Latins Launch USA Missions Outreach
In a history-making move, Tim Hill, director of Church of God World Missions, speaking to 1,500 church leaders in a Guatemala City convention, called upon the Latin American church to reach out in missions action to the United States and to Latinos scattered around the world.
“During the last 10 years the U.S. church has sent $10 million to the Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking churches in 18 countries from Mexico to Argentina, and it has been a great investment,” Hill told the Hispanic leaders. “You have used the money to develop and improve Bible schools, you have built churches and orphanages, and you have planted hundreds of new congregations. Now I am hearing you say it is time for Latin America to enhance your global missions involvement.”
Hill challenged every congregation in Mexico, Central America, Brazil, and South America to raise $100 US each before the 2014 International General Assembly. The money will be used for two U.S. projectsa ministry center in New York and church construction and rebuilding in Louisianaas well as for church planting among Latinos in the global diaspora.
John Childers, assistant World Missions director, explained that the action marked a new direction in the relationship between the churches in Latin America and the United States. “The Hispanic churches have been in existence for eight decades, and they have reached a level of development and maturity that motivates them to want to be more involved in the global mission of the church,” he said.
Since the first congregation in Mexico became part of the Church of God in 1932, the denomination has moved from nation to nation throughout the hemisphere. Nearly 8,000 local churches presently exist, and they have set an ambitious goal to double the number of congregations by the year 2020. After two years of working with this plan, Latin America is well on the way to meeting the goal.
The national churches operate 27 Bible colleges and seminaries. Latin American churches work under the supervision of David Ramirez, director, and four area superintendents: Julio Melendez, Mexico; Otoniel Collins, Central America; Silvio Ribeiro, Brazil; and Eduardo Drachenberg, South America.
Some 1,500 administrative and educational leaders and pastors met in Guatemala City last week in a three-day continental convention. They were joined by nearly 1,000 local residents for worship services each evening.
