Congregational connections form through US-Colombian presbyteries’ partnership
The relationship between Seattle’s Union Church and Primera Iglesia Barranquilla became so close, one Seattle couple lived in Colombia for a year
SEATTLE — Loretta Pain was interested in a “retirement adventure.” Her husband, Richard, was raised in Central America and spoke Spanish fluently, but never lived in a Spanish-speaking country as an adult.
The relationship formed between their church, Union Church in Seattle, and Primera Iglesia Presbiteriana de Barranquilla in Colombia, made realizing those goals possible. Their nearly year-long residence in Barranquilla helped deepen the already strong relationship between the churches.
“We were in church probably three to four times a week with them, and found the people to be amazingly gracious, both in welcoming both of us, but particularly, I felt, in welcoming somebody who came to them without the language skills to actually be in relationship,” Loretta recalled. “It was a more intense community-based faith development experience than I think I've had or made for myself in the United States.”
The partnership between Seattle Presbytery and Presbiterio del la Costa in Barranquilla was originally conceived as a relationship between the mid councils. But as it grew, some congregations in both presbyteries found they wanted to engage in deeper relationships with each other.
In this final of three stories about the Seattle-Barranquilla partnership, see how the relationship between Union and Primera Iglesia began and has flourished.
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Seattle-Barranquilla — Familia Inmensa
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Seattle-Barranquilla — Familia Inmensa
See the first and second videos in the series.
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