958, churches were also estab­lished on the Pacific side of the country, starting in Managua. In 1972, the lead­ership and administration of the MCN passed into the hands of a native pastor, and the church became completely autonomous in 1974.

The Moravian Church in Nicaragua as a part of the body of Christ affirms the chief doctrines of the faith as follows: the Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, in whose name baptism is performed; God, the father almighty, the maker of heaven and earth, and the father of the Lord Jesus Christ, who came in human form and gives to all who believe in him the power to become children of God; the Holy Spirit who works within all who believe and enables them to know the truth; the doctrine that God, through Christ, visits and redeems his people. The church administers the sacrament of baptism for both children and adults, by pouring or sprinkling of water. The MCN does not dispute other forms of baptism as practised by other churches. It invites all baptized Christians to join with it in celebrating the Lord’s supper. It embraces the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers, but maintains an ordained ministry of both men and women for admin­istering the sacraments. The MCN regards the chief doctrine of the Christian faith to be that Jesus Christ is the means by which sins are forgiven, not of believers only, but also the sins of the whole world. The person of Christ and his redeem­ing love is the central point of the church’s teaching and preaching.

The MCN has established schools, colleges, hospitals, clinics and institutions of theological and Christian education. In 1974, the synod created a social devel­opment programme which includes nutrition, agriculture, fisheries, community development, cooperatives and emergency aid.

Organizationally, the MCN is represented in a provincial synod which meets every three years to review and plan church policy and programme. An executive board is responsible for carrying out the decisions of the synod between meetings. The motto of the church is the same as that of all Moravian churches: “In Essen­tials – Unity, in Non-Essentials – Liberty, and in all things – Charity (Love)”. This is the basis of all its ecumenical relations. In cooperation with the Roman Catholic Church, it has produced a translation of the New Testament in Miskito. In 1999, in cooperation with the Bible Society it completed the entire Bible in both the Miskito and Sumu languages. In 1995, in conjunction with the Bluefields Indian and Caribbean University, the MCN established a nucleus of the aforementioned university in Puerto Cabezas.

In 2004, the MCN completed a Miskito-Spanish-English dictionary which, it is hoped, will be printed in 2005. Presently, a hymnal in Sumu is being prepared. Since the triumph of the People’s Revolution in 1979, the MCN has been work­ing hand in hand with repatriated citizens on the Caribbean coast, both infra-structurally as well as spiritually.

PANAMA

Ecumenical Committee of Panama

(Comité Ecuménico de Panamá, COEPA)

Founded in 1986.

Basis: The Ecumenical Committee of Panama is a fraternal association of churches which confess Jesus Christ as God and Saviour, according to the scrip­tures, and therefore seek to fulfill their common calling to the glory of the one God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, in whose name they administer holy baptism.

Member churches: Calvary Baptist Church Catholic Church Episcopal Anglican Church of Panama Evangelical Methodist Church of Panama

Greek Orthodox Church
Methodist Church in the Caribbean and the Americas
Russian Orthodox Church

Associate member: Focolare Movement

Population: 27,968,365 Surface area: 652,200 sq.km Capital: Lima GNI per capita: 2,360 US$ Classification: Developing economy Languages: Spanish, Quechua, Aymara, other Religions: Christian 97% Christianity: Catholics 26,355,003; Protestants 2,013,820; Orthodox 6,300;

Anglican 1,700; Independents 1,301,300 (double affiliation)

Peru was home to various indigenous cultures and later to the Inca empire. The Spanish conquered it in 1532 and exploited the gold and silver mines. Lima became the political and economic centre of the region for several centuries. The Catholic Church established an archbishopric in Lima as early as 1546. Peru declared its independence in 1821. Together with Bolivia, it was involved in the War of the Pacific with Chile, from 1879-83. In the second half of the 20th cen-

Latin America

tury Peru experienced successively a progressive military regime, bloody attacks by the “Shining Path” guerilla, its repression with massive killings and human rights abuses, and democratically elected but corrupt governments, which were unable to respond to the expectations of the people. The country is rich in mineral resources and produces oil, but its leaders have not succeeded in building a sound and equitable economy. The Andinos, who make up almost half of the population, are the poorest, living in the urban slums and in the mountain areas. Protestant missions began in Peru in the 19th century. Evangelical, Pentecostal, and Holi­ness churches have grown rapidly in the 20th century, especially among the Andi­nos. Many of these are members of the National Evangelical Council of Peru. Some of largest churches are the Seventh-day Adventists, the Evangelical Church of Peru, and the Assemblies of God (Pentecostal). Together, the Evangelicals and Pentecostals/Charismatics represented about 12 percent of the Christians in Peru in 2005. The WCC cooperates with several ecumenical groups

(Concilio Nacional Evangélico del Perú, CONEP)

Founded in 1940.

Objectives: The objectives of the National Evangelical Council of Peru are to encourage the fellowship and collaboration between the Evangelical organizations of Peru … and in the spirit of Jesus Christ, to work for the harmony and cooper­ation between the Christian bodies in Peru, whether they are members of the council or not.

Member churches and missions: Assemblies of God of Peru Association Christian Mennonite Brethren Churches Association Evangelical Church Maranatha of Peru Association Evangelical Churches of North-East Peru Association Evangelical Church Shipibo-Conibo Association Evangelical German-Peruvian Mission Association Free Evangelical Churches of Peru Autonomous Evangelical Pentecostal Church Baptist Association of the South Christian and Missionary Alliance of Peru Christian Community Body of Christ Christian Community Church Living Water Church of God in Peru Church of God of Peru Church of the Evangelical Alliance Church of the Mennonite Brethren of North America in Peru Church of the Nazarene

Episcopal Anglican Church of Peru

Evangelical Alliance Mission

Friends National Evangelical Church of Peru

(Iglesia Metodista del Perú, IMP)

Church Family: Methodist
Membership: 8,000
Congregations: 130
Pastors: 50
Member of: WCC (1972) – CLAI – WMC – CIEMAL
Methodist work in Peru dates back to the late 1870s. It failed because of the Pacific War between Peru, Chile and Bolivia. After the war mission work resumed, especially in Lima and the seaport city of Callao. One of the missionaries, Rev. F. Penzotti, was imprisoned because he distributed Bibles. His case became interna­tionally known because the principle of religious freedom was at stake, and he was eventually released. The first Methodist church of Callao was founded in 1889. It was the first evangelical Spanish-speaking church in Peru. Most of the members were migrants from the rural areas. Marginalized by society, they found a warm welcome in the church. The vision of a developing and growing church led the missionaries to set up several colleges, which today are among the best educa­tional institutions of the country. The Colegio América in Callao with 1,200 stu­dents is known throughout South America. Other large Methodist colleges exist in Lima, La Victoria, Huancayo, Tarma and Chincha.

The Methodist Church of Peru became autonomous in 1970. It is organized in six districts. The general assembly is the highest governing body. It is presided over by the bishop. Church leaders and pastors are trained at the “Wenceslao Bahamonde” biblical theological community. Some 7,000 children and young people attend the Sunday schools. The church is committed socially and runs var­ious communal assistance programmes.

Latin America

URUGUAY

Population: 3,463,202 Surface area: 176,200 sq.km Capital: Montevideo GNI per capita: 3,950 US$ Classification: Developing economy Languages: Spanish Religions: Christian 50%; Jewish 1,2% Christianity*: Catholics 1,212,121; Protestants and Evangelicals 173,160;

Orthodox 28,930; Anglicans 1,400

The indigenous people who lived in the plains of Uruguay were decimated in the three hundred years following the colonization in the 16th century. The last mass killing took place in 1831, after the country’s independence in 1825. In the 19th century many Europeans migrated to Uruguay. It was a politically stable and prosperous country with an advanced welfare system. In the 1960s an economic crisis occurred and a left-wing guerilla emerged, the Tupamaros. The movement was repressed by the army, which seized power in 1973. Under the military dic­tatorship, which lasted until 1984, huge human rights violations took place. Since then, Uruguay is again a functioning democracy. The economy is essentially agri­cultural, with some manufacturing industry. Export consists of meat, dairy and leather products, wool, etc. Uruguay is the smallest country in Latin America, and also the most secularized. The Catholic Church, which dates back to the begin­ning of colonization, is the largest church. The Methodists are the oldest Protes­tant church. There is a large Waldensian community, which is part of the Walden­sian Church in Italy, and therefore also of the WCC. Pentecostals represent about 30 percent of the Protestant and Independent churches. The Federation of Evan­gelical Churches is the oldest ecumenical body. In 1998, a Council of Christian Churches was set up, with the participation of the Catholic and Anglican churches. There is also a Christian Association of Evangelical Churches, affiliated with the WEA. The Orthodox churches are the Ecumenical Patriarchate, Moscow Patriarchate, and Armenian Apostolic Church.

*statistics from Uruguay