Another model covenant

This is a now dated convenant between the (U.S.) Inland Northwest presbytery and a federation fo five Kek'chi presbyteries (including - at the time - Izabal) in Guatemala:


Presbytery of the Inland Northwest and the Association of K’ekchi Maya Presbyteries


Guatemala Partnership Covenant

July 24, 1999

The Presbytery of the Inland Northwest and the Association of K’ekchi Maya Presbyteries, representing the K’ekchi Presbyteries of Izabal, Ixcan-Quiche, Sayaxche, Polochic and Playa Grande, agree to develop and maintain a partnership through which the members of the respective churches will expand their faith and their horizons through relationship, worship, spiritual nurture and the sharing of resources.


Purpose

The purpose of this partnership, this joining together in community and solidarity, is to know and share our faith, and to develop mutual ministry as part of the universal church of Jesus Christ. We together seek to create ties of love, peace and faith, sharing expressions of our understanding of God's grace and compassion as revealed to us through the Scriptures.

"Speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him, who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by that which every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love." (Ephesians 4:15-16)

In this, we understand the church to be the earthly expression of the One Body of Jesus Christ, and that we and our partners are called as equal instruments of God's love and reconciliation.


INLAND NORTHWEST

Needs of the Presbytery of the Inland Northwest

1. To learn what it means to be a Christian in Guatemala, specifically among the K’ekchi, and to share the joys, sorrows, dreams and concerns of our partners in order to serve and pray for each other with true understanding.

2. To affirm our oneness in Christ with Christians everywhere, brothers and sisters, regardless of country, language, color or economic status. To understand biblical, theological and cultural perspectives that differ from our own, in order to break down stereotypes and prejudices as a means of seeking a more complete life with God and with our fellow humans.

3. To discover how our lives and the actions in the USA impact other people throughout the world and in turn how those of other people impact us. To learn how Jesus would have us respond to a world of economic and social inequality, and to act on that knowledge.

4. To build mutual understanding and support for the K’ekchi churches, presbyteries, and Association among the diverse churches of our Presbytery, and to be accountable to each other before God as Christian partners while we grow in faith and service which comes from our mutual spiritual nurture.

5. To learn from and be challenged by the K’ekchi model of evangelism and church development among those who do not know Christ or who do not worship in community with others.


Gifts and Resources the Presbytery of the Inland Northwest has to offer our K’ekchi Partners

1. Prayer, compassion and loving concern for the K’ekchi people. A strong interest and capacity to learn about the body of Christ in other contexts and circumstances.

2. Energy and time to invest in building relationships with other believers in Christ and to be of support and encouragement to others.

3. Financial and human resources to contribute to mutual mission projects which meet the larger needs of the Church.

4. Resources of hospitality to host and enable exchange visits.

5. Professional and technical skills and institutions of higher learning which may benefit our partner, in communication and secular and theological education.

6. Representing an area with a large indigenous population, we bring opportunities for connection among Native American churches.

7. As God leads, advocate for the K’ekchi Maya by telling their story in the broader context of the USA and the world.


K’ekchi ASSOCIATION

Needs of the Association of K’ekchi Maya Presbyteries

1. Spiritual and moral support by our fellow believers in Christ who are willing to stand in solidarity with us, motivating us in a holistic way in the work and program of God.

2. Help of our companions in Christ in the areas of theological and secular education.

3. Improvement for our people in the areas of agricultural and animal production.

4. Understand about the agencies and systems which may help the K’ekchi to acquire quality land for cultivation.

5. Others to work with us towards more just and equitable conditions of life for all men, women and children through the Service, Evangelization, and Christian Education Committees, and through women's, youth and other agencies of the church.

6. Learn and work more in the areas of preventive and holistic health.

7. Help with communication: e-mail, telephone, fax and others so that the communication will be more constant among the K’ekchi presbyteries and with the national and international church.

8. Exchanges of theological understandings through workshops and times of mutual theological reflection.

9. The presence for longer periods of time of volunteers and workers from Inland Northwest to accompany (us) and help with the communication and education.

10. Spiritual and material support for the theological centers in the K’ekchi presbyteries and in the Association Center in Coban.


Gifts Offered by the Association of K’ekchi Maya Presbyteries

1. Our prayers for the churches, pastors, presbyteries and communities. We ask for an ongoing, updated list of petitions in order to pray with understanding.

2. Our understanding of, and strategies for, evangelization and church growth.

3. Our sharing of the experiences we have in individual and community pastoral care.

4. Our sharing of our culture, customs, spirituality, music and art.

5. Our resources and hospitality: churches, pastors' homes, homes of church families, theological centers (although they are simple). We share these with all our hearts.

6. Our talents, and our corn, beans, tortillas, and chilies.

7. Our confidence in God, our hope, our smiles, and spontaneous hospitality.



JOINT ACTIVITIES

Activities Which We Hope Will Develop as We Partner

1. Exchange of visits to become acquainted with the people, churches, culture, and the special gifts and needs of the partner presbytery. Education of our congregations about the work, the hopes, the dreams and the faith of the partner congregation(s) and presbytery(ies).

2. Exchange of pastors, teachers, youth and lay leaders to share differing cultural perspectives and approaches to ministry, worship, music and life as they do the work of accompaniment.

3. Sharing fiestas and liturgical celebrations.

4. Interchange of histories, stories and songs.

5. Activities in memory of the dead.

6. Activities of spiritual nurture, liturgy, evangelization and service.

7. Sharing plenary sessions of the Presbytery(ies) and of the Association.

8. Work together with our partner(s) on mutually agreed-upon mission projects that promote local self-sufficiency. Sharing grass-roots community development models, structures and technologies.

9. Sharing rest/recreation: soccer, fishing, walking and riding horses.

10. Joint visits to the ancient centers of our Mayan ancestors (Tikal, for example)

11. Sharing theological understandings based on the differing realities.

12. Monthly sharing a summary of the activities of the presbytery(ies) and Association.

13. Struggle/work together for human rights in Guatemala and in the United States.


Future Changes in the Partnership Structure

All parties covered by this covenant understand that when appropriate, at some future date when the five K’ekchi Presbyteries have had sufficient experience being in partnership, some further division of the K’ekchi Presbyteries in pairs or as single presbyteries (Playa Grande/Ixcan; or Polochic/Izabal; or Sayaxche/Peten) may be undertaken for the purpose of forming additional partnerships. Or, if appropriate and feasible, other PCUSA presbyteries might chose to join with Inland Northwest as a second partner with the Association. None of these possibilities will be considered without inclusion of all parties covered herein in discussion and planning.

-- Perry