Latin American Churches Strengthen Ties at the CLA Regional Conference

With the theme “Let us return to God,” more than 200 delegates from the Latin American countries of the Christian and Missionary Alliance gathered at the Assembly and Symposium of the Latin American Alliance Fellowship (CLA) from September 28-30, 2022, in Armenia, Colombia.

For the first time, the meeting was attended by Haiti, a new CLA member, and three Central American countries: Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua. Every year this meeting is held to learn about the projects that the Alliance has carried out in Latin America and to seek a connection among the churches in the region.

Pastor David Muthre, the president of CLA, opened the assembly, which was attended by the presidents of CLA member countries, with the aim of finalizing agreements and signing commitments. Activity reports were presented from different ministries, such as theological education, missions, finance, and statistics.

The opening service began to the rhythm of cumbia, with the song “Colombia, Loved Land.” Dancers wearing typical costumes from the host country welcomed the attendees to the sound of drums and maracas. Pastor Esnilder Popo, the president of C&MA Colombia, and Pastor Mario Pérez, vice president of CLA, opened the conference with a prayer and welcome words. Pastor Jura Yanagihara, the president of the Alliance World Fellowship (AWF), shared his excitement at seeing the growth of CLA. “It is a movement that has been strengthened, always emphasizing the need to deepen the presence of Christ and the fullness of the Holy Spirit,” he said.

Pastor David Muthre brought a reflection on the conference theme “Let us return to God,” based on the book of Malachi. “How should we return to God?” he asked. The prophet Malachi offers us some answers: From love, as Jacob did (1:1-5). “Salvation is ready for all,” Pastor David said, quoting John 3:16. We must return to God with admiration (1:6-7) and honor (1:7b-2:16). “This means with the best of our assets, with a character equal to that of Christ, and with a faithful marriage,” he reinforced. With justice (2:17-3:5): “Look at people as God looks at them, treat people as God treats them, love people as God loves them, without exception of people,” he summarized. We must return to God with generosity (3:6-12), with gratitude (3:13-18), and with hope (4:1-6). To conclude, Pastor David invited those present to return to Christ, using verse 1:3 of the prophet Zechariah: “Therefore tell the people: this is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘Return to me,’ declares the LORD Almighty, ‘and I will return to you,’ says the LORD Almighty.”

The Latin American Theological Faculty (FATELA) was recognized for its 25th anniversary, training people from the C&MA and from other evangelical churches on the continent. Pastor Miguel Ángel Palomino, rector of FATELA, brought a message on “Let us return to the Shepherd of shepherds.” He highlighted three important aspects of the shepherd’s purpose: 1) as a guide for the people to fulfill God’s purpose; 2) as a person who trusts in God; and 3) as a preacher of the gospel in every corner of the world. “The pastoral task is to imitate God, the shepherd of Israel, to follow Jesus Christ, the good shepherd … and understand that the task is theological, and we need to revalue it …. We must know the Word of God literally,” he assured.

One of the highlights of the conference was the testimonies of Alliance pastors of Cuba and Venezuela, two countries in the region that continue to persevere steadfastly, despite the difficult times they are going through. An offering was collected during the conference to support these national churches.

“Let us return to the missionary God” was the theme of the message at the closing ceremony. Pastor Jura emphasized the importance of prayer. “It is necessary to seek intimacy in prayer, as Jesus did (Matthew: 6:6) …, to recognize our weakness and to open our hearts like David (Psalm: 6:6).” To explain the dimension of prayer, Jura quoted A.B. Simpson: “There is no more supernatural and divine wonder in the life of a believer than the ministry of prayer, the hand of the child touching the father’s arm and moving the wheel of the universe.”

At the end of the conference, each president of a national church came forward to join in prayer, thanking the Lord for the great blessing of fellowship and for God’s work in each Latin American nation.

The next CLA Regional Conference will be held in September 2023 in Lima, Peru.

As Latin American Alliance family, we have the privilege of serving the Lord. We thank God for his grace, faithfulness, and protection to be able to carry out this conference in person again. We also thank the Colombian Alliance for their hospitality.

May Jesus Christ be glorified forever!

If you want to watch the conference evening services, you can do so by accessing the C&MA Colombia YouTube channel or the CLA Facebook page.