Consulta Anabautista Menonita de Centroamericana
The Consulta Anabautista Menonita de Centroamericana (CAMCA; Central American Mennonite Conference) was born as the result of concerns of various Central American Mennonite leaders who considered it important to share with each other the work of the church, biblical and theological reflection, and pastoral experiences. The first conference took place from 2-12 July 1974, in the Pinares Academy in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. The theme was "The Growth of the Church and the Formation of Leaders." Conferences are held once a year in alternating locations. Participants were official delegates of the Mennonite or Anabaptist churches from Honduras, Costa Rica, Belize, Nicaragua, Guatemala, and later, Panama.
The organization was like a seedbed producing a fruitful convergence of Anabaptist reflections and interchange of pastoral experiences. The Alabanzas de Libertad (Praises of Liberty) hymnal was produced through CAMCA in 1975 and contributed to worship renewal not only in the Central American Mennonite Church but also in other evangelical churches in the area. This regional conference also provided needed opportunity for dialogue concerning the difficult political, economic, and spiritual situation in which the Central American countries found themselves. The statements formulated in Belize (1978) and Nicaragua (1982) expressed the Anabaptist witness of concern for the economic, social, and spiritual needs of the Central American peoples, together with a clear peace-oriented position as an alternative to the prevailing violence in the region.
The need for an Anabaptist witness resulted in the creation of the Anabaptist Ministerial Leaders Seminary (SEMILLA) in 1982. Together with CAMCA, SEMILLA constituted a major effort to promote wholistic growth and an Anabaptist identity in Central America.
Bibliography
Programs, proposals, and reports from the churches presented in CAMCA since 1974 are in the collection of the author.
| Author(s) | James Adrian Prieto-Valladares |
|---|---|
| Date Published | 1986 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Prieto-Valladares, James Adrian. "Consulta Anabautista Menonita de Centroamericana." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. 1986. Web. 16 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Consulta_Anabautista_Menonita_de_Centroamericana&oldid=120987.
APA style
Prieto-Valladares, James Adrian. (1986). Consulta Anabautista Menonita de Centroamericana. Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 16 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Consulta_Anabautista_Menonita_de_Centroamericana&oldid=120987.
Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 5, p. 201. All rights reserved.
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