Latin American Congress Challenges Anglicanism
Episcopal News Service. December 10, 1987 [87243]
Rt. Rev. Onell A. Soto, Bishop of Venezuela
SANTA CLARA, Panama (DPS, Dec. 10) -- The first Latin America Congress held here Nov. 11-18 challenged Anglicans around the world and especially in Latin America to "renew their efforts in mission and ministry, to be the voice of the voiceless, to struggle for peace and justice, and to serve anyone in the name of Christ."
In a statement entitled "We Have Gathered Together," (See attached) the 166 delegates from the 29 diocese in Latin America asked for prayer, mutual support, and sharing of resources. The Congress also challenged Anglicans everywhere to "work for the extension of God's kingdom" and to make the church to grow in "quantity and quality."
Although the Congress had been in the minds of many church leaders for a long time, it was not until three years ago that an international committee appointed by the primates of the two autonomous churches in Latin America -- the Episcopal Church of Brazil and the Anglican Church in the Southern Cone -- and the president of Province IX of the Episcopal Church drew up a plan for the Congress.
The Congress was called to strengthen the bonds of unity among Anglicans in Latin America by "sharing our common life, mission and ministry," and also to plan the growth and development of the Anglican Church on the continent.
At the opening service Bishop Clovis Rodrigues of Recife, Brazil, said in his sermon that this was an historic occasion for the Anglican Communion in Latin America bringing together people of many different backgrounds but "united in a single body." He added that it was time for the Church in Latin America to "think by itself and to make a contribution to the whole Anglican Communion."
This is the first Anglican Congress ever to be held in this part of the world where the Anglican Communion has been at work for more than 150 years. The work was first started by missionaries from England in the Southern Cone, although this was preceded by the now almost defunct consular chaplaincies set up to serve expatriates. In other places like Central America, however, the work is relatively new. It was not until the late 1950s that US Episcopal missionaries arrived in the area.
The Congress offered 20 workshops where small groups of no more than 15 people could discuss subjects of interest previously chosen by the participants. The subjects ranged from Anglican identity and the role of the missionaries to the theology of liberation, ecumenical relations, and models of evangelization. Other workshops held were on spiritual life, music, liturgy, renewal, the family, youth, and the episcopate.
Although each workshop made recommendations to the plenary, there was not much time for discussion. All the commendations and recommendations will be published in early 1988 in a book in Spanish and Portuguese, the two languages of the Congress.
Among the recommendations:
- That the two primates and the president of Province IX meet as a committee to implement the recommendations. (They already have scheduled a meeting in Caracas on Jan. 4-5).
- That a simple organization of representatives of the three jurisdictions be appointed to serve as a medium of unity, cooperation, and service.
- That interprovincial committees be formed to work on concerns like evangelization, theological education, literature, and social action.
- That the dioceses emphasize stewardship education and be assisted by professionals in the fields of management and financial administration.
- That a history of Anglicanism in Latin America be published so that the members of the Church may understand better their roots, identity, and the sacrifices their pioneers and martyrs.
- That "Anglicanos," a 20-page international, quarterly mission bulletin published by the Episcopal Church Center's Office of Communication, be continued as a way of fostering unity through information and education. ("Anglicanos" and 'Mundo Episcopal," produced by the secretariat of Province IX are the only international Anglican publications in the Spanish language.)
- That Nov. 12 (the day of the opening of the Congress) be a day of prayer for the Anglican Communion in Latin America to mark this milestone.
On the other hand, the congress listed a series of "worries" that may jeopardize the development of the Anglican Communion in Latin America. Among them:
- The lack of biblical knowledge and the lack of the use of the Book of Common Prayer among many members of the Church.
- The lack of understanding of the needs of young people and the disregard for their contribution to the life and mission of the Church.
- The use of a language in the service which does not speak to the reality of everyday living.
- The impoverishment of Latin America by an ever increasing external debt.
- The plight of the urban poor and the lack of essential services in rural areas.
- The authoritarian attitude present in some Church leaders.
- The fundamentalist position adopted by some sectors of the Church.
- The situation of millions of Indians who remain exploited, forgotten and marginalized.
All the dioceses in Latin America were represented by five persons -- a bishop, a presbyter, and three others, including a woman and youth -- with the exception of Nicaragua, whose delegates apparently had problems with their visas, and Cuba, which was able to send only one delegate. Haiti was invited but was unable send delegates to attend apparently due to the situation of unrest in that Caribbean nation.
The Hispanic work of the Episcopal Church was treated as a "diocese" and was invited to send five delegates. The delegation was headed by Puerto Rican-born Bishop Victor Rivera of San Joaquin, Calif.
There were 47 women present -- three of them priests (Patricia Powers, Brasilia; Diana Suarez, Panama; and Carmen Guerrero, West Texas.) A move by some members of the Brazilian delegation to have Powers, an American missionary supported by the Daughters of the King, as the principal celebrant on the day that Brazil was in charge of the Eucharist, failed when it was pointed out that the bishop is the normal celebrant, and that when the Church gathers as a province, this function is the prerogative of the primate. As originally planned, she was one of the co-celebrants.
The Province of the Southern Cone voted at its last synod not to approve the ordination of women to the priesthood and not to allow women ordained in other parts of the Anglican Communion to officiate in the province.
The Congress took place at the Episcopal and Baptist camps, one next to the other, in Santa Clara, a town next to a beach on the Pacific -- a two-hour ride north of Panama City.
Presiding Bishop Edmond L. Browning was represented by Bishop Maurice Benitez of Texas, who is bilingual and of Hispanic origin. The Rev. Ricardo Potter, secretary for Latin America and the Caribbean at the Episcopal Church Center, was also present.
All diocesan bishops of Latin America were present with the exception of Nicaragua, Cuba, Costa Rica, and Western Mexico. The bishop of Central and South Mexico was represented by his suffragan, Bishop Martiniano Garcia.
The main themes and the lectures were:
- Social Context and Missionary Strategy by Edmundo Desueza, a priest from the Dominican Republic now working in Costa Rica.
- Spirituality and Mission by Jaci Maraschin, a Brazilian priest and a professor at the University of Sao Paulo.
- Mission and Ministry by Veronica Flowers, a lay worker from Honduras, and
- Anglicanism and Ecumenism by Samuel Van Culin, secretary general of the Anglican Consultative Council in London.
The Congress was made possible through the cooperation of each of the dioceses (they had to pay $500 each plus other expenses) augmented by grants from the United Thank Offering, the World Mission unit at the Episcopal Church Center, the Anglican Church of Canada, the United Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, the South American Missionary Society, Trinity Parish, Wall Street, and the Society for the Promotion of Christian Knowledge.
What the congress meant?
- To all people the realization that Anglicanism is in Latin America to stay and that it is time to plan its future.
- To most people the first opportunity to meet and share as members of the same confessional family. It was indeed the first Latin north-south meeting ever.
- To many, to discover that although there are different styles of mission, worship, and churchmanship, they are all united in the same Lord.
- To many more, the feeling that they belong to a worldwide family where there is room for diversity and where consultation is essential if it is going to preserve its unity and character.
And to Presiding Bishop David Leake of the Southern Cone, a "unique experience" that no one will forget. "We will never be the same again because, by the grace of God, we have gathered together in his name and see ourselves as we are. Now the big task is to accomplish all our good intentions. For that we will need a lot of prayer and a lot of work."