For me the highlight of the service
was a ceremony in which they invited former presidents of the
youth fellowship to come forward. Everyone then lit candles and
sang about letting the Light shine in the darkness, as I thought
about what that church’s ministry has meant in their lives
and the lives of a lot of other young people who grew up amidst
the many opportunities to get lost in Lurigancho. Some of the
former leaders have moved out and moved on to other, safer, districts
of Lima, but Ignacio is still there giving the Light a chance
to continue to shine through the ministry of this church.
Erika
Erika is a very bright young Presbyterian. Erika’s full
time work is in an ecumenical ministry with university students.
In the Presbyterian church she has already assumed leadership
as one of the advisors to the national Presbyterian youth organization.
The Presbyterian youth are taking seriously a call to reach out
to the over half of the Peruvian population who are under 25,
and are mobilizing themselves to do so. She cannot currently be
ordained in the Presbyterian church, because she is a woman. I’m
not sure how long that can last with young women like Erika around,
but it sure was interesting watching her take on texts that have
been used as a pretext to oppose women’s ordination in the
course on the epistles. It has also been fun watching her take
on Greek with zest, something that will result in her being one
of the best-prepared interpreters of the Bible in the denomination.
Tune in next year for an update.
Hernando
Hernando’s life as an evangelical Christian has been in
a Pentecostal church with a narrow theology. He has been hurt
by the ways that the Word has been twisted by his pastors. For
him the UBL has been a theological life support system, as he
has continued to use the gifts God has given him. He works in
a Pentecostal church in a newly developing poor district. He not
only assumes pastoral leadership in that church, but he has begun
work with other pastors in the area of theological education.
They tend to come to their ministries with a set of stock phrases
of real, but limited, value. Hernando wants to give them a chance
to deepen their understanding of the Word in a way that will allow
them to respond creatively to the pressing needs all around them.
For now, Ignacio and Erika and Hernando are students. In the
future they might be part of a team of UBL professors who not
only teach at our site, but could also be available to the myriad
of Bible institutes and Bible reflection groups in Lima and all
around Peru. It is exciting to be a part of the UBL in this place
and time, and we appreciate the support all of you have given
which makes this possible.
Shalom,
Harry and Debbie Horne
The 2005 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p.
47 |
