Though it feels long ago and would be impossible in our current world, we would like to share with you Howard (Church Growth and Visioning Team Chair) and Cathy Wagler’s reflections on their visit to south Texas a few months ago to visit some SCC pastors and churches. 

We delivered 36 detainee kits/backpacks from MCC to Ana Hinojosa, MCC Immigration Education Coordinator at New Life Christian Center in San Benito. We traveled with her to Brownsville and into Matamoros Mexico. It was heartbreaking to see the 100’s of tents set up as people from Central American countries, seeking to gain asylum in the U.S., wait up to a year for the opportunity to meet with someone. 

We dedicated much of our first week to visiting as many SCC pastors and church leaders as possible.  Evening bible study with pastor Ulises Arenas at Buenas Nuevas in San Juan was full of energy, worship and teaching.  Ulises has a great love for people and desire to learn more about leadership. We were able to sit with Lalo and Maria Hinojosa in their home in Brownsville and later Alma and Alejo Solis in the Los Fresnos area. It was good to see the new space that has been built at Fuente de Agua Viva where pastors Alejo and Alma Solis and Israel and Celia Solis shared with us their experiences and love for God and their communities. We also met with Carlos and Claudia Cedillo who have a house church, Alpha y Omega, in San Benito.  These leaders have a lot of hope for persons from SCC to help with their leadership development and training. We also visited a restaurant with Lupe and Yoland Aguilar as well as Myra who is now assistant pastor at Rey de Gloria. 

Our first Sunday we attended Hope for the Broken led by Rod and Norma Schmucker, meeting at a motel conference room. We had lunch with the group and felt very welcome and enjoyed the energy of the people. The second Sunday we visited Iglesia Mennonita Nueva Amanecer at Pastor Nena Bennett’s home in Brownsville. Even though the whole gathering was in a language we do not speak or understand, we were overwhelmed by how alive and spirit filled this church is!

The last day we were in Texas we attended the Rio Grande Valley MCC Relief Sale. There we enjoyed seeing some of the pastors again as well as meeting some we hadn’t yet met; Conrado and Esther Hinojosa as well as Israel Hernandez. Though fundraising for a common organization, there was a separateness we sensed at the sale between the South Texas church people and the Winter Texans who help organize and carry out the sale. We would love to see those groups working together more for a unique common goal. We felt very welcomed and appreciated, and we encourage the conference to continue to stay connected North-South; continuing to learn and grow together.

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Zach Batson, Associate Pastor at Journey@McPherson was licensed towards ordination by Regional Conference Minister Clarence Rempel on January 26. It was also the 7^th Anniversary of the beginning of the church. Zach came to a fullness of faith in Jesus Christ and was baptized in the early years of the church. He was mentored by Pastor Jim Ostlund, and entered into leadership through worship ministry. He completed a two-year Masters Degree in Spiritual Formation at Friends University in 2019. South Central Mennonite Conference supported Zach in his study for ministry with $2,000 in Education Grants designed specifically for conference members seeking pastoral training. Praise the Lord for this call on Zach’s life and into ministry!  Pray for Zach, Journey@McPherson, and the two-year discernment of a possible lifelong call to ministry that this License begins.

Since 2015 SCC has been supporting the IBA program from Mennonite Education Association with tuition assistance for students in Matamoros, Mexico.  The IBA program exists to provide biblical training to Hispanic leaders, increasing their theological and spiritual maturity.

         SCC has supported four pastors in Matamoros for five years, from their first course through graduation from the IBA program in November 2019.  The following is their letter of gratitude, translated and delivered by Violeta Ajquejay, associate director of IBA, who traveled to Matamoros for the IBA graduation ceremony.  She reports that these graduates are very active in their congregations and doing God’s work in their communities. We praise God for the opportunity to join in His work in Matamoros and pray that God’s kingdom will continue to be proclaimed in our communities and around the world.

January 7, 2020

To South Central Mennonite Conference (SCMC)

Greetings! Trusting that our Good God blesses you and your families according to His promises.  This letter is to extend our gratitude on behalf of my brothers and sister who completed their studies with Anabaptist Biblical Institute (IBA).

This trajectory has been long, with doubts and difficult times in the way, that sometimes we considered giving up. Each of my fellow students have struggled to achieve this goal. Dealing with jobs, family matters and their activities in the church or mission, and with all of this, we finished the IBA studies, an experience that we value.

We thank SCC and its leaders and its church members who strive to serve in the expansion of the Kingdom of God and bear witness to the FAITH that is common to us. From this region of Mexico, we join the work entrusted to us by our Lord Jesus Christ (Mark 16:15, 16). And we commit to continue working on the mission on this side of the border in Mexico, and to continue putting into practice what we have learned in IBA. We hope that the Lord’s work we do, you will see it in some way as your ministry outside of the USA. Because without your support, we wouldn’t have had the leadership skills and bible knowledge we have now.

We are very grateful for the generous support that you gave us unconditionally and your prayers for the past five years. Without a doubt, it would not have been possible to reach our goal without your help.

We bless your lives, your families and your ministries.

Always grateful,

Meliton Viveros Arriaga, IBA Tutor

Matamoros, Mexico

Students:

1. Guadalupe Zaleta Sanchez, Pastor de Iglesia Evangélica Menonita Gethsemani (Pastor at Gethsemani Evangelical Mennonite Church)

2. Rebeca Salinas L., Iglesia Fundamento para la Familia (Foundation for the Family Church)

3. Odilon Zaleta Sanchez, Pastor de Iglesia Camino de Santidad (Pastor at Way of Holiness Church)

4. Meliton Viveros Arriaga, Pastor de misión, Mi Hogar Santuario Para Dios (Pastor at Mission, My Home, Sanctuary to God)