Dear Friends,

"Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature" (Mark 16:15)

The man climbed slowly into the bus bound for Guatemala City. His hair was gray, his dark face lined with age. His white, long-sleeved shirt, though stained, was clean and pressed. He stopped in the middle of the bus. Instead of taking a seat, he opened the worn Bible he carried and held it close to his face. Then he began his sermon, a string of Bible verses calling sinners to repent and believe in Jesus.

Evangelical Protestantism has been present in an organized fashion in Guatemala since 1882 when the first Presbyterian missionary arrived from the U.S. to found both a school and a congregation. The Presbyterian missionaries were horrified at the end of the 19th century when missionaries from the Central American Mission (CAM), founded by Cyrus Scofield of Scofield Reference Bible fame, arrived in Guatemala and began preaching in the streets. The CAM missionaries took very literally Christ’s command to preach "to every creature." The Presbyterians thought such public preaching made the Gospel an object of ridicule and scorn.

A century later the style of preaching advocated by the CAM has won a place in Guatemalan popular culture. It’s almost impossible to ride on a public bus or walk through a park in Guatemala without hearing a sermon. The most moving story I’ve heard thus far was from a young man who was involved in petty crime and drugs until he was evangelized in jail and turned his life over to Christ. Obviously, some personal lives have been transformed by evangelical faith.

The societal impact of evangelicalism in Guatemala is much more difficult to gauge. At a recent gathering of students pursuing theological education through CEDEPCA, the question was voiced often, "If 35 to 40 percent of Guatemalans identify themselves as evangelical, why is there still so much violence in the country?" Many Guatemalans remember the early 1980s dictatorship of General Efraín Ríos Montt, a Neo-Pentecostal who preached over the radio every Sunday while the army under his command massacred entire villages. The erstwhile dictator is now president of the Guatemalan congress. He has completely abandoned his earlier evangelical discourse and is currently under investigation, along with other legislators of his party, for illegal alteration of tax laws. Evangelicalism seems to be something sectors of the Guatemalan elite put on or take off, according to their political objectives. Meanwhile, both evangelistic campaigns and violence continue.

I find myself wondering if the skills I bring in historical analysis and theological reflection will help Guatemalan Christians—and those from elsewhere who accompany them—discern how to respond faithfully to the social crisis in this country. I have been heartened to find many people who have a hunger for theological education and who are willing to ask hard questions. Asking the right questions is the beginning of discernment for all of us.

Our transition from Princeton to Guatemala has been much longer and more exhausting than we expected, mostly due to mechanical problems we had with the truck we acquired for Javier to drive down with all of our books. By the end of August we were finally all here in Quetzaltenango, a city in the highlands about four hours west of Guatemala City. We have rented a house in La Esperanza (which means hope), a mostly K’iche’ village just outside of Quetzaltenango. Eventually the house will have lots of both work space and guest space.

Tamara is in second grade at the Interamerican School. Though she is doing well in school, she misses her Princeton friends terribly and she doesn’t fully grasp why her parents want to be here. Javier is dividing his time between working on the house here and attending to our farm in Nicaragua. We are glad and thankful to be back in Central America, but every day we are reminded that this context is different from Nicaragua. Many common items have different names here; people smile at our Nicaraguan expressions; rice is absent at most meals; the beans served are black instead of red. Slowly, as our lives become entwined with the lives of people and churches here, we are learning to read the subtleties of this context.

I will be working here with three PC(USA) mission partners: the Latin American Biblical University, CEDEPCA, and the Presbyterian Seminary. CEDEPCA, the Evangelical Center for Pastoral Studies in Central America, has its roots in early 1970s efforts by Latin American evangelicals to ask what it means to follow Jesus Christ in a continent marked by widespread poverty and injustice. Since 1985, CEDEPCA has been offering training programs in contextualized biblical, theological and pastoral reflection to Central Americans involved in church and community leadership from many denominations. My work with CEDEPCA will focus primarily on university-level theological education, particularly here in the western part of the country. Last year, CEDEPCA purchased land in the capital on which to build their own center. In addition to classrooms, office space and a chapel, plans also include a shelter and clinic for women who are victims of domestic violence. CEDEPCA also organizes study tours in Central America for U.S. church groups through its Communication and Exchange for Peace program. Please contact me if you would like to know more about how you and/or your congregation can become involved in and support CEDEPCA’s work.

At the end of November, I will meet with representatives of each of the institutions to determine my concrete work assignments for the coming year. I ask that you hold this meeting in your prayers.

Given that I am trying to finish my dissertation, I won’t have time to write another newsletter before Christmas. Therefore my family and I would like to wish you and yours a blessed holiday season, full of joy as we celebrate the coming of the Prince of Peace and commit ourselves anew to the struggle for peace with justice for all peoples.

For all of us,

(Rev.) Karla Ann Koll

The 2000 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 241