posted on March 17, 2022 by
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Open Letter to the Western Jurisdiction College of Bishops and the Episcopacy Committee Regarding Bishop Carcaños’ Suspension

MARCHA (Methodists Associated Representing the Cause of Hispanic/Latino American) represents a critical voice for the Hispanic/Latino community within The United Methodist Church (UMC) and the Methodist Church of Puerto Rico. For over 50 years, MARCHA has advocated against the many oppressive systems that dehumanize Hispanic/Latino persons in our denomination and society. MARCHA reaffirms the commitment of the Council of Bishops of the United Methodist Church to dismantle all expressions of systemic racism that are enacted through policies, systems and practices that perpetuate the sin of racism and white supremacy in the Church.

On March 9, 2022, the Western Jurisdiction announced the suspension of Bishop Minerva Carcaño. MARCHA is puzzled by the decision of the Western Jurisdiction’s College of Bishop to suspend Bishop Carcaño while a special committee investigates the complaints related to the suspension. This action raises concern as a prolonged process can only produce a negative impact, independently of the result of the investigation. Also, MARCHA is not aware of any bishop being suspended without first reviewing the allegations, which also creates concern as it makes us wonder if there is a different standard being utilize in this case.

While MARCHA is aware of the confidentiality of this process, the fact that there is a suspension without given clarity of reasons, create more doubts about a just process being followed that is free of biases. As a justice-seeking caucus, MARCHA is always concerned with the underlying systemic oppressions that can justify actions taken, which prompts us to raise the following clarifying questions:

  1. What was the process followed by the College of Bishops to determine the suspension?  
  2. Why was it deemed necessary to have Bishop Minerva Carcaño suspended from her episcopal responsibilities without first investigating the complaints?
  3. Why is there a discrepancy between the College of Bishops’ announcement of “not to exceed 60 days” the suspension of Bishop Carcaño versus the announcement to the Conference (March 14, 2022) that indicates she has been suspended “for 60 days”?
  4. What criteria was used to select the special committee? 
  5. What are the demographics of the special committee (race, gender, age, geographic location, sexual orientation, roles in the jurisdiction, etc.)?
  6. What is the timeline for this process?
  7. How will the objectivity of the special committee be ensured?
  8. As stated in Par. 413.3c in the Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church, does the College intends to provide a trained, impartial facilitator to work towards a just resolution?

MARCHA reaffirms and emphasizes Bishop Minerva Carcaño’ s prophetic leadership through her unwavering commitment to social justice within the Church and in our global society. MARCHA recognizes that her prophetic voice in favor of marginalized communities, immigrants, and refugees has and continues to positively impact our Hispanic/Latino congregations. The absence of her voice at this critical juncture in the life of our broken denomination severely affects and harms the present and future of the Hispanic/Latino church.  

MARCHA calls our Church to continue surrounding in prayer all parties involved. MARCHA intends to continue closely monitoring the progress of this process as we walk alongside justice.

Contact Person: Rev. Lyssette N. Pérez / MARCHA, President | lyssetteperez@yahoo.com | 973.405.8851

MARCHA (Metodistas Asociados Representando la Causa de los Hispano/Latino Americanos/as) representa una voz crítica para la comunidad hispana/latina dentro de la Iglesia Metodista Unida (UMC) y la Iglesia Metodista de Puerto Rico. Durante más de 50 años, MARCHA ha abogado en contra de los muchos sistemas opresivos que deshumanizan a las personas hispanas/latinas en nuestra denominación y sociedad. MARCHA reafirma el compromiso del Concilio de Obispos de la Iglesia Metodista Unida de desmantelar todas las expresiones de racismo sistémico que se promulgan a través de políticas, sistemas y prácticas que perpetúan el pecado del racismo y la supremacía blanca en la Iglesia.

El 9 de marzo de 2022, la Jurisdicción Occidental anunció la suspensión de la Obispo Minerva Carcaño. MARCHA está desconcertada por la decisión del Colegio Episcopal de la Jurisdicción Occidental de suspender al obispo Carcaño mientras una comisión especial investiga las denuncias relacionadas con la suspensión. Esta acción genera preocupación ya que un proceso prolongado solo puede producir un impacto negativo, independientemente del resultado de la investigación. Además, MARCHA no tiene conocimiento de que ningún obispo haya sido suspendido sin antes revisar las acusaciones, lo que también genera preocupación, ya que nos hace preguntarnos si se está utilizando un estándar diferente en este caso.

Si bien MARCHA es consciente de la confidencialidad de este proceso, el hecho de que haya una suspensión sin dar claridad de motivos crea más dudas sobre un proceso justo y libre de sesgos. Como una organización enfocada en la busca de justicia, MARCHA siempre está preocupada por las opresiones sistémicas subyacentes que pueden justificar las acciones tomadas, lo que nos lleva a plantear las siguientes preguntas aclaratorias:

  1. ¿Cuál fue el proceso seguido por el Colegio Episcopal para determinar la suspensión?
  2. ¿Por qué se consideró necesario suspender a la obispo Minerva Carcaño de sus responsabilidades episcopales sin antes investigar las denuncias?
  3. ¿Por qué hay una discrepancia entre el anuncio del Colegio de Obispos de “no exceder de 60 días” la suspensión de la Obispo Carcaño versus el anuncio a la Conferencia (14 de marzo de 2022) que indica que ha sido suspendida “por 60 días”?
  4. ¿Qué criterios se utilizaron para seleccionar el comité especial?
  5. ¿Cuáles son los datos demográficos del comité especial (raza, género, edad, ubicación geográfica, orientación sexual, roles en la jurisdicción, etc.)?
  6. ¿Cuál es el cronograma de este proceso?
  7. ¿Cómo se asegurará la objetividad del comité especial?
  8. Como se indica en el párr. 413.3c en el Libro de Disciplina de la Iglesia Metodista Unida, ¿tiene el Colegio la intención de proporcionar un facilitador capacitado e imparcial para trabajar hacia una resolución justa?

MARCHA reafirma y enfatiza el liderazgo profético de la obispo Minerva Carcaño a través de su compromiso inquebrantable con la justicia social dentro de la Iglesia y en nuestra sociedad global. MARCHA reconoce que su voz profética a favor de las comunidades marginadas, inmigrantes y refugiados ha tenido y continúa teniendo un impacto positivo en nuestras congregaciones hispanas/latinas. La ausencia de su voz en este momento crítico en la vida de nuestra denominación quebrantada afecta y daña gravemente el presente y el futuro de la iglesia hispana/latina.

MARCHA llama a nuestra Iglesia a seguir rodeando de oración a todas las partes involucradas. MARCHA tiene la intención de continuar monitoreando de cerca el avance de este proceso mientras caminamos junto a la justicia.

Persona de Contacto: Rev. Lyssette N. Pérez / MARCHA, Presidenta | lyssetteperez@yahoo.com | 973.405.8851

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posted on March 11, 2022 by
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MARCHA’S REQUEST TO WESTERN JURISDICTION REGARDING BISHOP CARCAÑO

March 11, 2022 – MARCHA (Methodists Associated Representing the Cause of Hispanic/Latino American) represents a critical voice for the Hispanic/Latino community within The United Methodist Church (UMC) and the Methodist Church of Puerto Rico. For over 50 years, MARCHA have advocated for justice inside and outside the church, and this work has been possible through the vital and visionary leadership across the connection.

One of those leaders is Bishop Minerva Carcaño. MARCHA’s leadership highly respects Bishop Carcaño for her unwavering commitment to social justice within the church and in our global society. We applaud her prophetic voice in favor of marginalized communities, immigrants, and refugees, as well as the many contributions she has made to our denomination and ecumenical organizations through the different positions she has effectively led through with integrity.

On March 9, 2022, the Western Jurisdiction Committee on the Episcopacy and the Western Jurisdiction College of Bishops announced that Bishop Carcaño has been placed on leave from her episcopal responsibilities.

In light of this announcement,

  • MARCHA reaffirms Bishop Minerva Carcaño’ s leadership and her many contributions to the Church and our global society.
  • MARCHA calls upon the Western Jurisdiction to ensure that all proceedings follow a fair process for all parties involved. MARCHA request that a transparent and thorough process be conducted that will lead toward a just resolution.
  • MARCHA calls our Church to surround in prayer all parties involved.

MARCHA intends to closely monitor the progress of this process as we walk alongside justice.  

Contact Person:          Rev. Lyssette N. Pérez / MARCHA, President

lyssetteperez@yahoo.com | 973.405.8851  

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posted on September 29, 2021 by
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MARCHA 2021

After this I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white, with palm branches in their hands. Revelations 7:9

This year, MARCHA will host its yearly encounter ONLINE, live, via ZOOM Webinar and Meetings. Our gathering will include times of worship, celebrations, learning, networking, and strategic conversations as we celebrate our present and past as a movement, and discern the next steps in our journey of advocacy for peace with justice for ALL.

November 19 8-9:30PM

& November 20 12-2:00PM – EST

REGISTER HERE

Visit this page frequently for up-to-date information on our MARCHA 2021 event, and a complete agenda for our time together.

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posted on September 3, 2021 by
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VOICES: Latin@s – In the Heights – In Our Pews?

By Rev. Lydia Muñoz

Musicals in my household were part of the diet I grew up on.  From old Mexican musicals by the likes of Jorge Negrete, Pedro Infante and Libertad Lamarque to the beloved Barbra Streisand, Judy Garland and Fred Astair. If there was a musical on, we would watch it.  Of course, a staple in this musical diet was West Side Story. Not just because of its incredible musical score and unparalleled choreography but because Rita Moreno was one of the leads and she was Puerto Rican. This was a big deal not just for Puerto Ricans but because she was a Latina in an industry that was largely ignoring us except to cast us as savages, maids, bandidos and overall “bad hombres.” You can imagine the excitement when one of our own won the Oscar for best supporting role. Pure pride!

            Now that’s been a minute!  It has been a long time since a story about some of the many struggles of Latinx communities have been portrayed across the silver screen. Although most of the cast in West Side Story that portrayed Puerto Ricans, including the character of “Maria,” were not from the Island nor from any Latin American country for that matter, it was 1961 and any sliver of representation that had a much more authentic and relatable character like “Anita” was worth celebrating. It’s been precisely 60 years until this moment when the phenomenal In The Heights by one of our very own, Lin Manuel Miranda, leapt from the success of Broadway to our screens at home a couple of weeks ago to bring us the story of just one Latinx barrio in the United States.

I have to admit, I’ve watched it at least three times already since its release and every time I watch it, I am in tears. The characters are exactly everyone I ever grew up with even though I did not grow up in Washington Heights. This is the story of my parents, who met and married in Washington Heights after their arrival from Puerto Rico. They had three daughters in Washington Heights and later moved to Brooklyn and eventually, in that perpetual search of all immigrants for better work and better living for their family, they moved us to Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  My sisters are Nuyoricans, but my brother and I consider ourselves DutcheRicans!!  But the story is the same in any barrio.

It is the same story of neighborhood, community, church family and the struggle to figure out how we are supposed to be, how to survive and what we are supposed to give up from our culture and what we had to take in from this new place. The constant shifting between living in two worlds has always been a reality for Latinx communities, especially for those of us who are bilingual and bicultural. This is an incredibly exhausting work, so much so that the only solace we find is when we come back home emotionally, and as “Nina” does, when we listen to our blocks to remind us of our value and worth. You want to know why Latinx people wear our “banderas” in our rearview mirrors and in almost everything we wear? Or why when we see each other in annual conference we want to sit together and talk Spanish? It’s not because we’re talking about you (although we might be) or we want to exclude others in any way. It’s because we are looking for our sense of dignity and pride, as Doña Claudia reminded us in the details of our food, music, craft, stories, our shared struggles and our “sueñitos.” Because the truth is, we don’t find them anywhere else and so the work of lifting up our own sense of pride is on us.

This is especially true in this church that I have grown to love and am ordained in – The United Methodist Church. Even though we like to tout the famous words of Wesley “the world is my parish,” that world doesn’t seem to include places like Washington Heights, East LA, Humboldt Park in Chicago, or F & Tioga here in Philly. Oh sure, we’ve had ministry in these communities, but tell me if you recognize this very usual script:

White dominant congregation in the middle of a changing community does not know

how to minister to this changing community.  Into that mix is sent a Latinx local pastor, lay missionary, or if we’re lucky a commissioned or ordained person if we can find one.  Placed on them is the responsibility of ministering to the community with all its social and political issues as well as transforming the congregation that operates in racist fear spiritual anxiety who probably never wanted to be transformed in the first place but are just looking for a way to survive.  Into this mix, comes the constant micro-aggressions from a system that continues to see ministry among and with Latinx people as a desperate attempt at survival and numbers instead of a missional priority that has at its core the eradication of racism and whiteness.

The best part is that we want younger, and more diverse persons to be a part of our white dominant denomination, but we watch while we make our communities do the emotional, mental, and spiritual adaptability gymnastics to belong.  As we watch our communities not only be gentrified by the commercial world and hipster cafe shops as our communities disappear, but then we also must experience our own denomination step in and begin to absorb our churches both physically and spiritually as if our story as Latinx in this church never existed from Rio Texas to Washington Heights.   This is the story of In the Heights and that is why the main character “Usnavi” kept telling the kids to repeat the name so that they would not become invisible and the song “we are powerless” during the blackout is so significant. I see the same blackout today across many conferences throughout our denomination.

            Although schism is the talk of the town these days throughout our denomination, the reality is that Latino ministry has often felt segregated and schismed (not sure that’s a real word, but Spanglish helps me create new ones) within our church. We often speak of Latino ministry as something we do for Latinos and not for the entire denomination. The National Plan for Hispanic Ministries, as much as I’ve heard the argument that this plan is for the entire denomination, is often seen as a plan available if a conference wants to start Latino ministries within their boundaries. More often, when we do start a ministry, we are just looking for warm bodies who speak Spanish to cover ourselves and start ministries that don’t cost the conference much money or effort. Never have I heard it prioritized as a ministry of every conference and even now, there are many conferences that have never even engaged in its services. 

It’s the oldest excuse in the book that I’ve heard so much in my 20+ years of ministry, “we don’t have those people here.” Yet, they are here. They are sitting in our pews or at least they should be, waiting for someone to ask them about their stories; waiting to hear their stories from the streets to the pulpit to the administrative council and finally reflected in conference and denominational leadership, not as something novel whenever we want to talk about diversity or immigration, but as a vital and viable part as we consider our future as a denomination.  If they are not in our pews, we should ask ourselves where they are. Why aren’t they in our pews on Sunday morning? Perhaps we haven’t realized that most of them are making your morning coffee at McDonalds or landscaping your lawn while we worship comfortably in our pews.  Or most of them are just doing their own thing to celebrate all that they are because we don’t, not in our worship, not in our church administration, not even in our welcoming statements.

My favorite scene in the movie, without giving away too much for those who haven’t seen it, is “Carnaval del Barrio.” It is an unbridled celebration of all our cultures, all our experiences and stories of arrival and survival. It is the mass of the people, of the barrio with all its struggle through life and death and its small resurrections every now and again.  It is an elevation of all that we hold dear and all we have to hold together. It is bar none, the best display of a holy celebration that I have seen in and out of the church. The line in the song that always send me to my knees is:

Esa bonita bandera! (Hey!) This beautiful flag

Contiene mi alma entera! (Hey!) Contains my entire soul

Y cuando yo me muera  And when I die

Entiérrame en mi tierra! Bury me in my land

Every Latino community that I have encountered has this same sentiment. We are here out of necessity, and it’s clear to me it is this country’s necessity more than it is ours. The history of colonization and US intervention in Latin America have created these odds. Raising our flag is not a denial that we are here and that we are grateful, you just must take a long look into how many Latinos have fought in every American war to realize that loyalty and civic duty toward Uncle Sam has never been a problem coming from our community. Rather this is an affirmation of our identity that cannot be consumed, and our history that cannot be erased. It is a reminder of our resistance and resilience as a people that, in this critical race theory moment, aren’t even given a seat in the room let alone the table. We are a community that continues to be ignored in our overall conversations about the future of the United Methodist Church, and conversations over us continue to discount our ability to make out of our backyards in our barrios and in our abandoned buildings, places where communities of faith are formed over asados, music and shared humanity. 

            If you haven’t heard by now there has been some important conversations about Afro-Latino identity and whether there has been a lack of representation in this movie.  This is an important conversation and one that every Latinx family and congregation needs to be having regarding internalized oppression and the effects of colonialism and whiteness that we have internalized.  If we are not brave enough to have these important conversations about prejudice and colorism, then the very thing we have been fighting against has indeed consumed us.  I choose to believe that it has not and so encourage us to engage with bravery and love for each other and confront this truth without becoming an easy escape for those in power to not have the larger conversation about Latinx ministry and engagement.   My experience is that this is what usually happens.  People have conversations around us about us without us.  Looking back, perhaps that has been the reality all along.

            Now, before you think I am sounding completely bitter and cynical let me assure you, I am not.  As Dr. Miguel de la Torre says in his book Embracing Hopelessness:

“To be hopeless is a desperation refusing to give up, a recognition that even if carrying the cross leads to crucifixion, the struggle for justice is what defines the present and could plant seeds that might blossom in some future.”

I have learned that facing reality and embracing the change I can bring is the real and lasting hope I can give to my family, to my community, to my church and to the world.  I cannot wait for someone else to forge a plan or bring me hope that I will be included in.  I have to build that hope myself along with my community.   Antonio Machado was right:

“Caminante, no hay camino.  El camino se hace al andar.”

(Sojourner, there is no road.  The road is made by walking)

So, go ahead and have all the conversations you want, we’ll continue to scrape out of the ice of our realities con paciencia y fe the sweetness of life with all its flavor and love as we have always done and as the “piraguero” sings;

“Piragua, Piragua

Keep scraping by, Piragua…le lo le lo lei..”

Paciencia y fe, mi gente, paciencia y fe

Lydia

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posted on May 13, 2021 by
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VOICES: Latin@s, Hispanics, Latinx: ¡Si! To All of it!

 

By Rev. Lydia Muñoz – It’s fair to say that most people when asked to describe Latinos in the United States would probably be limited to naming a few celebrities and athletes, and a couple of great restaurants they visited on Cinco de Mayo. Most people do not even begin to understand the complexities and the vast diversity of the Latino population in the United States. Just take for example the many ways we are referred to as a group in this country: Latino, Hispanic, Spanish-American, Hispanic-American, and over the past several years Latinx. We have always been categorized as one kind of community because of our common tongue and our ties with Spanish colonialism, but let’s break this down a little bit.

After the Mexican American War concluded in 1848, the term Hispanic or Spanish American was primarily used to describe the Hispanos of New Mexico within the American Southwest. The 1970 United States Census controversially broadened the definition to “a person of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Dominican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race”. This is now the common formal and colloquial definition of the term within the United States, outside of New Mexico. This is the same definition as the U.S. Census Bureau and the Office of Management and Budget use interchangeably for both Hispanic and/or Latino.[1] The term “Latino” is a condensed form of the term “Latino-americano”, the Spanish word for Latin American, or someone who comes from Latin America. However, it also includes a person of Brazilian descent in this definition because Brazil is part of Latin America and has similar colonial history with Spain and Portugal just as other countries of Latin America. 

The term Latinx gained currency among some in the 2010s. The adoption of the X was mostly in part to the more recent work of inclusion by LGBTQI activist within the Spanish-speaking world to eliminate the gender binary so common in the Spanish language. It especially took on more support after the Pulse Nightclub shooting in Orlando, Florida in June of 2016. However, a 2020 Pew Research Center survey found that about 23% of Latinos use the term (mostly women) and 65% said it should not be used to describe their ethnic group, and as you can imagine both numbers continue to change given the growth of young Latinx millennials.  So, even within the diversity there’s diversity. Which is precisely my point. We are not all the same!

Hispanic, Latino, Hispanic-American, Latinx so many ways we have been identified in this country and, all of them speak volumes about the violent history of colonization of the people that inhabit Latin America and the Caribbean. On our skin, in the texture of our hair, the mixture of our foods, the variety of music and rhythms we share, the accents and idioms that you can hear even as we speak Spanish or Portuguese, both the language of our colonizers, all of it is a living witness to what our people have lived through and the complexities of our diversity or what Jose Vasconcelos called “la raza cósmica / the cosmic race.” We are as diverse as any other group of people and no matter how hard the Census Bureau or political pollsters and demographers have tried to narrow us down, repeatedly we are often misrepresented and oversimplified as a group of people easily defined and predicted.

This diversity is also reflected in our theological understandings, and nowhere is this more visible than in our current debate in the United Methodist Church. As groups continue to assemble their teams and sides considering the impending and predicted schism of the denomination, the common narrative is that most Latinos/Latinx folks in the denomination will end up leaving the denomination because they tend to lean more conservative. Although that may be true in certain conferences, it is probably not a good thing to place your bets completely on either side. Just as every family must make decisions in their lives, so too every single Latino/Latinx congregation in our denomination is having a series of deep conversations primarily focused on our very survival within this denomination. The diversity of our theological understandings is a testament to our deep commitment to critical thinking and analysis, because believe it or not we are capable of these things and the continued burgeoning of theological critical thought that brought about the “browning of Jesus” long before it was a popular thing to say. People like Gustavo Gutierrez and his pedagogical lens toward the poor and Virgilio Eliozondo and his mestizo Jesus; Ada Maria Isasi Diaz and Elsa Tamez putting a name on the mujerista theology and its “lucha.” As well as the sermons and sayings of one of the most revered and sacred icons of Latin American struggle, Archbishop Oscar Romero. All of these continue to challenge the church to read, as Dr. Miguel de la Torre and Dr. Loida Martell constantly remind us to read with Latino eyes and against the grain.

We shouldn’t be surprised by this diversity of theological thinking because all of it was imported to us by the great missionary endeavor to help Christianize Latin America during its colonial conquest and later on through protestant missionaries. For example, in my little island of Puerto Rico alone that is only 110 miles long by 40 miles wide, it was literally divided among the mainline protestant denominations after the Spanish American war of 1898. 

As the United Brethren Church put it, this was an attempt to keep each other from “stepping on each other’s toes in this new mission field acquired through the war.” It also served as a launching pad for them, “to inaugurate a work that assures the Americanization of the island, similar to the work of welcoming individuals into the joys and privileges of being a Christian disciple…we should inaugurate schools that will reach hundreds of children who can be formed through these institutions in the responsibilities of being an American citizen.”[2] Their words not mine. This same “missionary work” occurred across Latin America. Brazil, which was largely a Catholic country before the 1900’s, is now the fastest growing protestant country with Pentecostalism as its source of largest growth. The continued importation of movements across Latin America primarily by the US includes the growing importation of contemporary Christian music with labels such as Hillsong and Vineyard spreading its prosperity gospel to a largely poor and frustrated audience of packed soccer stadiums and other mega centers. 

Does this prove that Latinx are mostly conservative? Not at all. Countries like Chile, Argentina, Colombia, and Uruguay, which happen to be the most left leaning country not only in Latin America but perhaps in all the world second to perhaps New Zealand, continue to produce new art, new publications and most of all new theological thinkers that continue to challenge the narrative that all Latinx are conservative, passing very affirming LGBTQI laws both in the public life and in the context of the church.

The one thing we just might all have in common, even within our diversity, is the reality that oftentimes we are not taken seriously enough as part of the life and mission of the United Methodist Church to even be considered in the larger conversations and negotiations. In our national conversations around race, inclusion, and multiculturalism, our inability to move out of binary paradigms built by whiteness of either left or right, black, or white, male, or female or all the other ways we limit race and inter-cultural conversations to two choices, continues to limit all of us.  As a community, we only seem to appear when we are needed to support an idea of inclusion and multiculturalism or to collaborate with other ethnic minorities as a commodity that helps to enliven our diversity within the church. That does not feel like inclusion, but rather tokenism.

So, the next time you hear someone say, “Latinos/Latinx are mostly” perhaps instead of sticking to a narrative that purports and assumes who we are and where we lean in this decision, maybe this is a great opportunity to ask yourself this: what makes you think you can create a narrative? In just that supposition alone, there might be some remnant of colonizing privilege inherent in the narrative that has been created about us itself that we need to confront before we go any further because the truth is we, Latinos/Latinx are just as diverse as you are, and with the same ability to surprise everyone. ¡Sorpresa!

Rev. Lydia E. Muñoz is an ordained elder in the United Methodist Church. She currently serves as lead pastor of Swarthmore UMC, in PA, and is an active member of MARCHA strategy team.  

[1] Shereen Marisol Meraji, “Hispanic, Latino, or Latinx? Survey says…” NPR Code Switch, August 11, 2020. https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2020/08/11/901398248/hispanic-latino-or-latinx-survey-says

[2] Rodriguez, Jorge Juan V The Colonial Gospel in Puerto Rico. The Christian Century, January 3, 2017.

https://www.christiancentury.org/blog-post/practicing-liberation/colonial-gospel-puerto-rico

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posted on January 11, 2021 by
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MARCHA denounces acts of insurrection at Capitol

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

John 1: 5

MARCHA, the Methodist Caucus that Advocates for Hispanic/Latinos in and out of the Church, unequivocally denounces the domestic terrorist acts of insurrection of this past week and stands with the communities of Asbury United Methodist and Metropolitan Memorial AME along with many other faith communities to raise our voice and shine a light against any racist act of violence, vandalism, and intimidation. 

These recent acts of vandalism and violence against our institutions of democracy in Capitol Hill, as well as the acts perpetrated against Asbury United Methodist Church and Metropolitan Memorial African Methodist Episcopal Church have been yet another reminder that in this country we love and call home, racism and white supremacy are still the elephant in the room.

MARCHA believes that white supremacy and colonialism are sins that continue to have profound effects in our society and in communities of color particularly. Those effects include internalized oppression that can manifest itself in and through our own communities fostering self-harm, denial of our own worth as persons of sacredness and dignity, and submission to an ideology of white superiority. This ideology was foundational to the inception of this country and the European colonization of many of our own countries of origin throughout Latin America. Calling out anti-Blackness in the Latinx community means acknowledging that our communities are not monolithic, and therefore there is a moral and Theo-ethical imperative to call out and speak out against anti-Blackness in every way it appears, especially in our own communities.

We are appalled at the obvious policing double standards applied to communities of color as opposed to what we all witnessed on Wednesday, Jan 6th, 2021, the day we celebrated the Epiphany of our Lord. What was revealed for all the world to see was the great disparity between police treatment of white supremacist, hate-filled racist marching to the capitol verses Black Lives Matter, or Immigrant Rights rallies of people of color and allies demanding to be treated with dignity yet met with brute police force.

MARCHA particularly condemns the actions of the Proud Boys, a far right, neo-fascist, male-only, racist, and white supremacist group, and its leader Enrique Tarrio, who identifies as Afro-Cuban.

We condemn the language and actions that incited such violence against the People’s house and the false rhetoric of President Donald J. Trump as well as all those representatives, both in the house and senate, who fanned the flames of insurrection and mob violence. 

We call for the process of equal justice to be applied to all persons involved in the violence and vandalism against our capitol building and our hall of congress, and these two communities of faith, because we believe they are all products of the same white supremacy ideology and vile hatred. 

We call on the Council of Bishops of The United Methodist Church to remember the witness of the Magi, as they followed the star to the Christ Child and defied the will of Herod and the Empire. We call on the Council of Bishops to follow the light of justice and the dream of freedom and guide our whole Church to engage in serious, intentional work of dismantling racism, confronting white supremacy, and building the beloved community, not just through another act of repentance or book study, but rather through a deep analysis of how our own institution and it is complicity in not confronting white supremacy in our own pews.

Lastly, we call on all disciples of Jesus Christ within the United Methodist Church to engage in deep conversation, study, and reflection as well as intentional action by working with our Council of Bishops, our conferences leadership, district superintendents and every local pastor to hold each other accountable in doing this work together for the transformation of the world.

¡Todos Somos Familia!

MARCHA

Methodist Associated Representing the Cause of Hispanic Americans

www.marchaumc.org

Facebook: @MarchaUMC

Contact Person: Bishop Elías Galván, Executive Director.                

galvan222@msn.com

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MARCHA 2020 – November 13 | 6pm-9pm Est

The present pandemic, caused by the COVID-19 virus, has affected the ability to travel and placed restriction on large meeting, therefore, we are holding our Annual MARCHA Meeting ONLINE on a one day, three hours, format.

LAMENTO EN COMUNIDAD: CAMINO A LA ESPERANZA

“Recuerdo mi tristeza y soledad, mi amargura y sufrimiento; me pongo a pensar en ello y el ánimo se me viene abajo. Pero una cosa quiero tener presente y poner en ella mi esperanza: El amor del Señor no tiene fin, ni se han agotado sus bondades. Lamentaciones 3:19-22

Lament in Community: A Way to Hope

“Remember my trouble and my traveling from place to place, the wormwood and bitter feelings. I remember it always, and my soul bows down within me. But this I remember, and so I have hope. It is because of the Lord’s loving-kindness that we are not destroyed for His loving-pity never ends.” Lamentations 3:19-22

WHEN: Friday, November 13, 200

TIME: 6:00PM to 9:00PM EST

WHERE: ZOOM Webinar Platform

Guest Speaker:

Dr. Miguel De La Torre

The focus of Dr. Miguel A. De La Torre’s academic pursuit is social ethics within contemporary U.S. thought, specifically how religion affects race, class, and gender oppression. Since obtaining his doctoral in 1999, he has authored over a hundred articles and published thirty-three books (five of which won national awards). He presently serves as Professor of Social Ethics and Latinx Studies at the Iliff School of Theology in Denver. A Fulbright scholar, he has taught in Indonesia, Mexico, South Africa, and Germany

REGISTER HERE

PROGRAM

  • Welcome and State of MARCHA
    • Rev. Lyssette Pérez, MARCHA President
  • Worship Service with Communion, Memorial
  • Guest Speakers with Small Groups experience
    • Dr. Miguel De La Torre
  • Panel – State of the Church and Society.
    • Moderated by Rev. Dr. Giovanni Arroyo
    • Panelists: Bishop Minerva Carcaño, Bishop Cynthia Harvey-Fierro, and more
  • MARCHA Leadership Awards

REGISTER HERE

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MARCHA CALLS THE GLOBAL CHURCH TO ERADICATE RACISM

MARCHA stands in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement in protest around the globe of the vicious ways how black persons have been treated, injured and killed by members of the police, and the apparent immunity police officers receive after such brutal attacks.  It is with great alarm and a righteous anger that we have seen the response of President Trump and his administration to the legitimate and peaceful protests of those who are seeking justice for George Floyd,  Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and the long list of victims of police violence and abuse of power. The Black Lives Matter protests are calling for a true reform of a system that reveals practices that are racist and support white supremacy.

The Church cannot remain silent or indifferent in the face of such injustices. To do so is to condone further violence against black people and the continued erosion of our democratic form of government.  Therefore, we call on the global church to affirm and proclaim the sacredness of human life in all its diversity; commit itself to work for the eradication of the sins of racism as it is expressed through colonialism, white privilege and white supremacy; and embody our baptismal vows “to resist evil, injustice and oppression in whatever forms they present themselves”.

CALL TO ACTION:

We call the Council of Bishops to join our ecumenical and interfaith partners to denounce the sin of systemic racism in the United States and its expressions in other parts of the world. (UMC Book of Resolutions #3377  “Opposition to Racial Profiling in the United States”) We invite the Central Conference bishops to share their wisdom derived from their own struggle against injustices in similar situations. 

We call the United Methodist Pastors and Congregations to denounce racism as antithetical to the gospel, lead their congregation in prayerful reflection of the dire effects of racism and white privilege, use the resources addressing these issues produced by the General Commission on Religion and Race (GCORR), the General Board of Church & Society (GBCS) and the other general agencies; and organize constructive dialogues of communities of color with political leaders, police departments and grassroot organizations in their communities. (UMC Book of Resolution #3374 “Annual Conferences’ Districts’ and Local Congregations’ Responsibilities for Eradication of Racism”)

We call our Central Conference siblings to pray for the United States as it struggles with the effects of racism and white privilege and to denounce any practices of systemic  oppressions that are enforced upon them. 

We call the General Conference Delegates to respond to the present crisis with pastoral actions and programs that will bring reconciliation, support equity, and work together to dismantle racism and white privilege in our denomination and society. To that end, we urge the General Conference to support the important work of the Racial Ethnic Plans, GCORR and GBCS in their programming and advocacy for racial ethnic ministries.

MARCHA supports the statements made by racial ethnic caucuses, general agencies and the Council of Bishops in regards to denouncing racism. We encourage all people of faith to be in solidarity with those who seek peace and justice.  As an act of witness, light a candle every evening and pray for peace with justice in the United States and the world. True peace cannot be achieved without True Justice. “And justice will produce lasting peace and security.” (Isaiah 32 CEV)

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CALL TO ACTION – The Inter-Ethnic Strategy Development Group (IESDG) Opposes the Disestablishment of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe

The Inter-Ethnic Strategy & Development Group (IESDG), representing the five racial ethnic caucuses of The United Methodist Church (UMC), believes that God calls all members of the human family to recognize, honor and protect the dignity and worth of Indigenous peoples and Native American tribes of the United States.

CALL TO ACTION:

The Native American International Caucus (NAIC) has called for a public response to the March 2020 disestablished of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribal status by the U.S. Department of the Interior. Removing indigenous sovereignty for one tribe threatens not only the existence of one native community but jeopardizes the welfare of every native community. The Government Administration’s action stands in opposition to the historic position of The United Methodist Church and further marginalizes. We must respect for the right to sovereignty which undergirds the struggle of Indigenous people’s spiritual, cultural, political and economic self-determination. The timing of this decision is particularly egregious as the coronavirus continues to inordinately ravage already vulnerable peoples who reside on tribal lands.

As racial and ethnic caucuses, IESDG is concerned that this shift in public policy impacts not only already fragile tribal communities but also has implications for the treatment of other racial and ethnic communities in their struggle for recognition, and full and equitable access to justice resources necessary for them to thrive. As an act of faith, we speak in solidarity with the NAIC and The National Congress of American Indians and all tribes in their decades long steadfast struggle to retain recognition as sovereign nations and exercise self-determination for their land, their people and their future and we demand that state and federal legislators reverse this unjust action done to the Mashpee Wampanoag people with all expediency.

IESDG calls on the Council of Bishops and Annual Conference leadership where tribal lands are located to remain vigilant and live up to the promise of our General Conference actions and with urgency to advocate for the full recognition, sovereignty, health and well-being of tribal peoples and their lands. 

IESDG calls on the General Board of Church and Society to advocate with legislative representatives and with Conference leadership to support this cause. 

Rationale 

The United Methodist General Conference in 1992 has confessed that The United Methodist Church (and its predecessor bodies) has sinned and continues to sin against its Native American brothers and sisters and offers this formal apology for its participation, intended and unintended, in the violent colonization of their land and called for increased awareness about the role of “Christian churches, including The United Methodist Church and its predecessor in the destruction of Native American people, culture and religious practices and in 2012 stated that The United Methodist Church will work toward eliminating the Doctrine of Discovery as a means to subjugate Indigenous peoples of property and land.

The 2016 United Methodist Resolution 3321 affirmed that, “The General Conference of The United Methodist Church affirms the sacredness of American Indian people, their languages, cultures, and gifts to the church and the world…Treaties are regarded as binding, sacred, and enduring texts by American Indians and Alaska Natives, comparable to the US Constitution and Bill of Rights. Therefore, it is disturbing that the US government ignored its trust responsibilities by violating treaties and other promises. Tribal sovereignty is an inherent international right of Native nations.”

The United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) Article 26 is clear: “Indigenous peoples have the right to the lands, territories and resources which they have traditionally owned, occupied or otherwise used or acquired” and Article 28 affirms indigenous peoples right to redress and seek restitution for lands and resources that have been confiscated, taken or occupied without their consent.

IESDG represents the five (5) national racial ethnic caucuses of The United Methodist Church:

  • Black Methodist for Church Renewal (BMCR)
  • Methodist Associated Representing the Cause of Hispanic/Latino American (MARCHA)
  • National Federation of Asian American United Methodists (NFAAUM)
  • Native American International Caucus (NAIC)
  • Pacific Islander National Caucus of United Methodists (PINCUM)

Since its inception in 1992, IESDG have endeavored to remain true to the charge, “to strategize toward the renewal of The UMC in recognition of the gifts of racial/ethnic minority persons and to advocate for justice ministries within the Church and the world,” among other things.  IESDG feels the great urgency of the time and it is committed to continue to seek God’s preferred future.

For more reference on this matter, see the following articles:

https://www.umnews.org/-/media/UMC%20Media/2020/05/01/19/33/2020-Native-American-International-Caucus-United-Methodist-Church-letter

https://www.umnews.org/en/news/native-caucus-sounds-alarm-over-tribal-land-dispute

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MARCHA Celebrates Bishop Cynthia Fierro-Harvey – New President of the Council of Bishops in the UMC.

Bishop Cynthia Fierro-Harvey, New President of the Council of Bishops

MARCHA, Methodist Associated with the Cause of Hispanic/Latino Americans, celebrates and congratulates Bishop Cynthia Fierro-Harvey in her election and recent installation as the president of the Council of Bishops of the United Methodist Church, and expresses joy and excitement for the ways her transformational leadership in the COB will enhance the Methodist witness around the world.

MARCHA realizes that Bishop Fierro-Harvey comes into the presidency of the Council of Bishops in times of great anxiety and uncertainty in our denomination, in our society and in the world. And, we know she will lead with excellence as we have witnessed first hand the faith, passion, skills, expertise and strenghths she brings to this role.

MARCHA commits, and calls all United Methodists, to hold Bishop Cynthia Fierro-Harvey in our prayers as she leads the Council of Bishop, and with them, The United Methodist Church into the future.

¡Si se puede!

Rev. Lyssette Perez, President

Bishop Elias Galvan, Retired, Executive Director

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AN OPEN LETTER FROM LYNC TO THE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

March 26, 2020 – Media Contact: Ann Craig, Media Consultant 917-280-2968 craignewyork@gmail.com

AN OPEN LETTER FROM LYNC TO THE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
Beloved, as we grapple with the realities of the COVID-19 pandemic, The Love Your Neighbor Coalition calls on United Methodists and people everywhere to pick up the mantle of justice and speak out against oppression in all forms but especially the oppression of the most
marginalized and at-risk in our world.

The outcomes of this pandemic will be far-reaching, and now more than ever we must find ways to change the ways we show up to speak out and rise in solidarity with those most at risk. Political statements which call Covid 19 the “Chinese virus” spread racism. Civic leaders who suggest that “grandparents” should sacrifice their lives for the economy put us all at risk. And, when in our denomination, we obsess on protecting our institutions while tolerating entrenched bigotry, we mirror society rather than provide a witness.

As United Methodists, our witness is global. Injustice is a plague and we can already see the outcome. Soap is hard to find in Uganda and hand sanitizer is being price gouged. The Philippines is being hard hit. Onsets in Europe are surging. Palestinians are trapped in walled sectors such as Gaza where high concentrations of people make isolation impossible. Refugees
in Syria, Turkey, the US-Mexican border and across the world have no place to turn. Children are still in cages and the massive incarceration of African descent and Latinx people in the US turns prisons into concentration camps with dire results. Always, those on the margins are hit
hard.

The postponement of the UMC General Conference not only impacts LGBTQIA people who will have to live under the harmful policies of the Traditional Plan, but it puts at high risk all vulnerable communities who rely upon denominational funding for their work and witness.

The United Methodist Church is gifted with a global network. We are united in Christ, even as we note and sometimes appreciate our differences. This crisis requires that we work together.

We urge the entire United Methodist Church to take action. Here are some ideas:

Action 1: Use the Wesleyan class system to cluster your members in online groups to support each other, pray for each other, read the news together, and organize for possible actions.

Action 2: Write to your bishop and conference BOOM to urge them to announce a moratorium on trials against LGBTQIA people and allies.

Action 3: Organize letter writing campaigns, op-eds, and social media actions when you see harm being done and “someone should say something.”

Action 4: Give to and engage with groups that are implementing advocacy and service in this era of lockdown. To this end, LYNC will give a donation to UMCOR as it addresses the pandemic and ongoing global emergencies. Join us in supporting UMCOR by following this link
https://www.umcmission.org/umcor/give

Action 5 : Send notes to clergy member friends thanking them for leading us in new and different ways of being church and supporting those who are most vulnerable.

Action 6: Share additional ideas with LYNC on how to be proactive in challenging oppression and supporting vulnerable populations while staying healthy.

The Love Your Neighbor Coalition is a partnership of 14 United Methodist Church related Caucus groups working for a just, inclusive and grace-filled denomination. For generations, member groups have named God’s grace for all of God’s children and cried out for justice. We call on the denomination to end harm in every place where the Gospel of love is preached. We commit to love each other and stay in relationship with the global Body of Christ

MEMBER GROUPS
Affirmation United Methodists
Black Methodists for Church Renewal (BMCR)
Fossil Free UMC
MARCHA: Metodistas Asociados Representando la Causa Hispano-Americanos
Methodist Federation for Social Action (MFSA)
Methodists in New Directions (MIND)
National Federation of Asian American United Methodists (NFAAUM)
Native American International Caucus (NAIC)
Pacific Islanders Caucus of United Methodists (PINCUM)
Reconciling Ministries Network (RMN)
United Methodist Association of Ministers with Disabilities
United Methodists for Kairos Response (UMKR)
United Methodist Queer Clergy Caucus
Western Methodist Justice Movement (WMJM)

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IESDG STATEMENT ON COVID-19 VIRUS AND XENOPHOBIA

A Statement from the Inter-Ethnic Strategic Development Group (IESDG), a coalition represented by the five racial ethnic caucuses of the United Methodist Church.

IESDG unequivocally denounce the disturbing and continual use of the term “China or Chinese Virus”, correctly known as the COVID-19 virus.  The term “China/Chinese Virus” is racially loaded and inaccurately depicts the global nature of the disease’s threat and the misuse of terms in effect targets and scapegoats several ethnic groups. We urge President Donald J. Trump and other public officials to discontinue the use of the term “China/Chinese Virus” so that misinformation and animosity will be replaced with a love that respects the dignity and sacred worth of every person and community.

The misinformation and the mislabeling of the COVID-19 continue to fuel anxiety, which in turn, escalates racists acts of xenophobia specifically against Asians, Asian-Americans and their communities. The COVID-19 virus and other pathogens do not discriminate between hosts based on gender, race, ethnicity, nationality, immigration status or others.  The origin of any virus could have occurred in any country regardless of race or ethnicity.

The Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus of the United States Congress stated in February 26, 2020, “The best way to stop the spread of coronavirus is to wash your hands, not perpetuate racist stereotypes. We ask for your help in spreading this message, to help stem both the public health crisis and the deeply disturbing racism targeting the Asian American community.”

On Tuesday March 17th, 2020, Dr. Robert Redfield, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, stated that it was “absolutely wrong” for the Administration to label the 2019 novel coronavirus as the “China Virus.”  The World Health Organization named the disease COVID-19 to deter associating the virus with a geographical location or select group of people, ultimately lead to their public stigmatization. 

Since its inception in 1992, IESDG have endeavored to remain true to the charge, “to strategize toward the renewal of The United Methodist Church in recognition of the gifts of racial/ethnic minority persons and to advocate for justice ministries within the Church and the world,” among other things.

IESDG represents the five (5) national racial ethnic caucuses of The United Methodist Church:

  • Black Methodist for Church Renewal (BMCR)
  • Methodist Associated Representing the Cause of Hispanic/Latino American (MARCHA)
  • National Federation of Asian American United Methodists (NFAAUM)
  • Native American International Caucus (NAIC)
  • Pacific Islander National Caucus of United Methodists (PINCUM)
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MARCHA Statement on Proposals to the General Conference 2020 of the United Methodist Church

“…be still and know that I am God” Psalm 46:10

MARCHA is the national Hispanic/Latino Caucus of The United Methodist Church (UMC) and the Methodist Church of Puerto Rico. Its mission is to be an instrument of advocacy and support to guarantee that the contributions and cultural values of the Hispanic/Latino community are appreciated in the church and the society. MARCHA advocates that the UMC focus on the poor and racial ethnic ministries. MARCHA works in partnership with the Council of Evangelical Methodist Churches in Latin America and the Caribbean (CIEMAL) to advocate for and represent the voice of the autonomous Methodist Churches of the region in relationship with the UMC.

MARCHA LAMENTS, the irreconcilable positions that have divided our church to the point of schism. Nevertheless, MARCHA welcomes the Protocol of Grace and Reconciliation through Separation as an opportunity for the UMC to move beyond disagreements on the issue of inclusion of LGBTQ+ persons, and as a necessary step to end the harm caused to those individuals in our church’s history. As in previous separations such as the autonomy of central conferences of Latin America, it is an opportunity for contextualization and collaboration in mission, despite differences in practices or doctrines.

MARCHA BELIEVES, that the UMC Post-Separation will be a church fully inclusive of our rich diversity of cultures, ethnicities, traditions, backgrounds, gender identities, theological perspectives and biblical interpretations. Therefore, MARCHA encourages the Hispanic/Latino churches to remain part of the UMC, yet it supports the self determination of those churches to make their own decision.

MARCHA SUPPORTS, the financial agreements recommended by the Protocol. MARCHA believes that the financial support proposed for racial ethnic ministries is a necessary step to continue to address the historical participation of the UMC and its predecessors in institutional racism. This commitment started with the creation of the National Plan for Hispanic Latino Ministry and continues through this day. MARCHA believes that the allocation of financial support for Africa University is a step to address the ongoing need of leadership development in the continent of Africa. MARCHA will continue to support equitable sharing of resources throughout the UMC to benefit groups and regions that have been under supported, including the proposal for creation of additional episcopal areas in Africa.

MARCHA AFFIRMS, the principles of the Christmas Covenant legislation introduced by central conferences to establish a self-determining and equitable structure for the UMC by transforming the Central Conferences into Regional Conferences. MARCHA supports the legislation introduced by the Connectional Table (CT) to create a US Regional Conference. MARCHA believes that this structural change creates the opportunity for contextualization of the ministry of the UMC in the United States in parallel with the contextualization of ministry already in place through the central conferences.

MARCHA ADVOCATES, for the voice of minorities to be heard and valued in the UMC. MARCHA will continue to advocate and support the Hispanic/Latino churches in the UMC and in other Methodist denominations to be created as proposed by the Protocol. MARCHA will continue to work with racial ethnic caucuses and white allies to address the issues of institutional racism, white privilege and white supremacy in the church and the society.

Executive Committee, MARCHA Consejo Directivo

Click here for printable version

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REGIONALIZATION AND PROTOCOL FIRST: Request from Inter-Ethnic Coalition to General Conference

IESDG (Inter-Ethnic Strategy and Development Group) requests and urges the Commission on General Conference that the legislation on regionalization coming from Central Conferences, be the first matter to be deliberated in General Conference 2020, followed by the Protocol of Reconciliation and Grace Through Separation.  

All the plans and legislations offered for considerations to our General Conference this year are intricate and complex.  As such, it mandates an incremental and intentional process in order to provide a space for constructive conferencing and discernment that will allow a gracious path forward. 

IESDG is also asking that the Commission on General Conference take such action as necessary to include all other supplementary legislations and priorities, as dictated by these primary petitions.

“We need to give priority to the Christmas Covenant petitions coming from our Central Conferences, if we truly want to be a Global Church that is connected for mission and at the same time promotes self-determination and equity in each of our different contexts,” says Rev. Lyssette N. Perez, Chair of IESDG and President of MARCHA.

IESDG is working together with all the Racial Ethnic United Methodist plans. All the caucuses are in support of the recommended process. 

“I support the process of regionalization and the protocol because it aligns with the mission, vision, and values of BMCR,” says Deborah Dangerfield of BMCR, Inc.

IESDG represents the five (5) national racial ethnic caucuses of The United Methodist Church:

  • Black Methodist for Church Renewal (BMCR)
  • Methodist Associated Representing the Cause of Hispanic/Latino American (MARCHA)
  • National Federation of Asian American United Methodists (NFAAUM)
  • Native American International Caucus (NAIC)
  • Pacific Islander National Caucus of United Methodists (PINCUM)

Since its inception in 1992, IESDG have endeavored to remain true to the charge, “to strategize toward the renewal of The UMC in recognition of the gifts of racial/ethnic minority persons and to advocate for justice ministries within the Church and the world,” among other things.  IESDG feels the great urgency of the time and it is committed to continue to seek God’s preferred future.

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MARCHA Sunday is Here! 10/13/2019

MARCHA 48th Annual Meeting held in Philadelpia, PA on August under the theme The Extraordinary Power of God: Tesoros en Vasos de Barro led us to a communal reflection and strategic work on ways to leverage the extraordinary power of God as Hispanic/Latinos. Aknowledging our weakeness and vulnerabilities but rendering ourselves to the extraordinary power of God to serve our people as a movement that promotes respect of human rights as well as a commitment to peace, justice, liberty and equality.

Everyone one who raise their voice for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me” (Matthew 25:40, CBS) is MARCHA. Through your actions and statements you have been part of this work, and today we invite you and your congregation to celebrate the work that MARCHA does by celebrating “MARCHA Sunday” on Sunday October 13 (you can choose to do it on a different Sunday according to the availability of your church’s calendar).

MARCHA was organized in 1970 and held its first national meeting on 1971, yet people in the pews of know very little about our organization and the significant ministry that MARCHA has implemented in our denomination through the years. We invite you to list some examples of how MARCHA had contributed to your jurisdiction, conference and church and taking a few minutes during the worship service to speak about MARCHA and its ministry.

You can also present the short video What is MARCHA? Click here

CLICK HERE for more resources to promote MARCHA Sunday.

Your local church can send their free will MARCHA Sunday offering to the MARCHA Treasurer where your offering will be received and acknowledged, as follows:

Raul Alegria, Treasurer

MARCHA

241 Circle View Drive

Franklin, TN 37067

MARCHA’s Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) is 74-2785218.

Please remember that much of the programs and resources that our Latino congregations enjoy today are the result of the work of advocacy of MARCHA. Many of the opportunities in education and employment that are now in place in the UMC for Latinos are also, in a large part, a result of the work of MARCHA across the years. Visit www.marchaumc.org to read about MARCHA’s vision and mission. The future ministry of MARCHA depends on you and persons like you who are committed to Hispanic/Latino Ministries within our beloved Church.

May our loving God bless you and your ministry abundantly.

In Christ service,

Bishop Elias Galvan, Executive Director

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