Decision-Making in the Honduras Church
Bruce and Linda Hanson – Honduras
Luke 22:24-27
Today we had one of three planning meetings for the First Reformed Church of Honduras that occurs spaced throughout the year. It was an interesting process that reflects the very deliberate theology-reflection-action triad of the church, as well as their belief that joining the church implies a commitment to participation in its ministry.
Bruce and Linda Hanson – Honduras
Luke 22:24-27
Today we had one of three planning meetings for the First Reformed Church of Honduras that occurs spaced throughout the year. It was an interesting process that reflects the very deliberate theology-reflection-action triad of the church, as well as their belief that joining the church implies a commitment to participation in its ministry.
After Sunday School, the usual recitation by each class of their Bible verses, and some singing, the church divided into work groups. There were groups for Christian Education, Liturgy/Music, Service, Youth, Children, and Evangelism. Somehow each group had a leader. Everyone had to go to a group to help with the planning process, and nobody could go to more than one (I think about this in comparison to many churches I know where often one person would serve several different roles, and many people did nothing but occasionally attend worship).
After prayers for guidance, and in our group (Liturgy/Music) a song, we began. First we evaluated what we were doing. What had we said we were going to do? What had we accomplished? What could we do better? What were we going to commit to the next few months? This was all written on a planning sheet with responsible parties, dates, and goals established.
The role of the pastor in this process was also interesting. He obviously couldn’t be at all the meetings, but he circled from group to group, offering a suggestion here and there, and with a couple of groups that were struggling, sitting for a while. But, he was not the leader of any group, and after presenting a suggestion or helping a group struggle, would leave and join another group for a while. For a while he sat and drank coffee.
Then the groups reconvened to worship. After the sermon, each group came forward and presented their work–discussing what they had done, what their goals were and what they planned to do for the next few months. Then, the planning sheet with all the dreams and goals of the group was place reverently in a basket on the altar, giving the plans to God in prayer. An elder came forward and prayed over the basket, asking for God’s help in bring these dreams into reality. Then, another song and the benediction and we were dismissed.
In a few months there will again be a meeting and the results of these plans evaluated, and changed or continued based on current needs and circumstances of the church. More plans will be written, more papers offered to God.
What an amazing process! There was such a trust in the power of God to work in people’s lives, such a belief in the importance of the gifts of each member of the church, from the oldest to the smallest, that all were included in the plans; there was a trust that the Holy Spirit is present in the plans of this church, a continuous spiral of planning based on a theology of God’s liberating presence in the world, then action, then reflection once again. What a privilege to see God working through God’s people in the church in Honduras!
Linda Hanson
Bruce and Linda Hanson are assigned to the Christian Commission on Development (CCD) to serve the Honduran Theological Community (CTH). Bruce is teaching HIV/AIDS education, prevention and care, while Linda is teaching theological courses.