Province IX Endorses Movement Toward Autonomy, Elects New President
Episcopal News Service. January 11, 1991 [91004]
Robert Melville, Volunteer for Mission in the communication office of the Diocese of Panama
Nearly 80 delegates from 17 Latin American dioceses in the Episcopal Church's predominantly Spanish-speaking Province IX paved the way for the development of two autonomous churches of the Anglican Communion during the provincial synod in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, December 10-14.
Delegates endorsed resolutions calling for the 1994 General Convention to grant autonomy to the Episcopal Church of Mexico and the Anglican Region of Central America (Costa Rica, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Panama, and possibly Guatemala and/or Honduras).
Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa stirred the delegates at the opening of the synod with a talk on evangelization. "If we are the church of God," the 1984 Nobel Peace Prize winner declared, "then we must have a bias in favor of the weak, of the hungry, of the homeless, of those without influence. We must speak for them, because if we don't, who will?"
Delegates spent much of the two days in diocesan workshops on evangelism and social justice to check accomplishments and to set new goals. Throughout the meeting the question of autonomy loomed over the proceedings.
"Church leaders in Latin America find that they have little voice in the affairs of the Episcopal Church, and they yearn for an autonomy that will give them freedom to develop their own traditions and liturgies," said the Rev. Ricardo Potter, Episcopal Church partnership officer for Latin America and the Caribbean.
"But autonomy does not mean financial independence," Potter said. "The Episcopal Church needs to continue to enable dioceses to do their mission and ministry, although we would hope that self-government would lead to greater self-sufficiency." He noted that the newly autonomous Philippine Episcopal Church received an $800,000 grant this year.
On the sixth ballot, the synod chose the Rt. Rev. Neptali Larrea, bishop coadjutor of Central Ecuador, as president of Province IX. Larrea's election broke a five-ballot deadlock between the incumbent, Bishop James Ottley of Panama, and Bishop Armando Guerra of Guatemala. It was a tense and unprecedented struggle for leadership that was marked by frequent rules changes and parliamentary and political maneuvering.
Larrea, 41, told the synod after his election that his priorities will be "to strengthen the regions and to develop more leadership."
Judith Gillespie, executive for World Mission, presented three challenges to the delegates: use their trained leaders better, discuss the tensions in the province, and develop more regional leadership. She said that she was concerned that many of the leaders trained in a program that was funded by a $600,000 grant over the past six years were not being effectively used.
The synod voted "to speak out against the upcoming celebration" of the arrival of Columbus in America. Delegates adopted a resolution calling for education and liturgical acts of penance "as we seek solidarity with the indigenous peoples and blacks" who were exploited during and after colonization.
Resolutions calling for a lasting peace in Central America, renewing relations with Cuba, and helping Haitian refugees were endorsed.