Colombia
John and Paula Ewers, former mission co-workers with the Presbyterian Church of Colombia (IPC), quote their former pastor, the Rev. Karen McDonald, as they write: “If you aren’t serving on the edge, you’re taking up too much space.” Serving on the edge is what leaders in the IPC do. They take great risks in their human rights work and their support of the communities of Colombians who have been displaced by the violence of the forty-year war in their country.
The Presbyterian Peace Fellowship works with PC(USA) World Mission and the IPC to train and deploy short-term mission workers as accompaniers with members of the IPC. As of the summer of 2008, Presbyterian Peace Fellowship had trained seventy-one volunteers, forty-seven of whom have served. Eighteen volunteers have asked to serve again.
Accompanier Kori Phillips writes about a woman in Sincelejo who helps identify human remains found in mass graves and also works with those who have survived attacks. Some men approached the woman’s twelve-year-old daughter and told her that they would kill her because of the work her mother was doing. The church continues to accompany this woman in her work.
Accompanier Susan Heily writes about the displaced farmers who have lost their homes and livelihoods. Although Colombian law guarantees confiscated land be replaced, these farmers have been working for years without success to regain land, and national and international Presbyterians accompany them.
Accompaniers Kathryn Bucher and Phil Gates listened to displaced families as they told their stories. Most were forced from their homes as a result of the fighting, having left behind jobs and their possessions. In one displaced community, about a thousand families live without utilities or access to water. Community representatives went to government officials to ask about a promised response to housing issues; all four were subsequently murdered.
For accompaniers Malissa Haslam and Barbara Medina, this ministry of presence provides those who work for justice in Colombia with a measure of safety, additional eyes to witness, and voices to share what they have seen.
PC(USA) People in Mission
The Rev. Alice Winters, professor of Bible, Presbyterian Church of Colombia
Partners/Ministries
Presbyterian Church of Colombia (IPC): Elder Helis Barraza, moderator
Reformed University of Colombia, IPC: Dr. James Schutmaat, director
Reformed Synod: Elder Martha Raquel Niño Durán, moderator
Presbytery Partnerships
Presbytery of the Miami Valley, Presbytery of Tres Rios, and Presbytery of Winnebago with the IPC
PC(USA) General Assembly Staff
Joann Saunders, GAMC
Alex Say, FDN
God of life, we pray for peace in Colombia. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Ps. 36, 147:12–20 Ps. 80, 27
Jer. 38:1–13
1 Cor. 14:26–33a (33b–36) 37–40
Matt. 10:34–42
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