July 2008

A sower went out to sow. . . . some seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
Matthew 13.3, 8

Dear Friends,

On Sunday I heard a marvelous homily on this lectionary text, which led me to meditate on it throughout the week. On Friday and Saturday I experienced the reality of it.

The United Presbyterian Church of Brazil (IPU)

I arrived on the lovely island of Vitória in the state of Espírito Santo to represent the PC(USA) at the General Assembly of our small partner church with a large prophetic and ecumenical voice, the United Presbyterian Church of Brazil (IPU). This denomination was born in 1978, a few years after many churches, presbyteries and pastors had been expelled by the Presbyterian Church of Brazil (IPB) because of their ecumenical positions and prophetic stance against the military regime. The PC(USA) has stood alongside the IPU in solidarity from the beginning, and two of our former mission workers are greatly revered by the IPU: Jim Wright, who served boldly as the Stated Clerk of the IPU, and Richard Shaull whose theology was formative for many of their leaders. Today the IPU has approximately 10,000 members in 51 congregations and has the largest number of theologians per capita in any church I know.

Partners become partners

The first thing folks shared with me: “There was a moving ceremony this morning with President Assir Pereira and Stated Clerk Gerson Lacerda of the Independent Presbyterian Church of Brazil (IPIB) for the signing of a full partnership agreement with the IPU. We have many common dreams and want to walk together as Presbyterians.” This was an important step for both of the PC(USA)´s partner churches, which will surely produce many fruits.

Former students

Left to right: Julio Amorim, Sherron, Rogério Miranda, Arlete Reis.

Two of my former students in the seminary in Campinas gave me big Brazilian hugs and told me about their ministries in the IPU. The Reverend Rogério Miranda enthusiastically told me of his ministry in one congregation, which is reaching out to a network of congregations in the area with the hope of forming a mission committee at the local, regional, and national level. The Reverend Julio Amorim, pastor of the First IPU in Colatina, which is hosting an extension of the new IPU seminary, showed his commitment to this educational venture. Sitting around the table with the two of them and elders from their congregations at dinner was a time of true rejoicing in the fruits of my classes in mission and Christian education.

Center of Theological Formation Richard Shaull

The Reverend Isaura Massa greeted me, bubbling over with joy, hugging me, thanking me profusely. “Do you remember when you spoke at the meeting of ASTE (Theological Association of Brazil) in 2002? Derval Dasilio and I told you about our dream of a center of theological formation, and you said, ´This is it, the right project at the right time!´ and gave some suggestions with the recommendation that the IPU send the project to the Presbyterian Mission of Brazil, which was formally ending and giving grants to each participating denomination. The abundant fruits are here. With the grant, the dream became a reality, and we started the Center of Theological Formation Richard Shaull in Vitória.” The Center is in its second year. The headquarters in Vitória has 10 students, 9 of whom are from the IPU. There are extensions in Salvador, Bahia, with 10 students and in Colatina, Espírito Santo, with 35 students from 4 Presbyterian denominations, plus assorted Catholics, Baptists, and several Pentecostal denominations. All three centers will have government accreditation when the first groups graduate in 2010! The Center is Presbyterian, evangelical, and ecumenical, and it is committed completely to the unity of the Church of Christ!

Left to right: Prof. Arlete, Sherron, Prof. Joaquim Beato, and Maria da Penha Maia, a first-year student at Colatina.

On Saturday afternoon I gave my lecture to the Assembly. Then a group of over 20 students from Colatina, who had come 120 kilometers by bus, made an enthusiastic presentation to the Assembly with songs and testimonies. One student said: “I want to extend an invitation to the youth present. You don´t know how wonderful it is to study theology, especially in the seminary of the IPU. The relationship with the professors makes it even more marvelous and motivates you to study theology. We ask the new General Assembly Coordinating Committee to invest more in us!” Then Isaura, director of the extension in Vitória, presented plaques of membership in ASTE to the directors from Salvador and Colatina. Afterwards, Arlete Reis, the director of the extension in Colatina, introduced me to many of the students and told them that I was the author of the text they used, The Teaching Church. That resulted in lots of hugs and pictures together. Finally, they asked the Rev. Júlio and me to get on the bus and for me to say a prayer for them before they departed.

I was humbled and gratified to see some of the fruits of my ministry of teaching and writing. I invite you all to pray for the IPU and especially for the Center of Theological Formation Richard Shaull in Vitória, Colatina, and Salvador. This is a major priority of our partner denomination and an inspiration to all.

Your partner,

Sherron George
PCUSA Liaison and Theological Education Consultant for South America

The 2008 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 255