| |
Teacher background
This session presents the ELCA’s partner church in Nicaragua,
the ILFE (Iglesia Luterana Fe y Esperanza de Nicaragua).
This is a small denomination, started as a pastoral
accompaniment for refugees from El Salvador’s civil war. When
the refugees returned to El Salvador after 1992, the
Nicaraguans who remained decided to continue as a small
congregation in Managua. Now the ILFE is increasing in numbers
and influence. From its first days in 1983 until now, the
church has grown to well over 4000 members. They are located
in over 24 communities, including the capital city of Managua
and the surrounding countryside. The majority of ILFE
congregational members are poor people in the suburban areas
of Managua, as well as peasants and small farmers who live in
the rural areas of the country. The ILFE
began as a church with a health clinic. That combination of
proclaimed and practiced gospel still characterizes the
identity of this denomination. It sponsors primary health
care and leadership development programs. Community organizing
– particularly farmers’ cooperatives -- is one of the
hallmarks of the denomination’s work. The ILFE partners with
other Christian denominations, the Lutheran World Federation
and Lutheran World Relief in work among people who live in
poverty, particularly in the countryside. When Hurricane Mitch
devastated Nicaragua in 1998, the ILFE participated fully in
identifying needs and working at recovery. Not coincidentally,
membership in the congregations of the ILFE increased during
that time period.
A full member of the Lutheran World
Federation since 1994, the ILFE is also a member of the Latin
American Council of Churches. The Rev. Victoria Cortez
Rodriguez serves as Bishop of the ILFE.
The inclusion of fe (faith) and
esperanza (hope) in the ILFE’s name signals what’s
important in the mission of this church body. Concepts or
ideals such as faith, hope, joy, beauty, God’s grace – perhaps
easy words for Christians to say or describe – have taken on
new definitions among people who are members of the ILFE. As
the church adds sweat and muscle to these ideals of the
Christian life, they become gritty and dependable sources of
identity for ILFE members and friends. Christ is embodied in
Word and witness.
One strong feature of this denomination
is its emphasis on lay participation. Because it has very few
ordained pastors, the ILFE depends on lay pastors in most of
its congregations. These lay pastors are enrolled in a
five-level program of instruction and experience that leads to
ordination. The first pastors to complete this program will be
ordained in October, 2005. From time to time, German Lutheran
interns supplement the leadership of Nicaraguan pastors.
Another strength of this young church body is its attention
to gender-based ministries. The plight of women in this
country is as great as any other developing country, and so
much of the ILFE’s effort is directed at women. At the same
time, men are named as a specific demographic group that the
ILFE targets in its programs. Because women have emerged as
major leaders in the ILFE, its work with women’s health,
safety, spirituality, employment – these will continue as
evidence that the Gospel of Christ always rolls up its sleeves
to show that God’s love is ready to go to work!
Next: Preparing for the
session
1
2 3
4 [5]
6 7
8 9
10
11
12 13
14
 |
|
