ELCA Men Establish Relationship with Lutheran Church in Guyana

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The board of Lutheran Men in Mission, the men's organization of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), resolved to develop a five-point relationship with the men of the Lutheran Church in Guyana. The LMM board met here Sept. 27-30 and discussed plans for the LMM Gathering next summer.
At the invitation of the Lutheran Church in Guyana, the ELCA Division for Global Mission (DGM) arranged for Charlie Schwartz and Doug Haugen to visit Guyana in May. Schwartz, Fredericksburg, Texas, is president of LMM, and Haugen is the organization's director.
"We visited with the men of Guyana about the possibility of establishing a relationship with them," said Schwartz. Together they came up with five activities through which this relationship could develop: + share congregational resources; + assist in building or refurbishing the camp and retreat center at Skeldon, Guyana; + exchange speakers; + assist in developing a national men's ministry; and + organize short-term mission opportunities for medical professionals at the clinic in Skeldon.
Haugen and Schwartz reported to the LMM board about the visit, and the board approved the five-point relationship as a way to begin collaboration between the men's organization and the South American church.
LMM is planning a gathering for Lutheran men from across the United States and Caribbean to be held July 26-28, 2002, at the Marriott River Center in San Antonio. Schwartz said many "outstanding speakers" have been lined up and the gathering's program is coming together. He said the new relationship with the Lutheran men of Guyana will be evident at the gathering, especially with the exchange of speakers.
"We are trying to establish a relationship so we can spread the gospel of Jesus Christ to men all over the world and work with them in concert to deal with men's issues," said Schwartz.
DGM works primarily with the 65 synods of the ELCA to establish "companion synod" relationships with other Lutheran churches and synods around the world. LMM will work with the ELCA Florida-Bahamas Synod, which already has a companion synod relationship with the Lutheran Church in Guyana.
The companion synod relationship is meant to strengthen its participants for life and mission within the body of Christ, according to DGM materials. It offers the privilege of mutually participating in the life of another church through prayer, study, communication, and the exchange of pastors, lay leaders, visitors and resources.
DGM has placed a pastor in Skeldon who is also a medical doctor, said Schwartz. LMM hopes to develop a program that medical professionals from the United States might assist that pastor on a short-term basis, he said.
Next to the parsonage in Skeldon there is a retreat center that is no longer in operation, said Schwartz. "We might send teams over to help them refurbish this facility for the young people of Guyana," he said.
Guyana is home for more than 700,000 people. Slightly smaller than Idaho, Guyana is in northern South America, bordering the north Atlantic Ocean, between Suriname and Venezuela. Its capital is Georgetown.
The Lutheran Church in Guyana was originally founded by Dutch settlers in 1743. The Dutch colony became British Guiana in 1831 and became independent Guyana in 1966. Missionaries of the former United Lutheran Church in America helped the church organize and become independent in 1966, too.
The 11,000-member Lutheran Church in Guyana has a long history of educating the people of its country and is now in the process of rebuilding and restructuring. Eight pastors serve the church's 48 congregations in 14 multi-point parishes.

For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://listserv.elca.org/archives/elcanews.html