New Semester Begins

The Fall Semester of our Juan de Frías, Theological Training Program started off with a flurry of new courses and activities the second week of September that has kept us in constant movement since we returned to Caracas last month. We are spending one week a month in Ciudad Guayana teaching five different courses for our students in the four Lutheran Congregations in Estado Bolivar. Another weekend every month is spent in teaching courses Maturín in Estado Monagas and the rest of our time is dedicated to classes with theological students in Caracas and in Maracay, 110 kilometers to the west of Caracas.

Ricardo Granado the current director of our Theological Education by Extension Institute has been pushing for an accelerated program for six of our theological students. Seeing the need for filling the vacancies that exist in our Lutheran congregations in Caracas and Western Venezuela, Ricardo has been anxious to get the accelerated program off the ground as soon as possible. The accelerated program was launched on October 2nd in a special service in La Fortaleza Lutheran Congregation in Maracay. Currently we have the students enrolled in the accelerated program housed in quarters of the still unfinished church building project in Maracay. Twice this past week they have had to put up with very heavy rains that have worked their way through leaks in the roof and soaked their bedding. Pastor Ted Krey will be responsible for half of their course work and I for the other half. We would like to ask our readers to keep all of our theological students in Venezuela in your prayers – that despite the less than adequate housing facilities and financial difficulties, they might be guided in their studies and in their dedication to the Lord and his Church.

Pastoral Vacancies in Caracas

The need to prepare pastoral candidates is becoming particularly acute in Caracas, the capital of Venezuela and home to over five million people. Today, October 9th, pastor Francisco Cabarcas preached his last sermon as pastor of La Paz Lutheran Church located in Petare the huge half million people slum that covers the hills in the Western part of the Caracas metropolitan area. Pastor Francisco, well loved by all his members and by the children in the congregation’s pre-school has accepted a call to serve as the school chaplain of Cristo Rey Lutheran School in Maturín, 510 kilometers to the East of Caracas where his expectant wife, Dagnis, works as secretary. This morning pastor Francisco preached to a full church – giving thanks to the Lord for giving him the opportunity to serve among God’s people in Petare. The children of the Sunday School prepared a little program to show their appreciation to pastor Francisco and the ladies prepared a lunch for all present. Until the congregation is able to find a new pastor, the pastoral duties of La Paz congregation will be shared by a number of people who have participated in the Juan de Frías program of theological education in Caracas.

With pastor Francisco leaving for Maturín, the only remaining ordained pastor in Caracas will be pastor Waldemar Cifuentes of El Salvador Congregation in the neighborhood of Colinas de Bello Monte. However, pastor Cifuentes has announced that he is accepting a call to a new Lutheran congregation in Estado Lara in Western Venezuela. This will leave the three plus Lutheran Congregations in Caracas without an ordained pastor. The three congregations in question are (1) El Salvador, (2) La Santa Trinidad and (3) La Paz. A fourth congregation, El Mesías exists in sort of limbo, since its members have not decided whether the wish to continue as part of the Lutheran Church in Venezuela or whether to join the church body of the former president of the ILV, deposed last year because of serious administrative irregularities.

New Improved WEB SITE

If you haven’t checked our WEB SITE lately, do take the time to check it out. You will note that the page contains and information in both English and Spanish. In the English section we have posted most of the newsletters sent out during the past three years plus some documents on liberation theology. We will also be posting mission sermons used during the past years, since a number of people have asked for access to them. In the Spanish part of the WEB SITE we are adding more materials to help Spanish speaking pastors and theological students in their studies – including course materials, articles and books that can be downloaded, and in the future, sermons in Spanish. It is our hope that we can use the Internet to help prepare church workers and theological students throughout the Spanish-speaking world. We know of many people who wish to study theology but live in areas where there is no accessible program of theological education in their region.
http://homepage.mac.com/rtblank/venezuela

Special Needs

For Bernardo the blind musician who played and sang during Pastor Francisco’s farewell service this morning – we have a request for a copy of the book of Genesis and the Book of Acts in Braille. If any of our readers know where we can get these items we would be most appreciative. Bernardo knows English so he can read either Spanish or English Braille.

News of Past Workers

For those who have served as missionaries and volunteers in the past we wish to include in our newsletters news about people in and out of Venezuela with which they may have worked. Not too long ago we were informed that Luis Aparismo who served as pastor of a number of ILV congregations in Monagas passed away last year. From the information we received Luis suffered an attack of appendicitis and died of a ruptured appendix in a taxi that was taking him from San Antonio de Maturín to the hospital in Maturín. During the 1960’s Luis served as pastor of El Calvario Lutheran Congregation in La Pica de Maturin and El Pastor Lutheran Congregation in la Morrocoya.