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Mexico Retreat Focuses on Church Planting
MEXICO CITY, MEXICO (December 24, 2005) - A recent retreat involving Mexican
pastors and lay people was a major step forward in choosing the first
church planters for the Evangelical Covenant Church here.
More than 40 people from eight Mexican states attended the retreat in
Oaxtepec, about an hour south of Mexico City and some 4,500 feet above
sea level.
"The leaders are catching the vision that God could do great things in
and through the planting of new churches," says missionary Karl Peterson.
Speakers at the conference were Walter Contreras, director of Hispanic
church planting for the Evangelical Covenant Church and church planting
for the Pacific Southwest Conference, as well as Roberto Ghione, pastor
of "Centro Familiar Nueva Esperanza" or New Hope Family Center in Simi
Valley, California.
"I have a deep sense that this will do more to move our beloved Mexican
Covenant forward than anything we have seen in the last many years, says
John Kerl, country coordinator for Mexico in the Department of World
Mission.
The retreat, held November 28-30, was the second of three prayer and
planting retreats, says Peterson. The first was held in August and the
third is scheduled for January 12-14.
"The first three retreats are introductory in nature, trying to start a
church planting movement," says Peterson. "While there are possible
places to plant churches, no pastors have been chosen. It may be that we
choose a lay pastor using the bi-vocational model in these church plants."
The retreats are sponsored by Friends of World Mission, part of its
"Preparing the Soil and Sower" project. The Missions Commission of the
Mexico Covenant Church organized the event. In addition to Peterson,
Javier Martinez and Carlos Parker helped with organizing and logistics.
Miguel Ortiz and Emiliano Serrano led the worship times.
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