Rev Tom Quenet- Area Secretary, Americas & Caribbean

Visit to Chile, Ecuador & Leeward Islands (MCCA)

23January - 17February 2002

CHILE

The Methodist Church in Chile is a lively, evangelical, mission body that regards numeric and spiritual growth as the norm. It is organised into seven Districts that contain the 91 churches and 9,969 members. It has 24 educational establishments that serve 10,800 students. Its social work is highly valued by the state and in a concordat with the government; it works at preventing inter-family violence. Through the social work institutions the church reaches 12,000 people. The Church also runs a medical centre that attends to approximately 2,000 people.

During my visit I was able to spend time with Katy Thomas, our Mission Partner in Chile, whose work is highly regarded by all and as her final furlough approaches I was often asked if it would be possible for her to return to Chile.

I was also able to talk with United Methodist Church, USA (UMC) Mission Partners, Mark & Angela Turner who are based at the “Obra Rural”. Mark Turner is an agronomist who is developing the work of this institution giving support to indigenous communities in the area. The support is offered to small and difficult-to-access communities. Visiting them displayed a labour intensive industry where co-operation and partnership by people in agriculture is essential for the good of all. The Methodist Church Britain (MCB) support for the “Obra Rural” is through a pig-rearing programme developed with the help of funds from Methodist Relief & Development Fund (MRDF).

At one such community I found myself at a community gathering, where hockey matches would be the highlight of a festival day. The fatted calf (more like the older cow) killed and chopped up was being crammed into pots to be cooked. Mapuche people of all ages dressed in traditional costumes were all around. Dignitaries were ushered into prominent seats where the sun began to cook them as, in the nearby shadows, members of the community smiled in our direction. I was not sure whether their smiles were a pleasant acknowledgement of our presence or brought about by the fermented apple juice that had begun to appear from a variety of containers in increasing quantities. The government representative was welcomed as were the rest of us, but when it came to me, I was singled out as having made the extra long journey to be with them and how much this meant to them. The young man co-ordinating these activities was a Methodist who had benefited from the ministry of the “Obra Rural”. A future leader of his people perhaps at national level… but no amount of looking overheated as I fanned myself with my hat could persuade him to send one of those cooling drinks in our direction. Amidst the sense of occasion present, the reality that through our vital support, we were making real and long lasting differences for good to the lives of real people, was clearly evident.

ECUADOR

The Protestant Church in Ecuador has a relatively short history. At the start of the twentieth century, Methodist, Presbyterian, Disciples of Christ and Brethren missionaries from the United States all began missionary activities in Ecuador. These took the form of agricultural, development, health and education activities. Within a short time the missionaries returned home and left a number of isolated churches that began to develop distinctive identities of faith and practice. In 1965 an alliance of some of these churches was formed into the United Evangelical Church Ecuador and a theological centre was created in 1966.

In November 2001, the body decided to rename itself “The United Evangelical Methodist Church Ecuador”. This has led to the withdrawal of support from some United States partners. The church has about 600 members. Distinct to this alliance there exists “The Evangelical Council of Indigenous People and Organisations”. This alliance claims a membership of 2.58 million members in 2,323 congregations.

Our partnership is with the United Evangelical Church Ecuador, headed by a very energetic, hard working Dr. Salomón Cabezas. He gives clear leadership and support in a variety of ways to the church and is highly esteemed by all. His long service as Rector of the University in Quito has given him a very prominent place in Ecuadorian society.

Throughout my stay in Ecuador I was taken to a number of projects by Dr. Cabezas, President of the Methodist Church in Ecuador, including the work being done by the NMA, Pastor Eduardo Morales and the work of Pastor Mario Perez in the town of Pacto and its surrounding communities.

Pastor Eduardo Morales and his wife Alicia have built up a congregation from next to nothing in a very short time and with the rest of the church deliver a ministry of gospel proclamation linked to healthcare and community development in a poor area of Latacunga. Three satellite church communities are associated with this pastorate. In one village a local congregation of about 15 members was working with the community to establish a nursery and pre-school facility. In the other, a church school was providing not only basic education to very needy indigenous children but also regular medical and dental care. The continuing needs of this growing community are for a larger and permanent base on which a church building can become more securely established.

The pastorate of Mario Perez in the town of Pacto was arrived at, after an hour-long journey over roads that felt like a prolonged ride on the bronco horse simulator at a fairground, before arriving at what seemed like a one-horse town. The many fighting cocks tied to bushes just out of reach of each other, the occasional bars from which characters stared suspiciously at strangers, the absence of people on the streets, and the humid tropical atmosphere gave the impression of a Hollywood film set ready for the filming of some tropical adventure. The darkest things in Pacto, however, were likely to be the black wellington boots that were essential for walking around some of the town’s unpaved roads.

The church here was a well-developed building and attached pastor’s home. It missions to five communities at some distance from Pacto; the farthest away is 20 miles and is reached by a lengthy horse ride and overnight stay in the church. Pastor Perez and his wife are building up a sound ministry alongside the members who were eager to let me know their needs, which were: a rugged four wheeled form of transport to enable the pastor to have easier access to the satellite communities and to Quito; some sewing machines to enable the pastor’s wife and ladies of the church to start a small clothing manufacture base; and a number of computers to create a base for teaching IT skills to secondary school children and through the Internet to have ready access to the world. Both power and telephones are easily available… roads are a different matter!!

While in Quito I also met for extensive consultation with Rev Israel Batista Guerra of the Latin America Council of Churches, Horacio Mesones of the International Christian Student Movement and UMC Mission Partners, Luis and Eunice Gramajo and Daniel Goodwin, who are working on very much needed Christian education ministry.

METHODIST CHURCH IN THE CARIBBEAN AND AMERICAS (MCCA), LEEWARD ISLANDS

My visit to the Leeward Islands had the purpose of revisiting a district in which I had served as a Mission Partner; to get to know the President of the MCCA (Rev Bruce Swapp); to renew the contact with the Leeward Islands District President (Selwyn Vanterpool) and to visit the island of Montserrat in order to see the effects of the volcanic eruptions and experience the process of recovery from this disaster. In the course of this I also had opportunity to witness the Methodist work on the islands of Antigua, St.Maarten/San Martin and Anguilla.

Several representatives from the MCB have seen first hand the effects of the volcanic eruptions in Montserrat. It is remarkable and speaks of the character of the people of this island that with good humour and determination they are embarking upon reconstructing their lives. Concerns were expressed about how Montserratians in Britain were coping. In Montserrat, there exists two levels of reality. The younger level, with short memory and little that has been a real loss to them, are responding with energy to recreate at remarkable pace a highly developed society. For older people, it is demonstrative of the degree of trauma that is still being experienced that many of them have yet to confront the reality of the permanent destruction to their lives that the volcanic eruptions brought with them. My experience and conviction is that they will recover fully, through the love for and faith that they have in Jesus Christ.

I visited the “Golden Years” rest home on the island where many of the elderly who lost their homes but have not left the island were being cared for. The home is an airy, open and comfortable place; each person has an individual room with personal effects around them. They are excellently cared for by sensitive staff. Disasters of the sort that Montserrat has experienced over recent years do not discriminate in favour of those best able to deal with them. The citizens of Montserrat, however, are providing a secure and caring environment where those with the wisdom of age can best pass on their wisdom while having the space to come to terms with their grief and loss.

I would like to express my gratitude to all the people who received, welcomed and enabled me to achieve all my aims in this visit and to thank the British Methodist Church for making it possible.