Latin America: Chaos - Cross - Celebration

‘In the midst of chaos we know how to celebrate.’ These words, spoken by Rev Israel Batista, provided the keynote for this year’s World Mission Conference at the Hayes, Swanwick which focussed on the church in Latin America.

Entitled ‘Chaos - Cross - Celebration’ the Conference departed from its usual pattern of key note speakers and workshops and, instead, divided into four seminars of which participants were able to attend two.

In his seminar ‘Challenge to the Churches’, Rev Israel Batista set out to share his experience of the church life of Latin America and its understanding of mission. He also wanted to learn about the British Church’s own understanding of church and mission so that we could help one another. Mr Batista, a Methodist minister from Cuba, is currently based in Ecuador where he is General Secretary of CLAI (Council of Churches for Latin America).

In Latin America, he said, ‘Evangelical’ means ‘faithful to the Gospel’ and embraces many traditions (other than Roman Catholic). ‘Pentecostalism’ is not a distinct denomination but an understanding of the presence of the Holy Spirit everywhere; it is found in all traditions including the Roman Catholic Church.

The crisis caused by the collapse of currencies in countries like Ecuador and Argentina had increased suffering not only among the already poor sections of society but also amongst the middle classes who had previously saved and become relatively prosperous. Yet, he said, in the evangelical churches, the poorest person, at the bottom of society, could find dignity and respect as a human being. Thus, during the 20th century, the evangelical churches had seen phenomenal growth, especially amongst indigenous peoples.

In his view globalisation created a fundamental challenge for the churches. It was the church’s responsibility to denounce the system as unjust for the vast majority of people in the world. ‘If you want to have success, put compassion aside. If you want to be competitive, forget solidarity. To grow collectively with your community will make you a loser, not a winner. That is the reality.’ He urged local congregations to become ‘communities of hope, healing and reconciliation,’ to find space to come together to pray, to celebrate, to act and to be ‘surprised by the Spirit.’

A Seminar on ‘Latin American Prayer and Praise’ was led by Simei Monteiro, a Brazilian currently working as a worship consultant with the World Council of Churches in Geneva. Sunday worship, she said, is more a ‘Celebration’ or a Fiesta’ than a service. She taught her group some lively ‘Gathering Songs,’ which are used while large, Latin American congregations assemble. We also learnt processional songs, a Kyrie Eleison with influences from the Guarani people of the High Andes and a ‘Song of the Way’ expressing the solidarity of the people as they struggle against oppression, suffering and injustice.

Ernesto Lozada-Uzuriaga, an artist from Peru who is now an Anglican priest serving in England introduced the Seminar ‘Lament - Imagination - Transformation.’ He explained how ‘lamentation’ is essential before there can be genuine celebration. He showed some visual images of grief and despair and emphasised the need to acknowledge suffering in order to engage with God. Such an encounter with God touches the imagination and inspires hopes and dreams of a different future.

Also contributing to this seminar was Sarah Fordham, a consultant in the creative arts and worship. Psalms often expressed lamentation, she said, and then they moved on to hope. She encouraged participants to write their own psalms in order to engage personally with lamentation, imagination and transformation.

A fourth seminar focussed on Haiti. This was an opportunity to learn more about the background to the recent upheavals and to understand why Haitians continue to ‘hope in the midst of chaos’. Anne McConnell and her husband Christian Wisskirchen gave an overview of the troubled history of Haiti since the Spanish Conquest. The country’s problems today had been created largely by the extreme poverty of more than 80% of the population, by the determination of a wealthy, elite minority not to see any redistribution of wealth and by the interference of outside countries.

Lisane André of GARR (Groupe d’appui aux rapatriés et réfugiés) described how GARR’s work for human rights includes rescuing trafficked children and reuniting them with their parents, monitoring the welfare of women enticed to work for low wages across the border in the Dominican Republic, and rehousing immigrants repatriated from that country. ‘Where there is life there is hope’, she said, ‘Let’s keep on hoping’. This was all the more important since she had recently witnessed the devastating floods in the area in which she was working.

Worship with a Latin America flavour was an integral part of the whole weekend. Progress from chaos, through the cross and on to celebration was represented by different symbols. The first evening strips of ribbon, on which everyone wrote a prayer, were tied together and draped round a large wooden cross. Next morning coconut shells filled with salt water represented the tears of suffering peoples. The water was sprinkled over worshippers as they left the chapel. Another act of worship focussed on the unexpected ways in which God’s presence is often revealed, while the final Communion Service celebrated the promises of the living Christ as we continue the journey.

A special feature this year was the induction of a new president for Methodists for World Mission. Stepping down after five years in this role, Rosemary Wass introduced Dr Peter Fox as the new president. Dr Fox, a long time member of MWM, has served as a mission partner in Kenya and is now closely involved with the World Church Office.

As usual the participants were a stimulating mix of former mission partners, those currently in training to go abroad, overseas students on World Church Scholarships studying at various universities and World Church in Britain Partners working in circuit here. The majority, however, were those who regularly value this weekend as an opportunity for closer involvement with the World Church.

Steve Pearce and Elaine Robinson arranged a special programme for the 16 children present while Ellie Griffin and a dozen or so young people interwove their own activities with those of the adults. The Saturday night ‘Fiesta’ involved all ages with a carnival procession, games for the children and salsa dancing.

The Conference organiser was David Cowling and, as has been the case for several years now, the planning was ecumenical. Methodists for World Mission worked in partnership with The Methodist Church, Grassroots, Christian Aid, The United College of the Ascension, Christians Aware and USPG.

The whole weekend offered important insights into issues affecting the life of the church in Latin America, opportunities to experience its music and a new understanding of the ‘theology of celebration.’

Next year’s conference (June 3rd - 5th 2005) will take the theme ‘Tradition or Mission?’ and focus on the Pacific area.