The Tale of Two Sisters

“Try telling your life story in another language and you will soon realize what is most important to you.” 

Como yo explenar la differencia de las iglesias porque ellos estan muy similar. La historia esta similar. Las personas estas similar. Socioeconomic, politicos, teologia. . .todas las cosas. Pero IELU y ELCA esta muy diferente tambien por la cultura. Ellos representar dos ejemplos diferente de que puede ser la iglesia. ELCA como si la hermana mayor. Ella tiene la experiencia, la apoya, y la dinero. Hasta hay una hermanita IELU. IELU camina en la routa misma pero con padres diferente. La manera es mas dificil cuando es mas normal por le hermanx menor tiene una vida mas facil. O es posible que la vida esta pocito facil que su hermana pero no saben como aprender de las faultas de ELCA. Todos de nosotros en IELU debemos aprender de las faultas de nuestrxs hermana ELCA. ELCA tiene muchas ofercer con experiencia. A primero, tenemos iglesias con adultxs, jovenes, abuelxs, generacciones despues generacciones.  Pero nuestrxs comunidades cambiar con el tiempo y nostoros como iglesia no hacemos el mismo. No aprendemos sobre nuestrxs comunidades nuevos. No hablamos con otras personas. No damos los trabajos que nosotros amamos por mucho anos a les jovenes y ahora nuestrxs personas no sienten un connecion con el Dios de entendimiento de nuestrxs ancestrxs. Le parece hay una problema misma en IELU. Hay muchas iglesias con historia de europa o particular a pueblo del paseo pero ahora los pueblos estan differente y nuevo con vida irregular. Quien esta en los calles? Quien esta en la casa proxima? Se conocemos o no? Se hablamos o no? IELU es differente porque ellxs estan mas pequenos de ELCA. Con solo 30 iglesias y 26 pastorxs es mas facil apoyar. Con los numeros podemos hacer trabajo en evangelismo, mayordomia, y desarrollo que nostros demos completar en ELCA anos antes. Yo veo un futoro con luz para IELU. Les patorxs, los congregacciones , y los jovenes tienen poder juntos. Ellxs estan muy importante!

During missionary training we sat in a plenary about how to “tell the story.” Essentially, the ELCA straddles between being a church of mission and being a church in need of funding. Therefore missionaries are both servants and salespersons. We are asked to do the work of the people while also translating that story in a way our sponsors can consume. This is not to be a critic of how we function. In our eco-system of church everyone plays a role. We are not all called to pastor the same way we are not all called to be financial supports the same way we are not all called to be theologians or musicians. Stewardship is about time, treasure, and talents. Each component is a necessity in order to bring glory to the kin-dom. I struggled with this a bit during training. It did not feel good to hear about some of the pressure other missionaries felt trying to gather stories for parishes to read so that they may feel good about their contributions. Maybe its because I have always failed to send thank you cards to the folks who have sponsored my education in hopes they will just read about my successes later on.

 Well, if any of my sponsors ever manage to read this. . .

“To the wonderful Lutherans with an exceptional retirement plan and impressive trust funds,

Thank you for paying my seminary tuition this year. Since I started full time I have managed to maintain a 3.4 GPA which is a major improvement from my 2.7 when I started part time fresh out of undergrad. Your contributions made it much easier for me to work full time in a job that does not pay well but gives me much joy. Since I started seminary I have been able to serve as a chaplain intern in Atlanta, study temporarily in El Salvador, run away to Peru, Colombia, and Venezuela temporarily, and now serve in Argentina. Your gifts will only enhance the quality of ministry the ELCA will receive. Thank you.

Love,

Your Sponsee”

I say all of this to say, I too must tell the story. And there is very much a story to tell here. As I sit in the Church headquarters in Buenos Aires I want to tell you  a history of a church that began as a mission in the early 20th century. As a full disclaimer, history is always subjective so as I try to reiterate this message I will try to conceal my own thoughts and highlight the points of the Argentine church.

The year is 1908, almost one hundred years after Argentina gained independence from Spain. Like most of South America the country is dominated by the Roman Catholic Church. The first Lutheran missionaries arrives from one of the first American Lutheran Churches (The ELCA is technically a new church formed in the early 1980’s from two other original American denominations. For this post I will continue to refer to it as the ELCA). Buenos Aires was the first settlement and remained that way for a number of years. During but more so after World War II, Lutheran Churches were no longer missions but transplants. Ethnic groups from all over Europe arrived in Argentina and built churches that reflected their community. Worship was held in their own languages such as english, danish, german, and hungarian. These churches took pride in their ethnicities. It took many years for this culture to change. In fact, many pastors in the IELU today grew up worshipping in non- Spanish speaking congregations. Most communities are no longer exclusively Russian- German or Danish yet some of these congregations continue to maintain this mentality. Yet these congregations are not the sole product of the Lutheran tradition in Argentina. Missionaries and congregations have built schools that have become a staple in many of these communities. 

This history may sound simple but has become complicated over time. A major American characteristic tends to be the feeling of entitlement. Since IELU is a product of American mission, the ELCA or rather congregations in the ELCA have tended to feel a sense of ownership to IELU mission. Those on the outside have felt called to determine where donations should go or how they should be managed without having any true knowledge of the need is here in Argentina. That is not accompaniment. For those of us looking at this situation with a capitalist lens, yes it seems investors should have say how money is spent and thankfully our gospel was not written by capitalists but by followers of Christ. Jesus is the one who told us to give up all that we own and serve the poor. 

For more context, think about the story of the rich man and Lazarus found in Luke 16:19-31. The rich man spent most of his life living well while Lazarus sat outside the gates sick and hungry eating worse than dogs. When both died, one was rewarded while the other was cast into hell. He was not rewarded for living in poverty but for maintaining faith even through his trials. The other was condemned for his neglect to the poor. The rich man had a moral responsibility to the social welfare of his neighbor that he neglected and in tradition we are taught to love the Lord with all of our heart, mind, and soul, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. If we are neglecting our neighbor, we are not loving our neighbor and if all of humanity is made in the image of God, we are neglecting Her and what She asks of us as well. The rich man tried to make amends in hell and yearned to warn his family of such sins but it was too late. We have our entire lives to get right by God. From the moment we become people of God we are given a holy book to study and to practice. We are taught to live modestly, serve the poor, love the Lord, and seek forgiveness because as people of the flesh we will fail at all of these things at one point or another. Failure is Okay because it is the steadfast love, the grace that is granted by God that gives us another chance time and time again. We as a country of wealth and prosperity for many are charged with the job to be faithful stewards. It is not our jobs to smother the voices of our neighbor only to hear ourselves speak and that is a habit we have as an entitled people. 

You’re probably thinking at this point, “If this history is so complicated then how are we still welcomed in IELU?” Great question and something I cannot fully answer. What I can speak about is how we can accompany such a progressive and liberating denomination in their mission today. Last year IELU developed a five year strategic plan to address key issues in the church. 

Lineamientos estrategicos:

1. Ser iglesia de comunidades evangelizadas y evangelizadoras
2. Ser iglesia con espiritualidad comprometida y diaconal
3. Alentar, fortalecer y reconocer los ministerios segun los dones
4. Ser iglesia que vive la comunion y fortalece la comunicacion
5. Promover una mayordomia de la iglesia que desarolle la sustentabilidad en un marco de comunion

1. To be church of evangelical communities and evangelical people
2. To be church with spiritual commitment (faith) and service
3. To foster, to strengthen, and to recognize the ministries according to the gifts
4. To be church that lives communion and strengthens communication
5. To promote stewardship of the church that develops sustainability in the mark of communion

Our support presently has allowed for the synod to host annual youth gatherings ran by CuJuSi, their youth leadership team. IELU also meets in full form on an annual basis. The support we give presently looks like an additional 7 or more young people a year serving across Argentina and Uruguay in different non profit organizations and schools. We support the six schools presently serving hundreds of children and teenagers. IELU is a church of social justice working with ecumenical partners to support refugees, addressing gender based violence in  machismo- culture, reinforcing inclusive language, advocating for human rights, and teaching the word of God in a way understandable to all people. As of today, we are supporting social liberation and a rebirth of religious thought in a country dominated by historically conservative Catholic theology. That is a powerful gift to give to the world. How often does one hear about a Bishop excited to perform a surprise wedding for a lesbian couple because the two never imagined being able to share their vows in a house of God?

After reading the lineamientos estrategicos, it seems like there are many resources available in the ELCA that can be shared with IELU. We have a questionnaire for congregational gifts. We have literature, trainings, and additional materials for evangelism. Many of us in the ELCA are going through the same struggles as our kin in IELU. We can share how we have dealt with these issues and start creating a better network for a mutual exchange about how we share these successes and failures. I wonder if mission and accompaniment can look like an equal exchange of pastors and lay people, both adults and youth. Maybe we can ask IELU for support on our end as well. How can we become better stewards like IELU as they continue to maximize their resources much differently than ELCA. What makes Argentine Lutheran schools so successful but U.S. Lutheran schools less desirable? Are both parties successful in using education as a form of evangelism in their communities and if not how can we both grow?

I also just got here. Even when I think I know something, I know nothing. This is a challenge I face as a verbal processor and as a mission- minded person. I love our church and our Lutheran identity. It is through Luther's work that I was able to see more clearly how Jesus calls us to be in communion with others. For non- Lutherans that may sound pretty dramatic but unfortunately that is part of my story. Jesus may have been a man but Christ was not real to me in the Catholic Church. This is what drives my soul. If we all believe in being a church of justice, how can we best express that in how we act as a church? I see IELU trying so hard to make that transition into a church of action. If you were to sit with the president or talk with a pastor, it is clear immediately. Individually so many contributions have been made already so now IELU must collectively move forward. I am humbled and grateful to have the opportunity to accompany IELU this year as they accompany me in my formation as clergy.

#ReclaimMissionary

*Key Terms*

ELCA- Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

IELU- Iglesia Evangelica Luterana Unidas/ United Evangelical Lutheran Church