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Religion as a source of identity open to dialogue, coming to terms with a history of oppression and how churches contribute to building a nation were the issues that WCC general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia suggested for the Bolivian ecumenical agenda.
In a series of meetings in La Paz with church and society representatives in his first visit to this Andean nation, Kobia also had the opportunity to witness the significant role of the churches in Bolivian society. At the same time, he emphasized that the spirituality of indigenous people has a great deal to contribute to the western cosmovision.
Identity, history and participation
The suggested issues for the Bolivian ecumenical agenda were analyzed in a meeting with representatives from the Bolivian Ecumenical Commission which includes WCC members churches in the country - the Evangelical Methodist Church in Bolivia (IEMB) and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bolivia (IELB) - as well as the Anglican, Methodist Pentecostal and Roman Catholic churches.
"Our ecumenical identity is at stake in Bolivia," affirmed Pastor Rolando Villena, IEMB bishop emeritus. In a context of crisis where different regional interests threaten to divide the country and where some sectors of the population survive on a little more than US$ 0.10 a day, Villena underlined that the Ecumenical Commission's objective is to "modestly contribute to a culture of dialogue," integrating "Christian identity in the Bolivian identity in formation."
The next Constituent Assembly in the country was identified as a historic opportunity in this process, as well as for the design of a new country model without social exclusion and with a more just distribution of wealth.
Kobia suggested that the issue of identity should form part of the Bolivian ecumenical agenda and emphasized the need for identities that are open to dialogue and to recognition of the other, as opposed to defensive and excluding identities.
Similarly, he suggested the theme of coming to terms regarding the past, including processes of historic domination and alienation where Churches were not absent, as another possible agenda item.
The decisive importance of speaking with a joint voice was emphasized by Kobia when he suggested the third and final item on the agenda: the way that churches contribute to the construction of the nation. This contribution could include a decisive and common participation of churches through the education of their membership in preparation for the Constituent Assembly.
The urgent need to address these issues was emphasized by the head of the Dialogue Secretariat of the Bolivian Bishops' Conference Moisés Morales.
The challenge of inculturation
According to the presiding bishop of the IEMB Carlos Inti Pampa, "the greatest challenge that Bolivian churches face is to proclaim an integral and inculturated Gospel, so that God is manifested in the concrete reality and the cultural context of the country."
Kobia's visit coincided with the All Saint's Day fest, of enormous importance in local indigenous tradition. The WCC general secretary had the opportunity to participate in a ceremony to remember the deceased in a cemetery in Kheasqapa, some 150 kilometers from the capital. The Christian ceremony also included some elements of indigenous spirituality.
"In Africa we also have a great deal of respect for our ancestors," Kobia told members of the IELB in Calasaya, some 60 kilometers from La Paz. "This respect makes us all part of the same family and roots us in the earth from which we come, it is what makes us a people," he said.
The process involving the inculturation of the Gospel in indigenous spiritual traditions in the country could make a significant contribution to the debate on Gospel and culture, affirmed Kobia later. Both member churches of the Council in this country are constituted by a majority of members that belong to the Aymara and Quecha peoples.
The memory of IELB Pastor Humberto Ramos who died in a car accident October 7 along with three other members of the church was very present throughout the visit. Kobia committed his prayers and support for Pastor Juan Miguel Parrapo, current vice president of the church who will assume the presidency on November 7.
Together with the two WCC member Churches in the country - IEMB and IELB - the Methodist Pentecostal Church, the Presbyterian Church and the Union of Aymara Baptist Churches also participated in activities related to the visit.
Before society
The role of the churches in society was one of the key themes during the visit.
In the Legislative Palace, Kobia and representatives from local churches met with senators and congress representatives. Kobia heard testimony about the different types of grassroots resistance to the neoliberal economic model and expressed the willingness of the churches to contribute to the healing, reconciliation and forgiveness processes. Aymara Senator Esteban Silvestre Clares recalled that when he was persecuted together with other members of indigenous agrarian unions he found refuge and protection in the Methodist Church.
During a meeting with Kobia and local church leaders, Ombudsman Waldo Albarracín also recognized the work of the WCC member churches in human rights defense during the dictatorships. Albarracín emphasized the need and potential for mutual cooperation in the current stage.
The WCC general secretary's Latin American visit will continue in Brazil (Brasilia, Salvador, Porto Alegre), Argentina (Buenos Aires), Uruguay (Montevideo) and Chile (Santiago).
A detailed program of the visit is available at:
www.wcc-coe.org > Press Corner > Visit to Latin America
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