| Presbyterian Immigrants Start New Church:
Presbyterians from Chiapas who moved to San Jose de Cabo at the tip of the
Baja California peninsula have done what Mexican Presbyterians do most
naturally: finding themselves in a community without a Presbyterian church
(and not that many other Protestant churches or "iglesias evangelicas"
as they say) started meeting in their home, inviting others, and starting a
new Presbyterian church. As Cabo San Lucas and its nearby population
center San Jose de Cabo has grown as major tourist attractions, many people
from the very poor southern cone of Mexico come to seek jobs in the hotels,
construction and other services that the boom requires. A good number
of the folk from Chiapas are Presbyterians (40% of Protestants in Chiapas
are Presbyterian, in contrast to most of Mexico where the various
Pentecostal groups account for the bulk of Protestants) and they are
trained in their churches to share their faith and plant new missions and
churches. So the group grew, led by brother and sister, an elder and a
trained misionera (woman church worker). They bought two lots
in a developing neighborhood at the north end of town, put up a talapa
(thatched roof covering with open walls) and began having services and
activities there. Then the hurricane came and blew it all down.
So they rebuilt with wood and corrugated sheets. And began putting in
the foundation for their 10x20 meter sanctuary 33'x66').
Groups Joins Presbytery: The congregation grew, as
more immigrant Christians joined the group and as they shared their faith
and brought new believers into the body. Being Presbyterians they wanted to
connect with the rest of the church, and they saw the need for a full time
ordained pastor. They first made contact with Rev. Job Alameda of
Tijuana and then President of the Baja California side of the Northwest
Border Presbytery (and also President of the Pueblos Hermanos Board of
Directors). He visited Los Cabos, saw the dedication of the
congregation and their great potential, and lobbied for their inclusion into
the Presbytery. Pastor Enrique Romero, Pueblos Hermanos Co-director,
provided pastoral oversight for the next year and a half, taking several
trips to Los Cabos to visit, counsel, officiate the sacraments, quincinieras
and weddings. and then in August of 2002 to install Rev. Devir Perez as
their new pastor.
An Ordained Pastor: A year later the
Presbytery commissioned Pastor Devir Perez and wife Araceli to go
south 1,000 miles from Tecate (25 miles east of Tijuana), where they had
built up the Betel Presbyterian Mission there into a congregation. (In
the Mexican Presbyterian church a new church development begins as a
mission, then when they have at least 25 communicant members and a steering
committee, they become a congregation. When they have at least 40
members and three elders elect they can become a church.) The
Presbytery would cover half of the pastor's salary and the mission
congregation would cover the other half plus his social security health
benefit. In July, 2002, Devir, Arci, their son Devir, Jr.drove to Los
Cabos in the old four-wheel drive, extra cab pick-up truck they purchased
for the move.
New Manse Built: The church group welcomed
their new pastor and continued to grow, having more worship services and
Bible studies, doing more evangelism. The Perezes lived in the house
Elder Elix had been building for a rental property - he gave the use of it
to the congregation as part of his contribution to the life of the church.
But it was just one room (20'x20' approximately) with a small bath; the
"kitchen" was the side porch with a table for the wash basin- "sink", and
their second son was born half a year later. With help from the
churches San Fernando (California) Presbytery, Geneva PC of Laguna Nigel,
CA, Lake Grove PC of Lake Oswego, OR, and
Baja Presbyterian Missions, the congregation has built a small manse
(900 square feet) which was dedicated in November, 2003. Now they are
turning back to the construction of their sanctuary - it's important to get
the walls up before the reinforcing rods for the support pillars rust too
much.
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