Melissa Newell, Irish Methodist mission partner, writes about meeting with pastors of the United Evangelical Methodist Church of Ecuador in Quito. Please continue to pray for Melissa as she serves in Ecuador.

Quito, Thursday 29th September 2022

More than two years after their last in-person meeting, the pastors of the United Evangelical Methodist Church of Ecuador (IEMUE) were finally able to gather together again in the church headquarters, just off the beautiful La Carolina park in the centre of the country’s capital, Quito. Back in April, I had the opportunity to meet many of these pastors at a retreat held by the church, and it was lovely to see them again. However, the real joy was in hearing each pastor’s report on the activities that their church is carrying out – such a wide variety of methods of witnessing and outreach! I came away so encouraged and gladdened to hear how each church is making the most of its surroundings and using its position to reach the people around them. There are many challenges, and the rising levels of poverty and child malnutrition, which in many cases, is stretching the church’s already limited resources. Nevertheless, the pastors and lay people of IEMUE are undertaking great efforts to support their local communities and engage in outreach and discipleship.

The meeting began with a time of devotion, thinking of being ‘a people who honour God’ and encouraging the Pastors to remember that they themselves need to be examples in worship, in fellowship, in service and also with their belongings and goods and in their giving.

Each pastor (and missionary) was given 10 minutes to share about their work and the work being carried out in their church. Alongside the Sunday services, Bible studies, children’s clubs and youth meetings, I was impressed by the creativity and vision of the churches in their different ideas, and how each idea was in response to their particular location and situation. Some of the ideas were evangelistic, some related to discipleship, some were social projects which benefit the whole community whether the church is located, some entrepreneurial and some will benefit the whole church nationwide.

Examples of Community and Church Projects currently being undertaken

• Music classes for young people (Santo Domingo and El Carmen)

• Water project to bring semi-potable water to the Tsáchila tribe community (Santo Domingo)

• Building new land to eventually build a church and toilet facilities (Ciudad de Dios)

• Bringing water pipes from a nearby waterfall to provide water to the community (Ciudad de Dios)

• Rebuilding houses in conjunction with UMCOR after 2016 earthquake (Pedernales)

• A camp centre which can be used for retreats and by youth groups with views of Cotopaxi Volcano (Romerillos)

• Garden of native plants (Romerillos)

• Orchard and vegetable patch behind church, with a variety of foods from pulses to avocados and fruits such as lemons which will be sold to raise funds (Llano Grande)

• Domestic mission teams of young people helping in other churches in the region (Pastocalle)

• Micro-loans for women to start business ventures (various churches)

• Medical clinics and medical checks for children (various churches)

• Dance groups

• Television channel to share the Gospel

• Giving children a hot meal (in conjunction with Compassion International) (El Pijal)

• Pastoral visits

• Feeding programmes with spiritual discipleship for Venezuelan immigrants, alongside practical help such as completing paperwork and obtaining visas and passports (Quevedo, Guayaquil, Santo Domingo)