Latin American and Caribbean Pentecostal Statement of Barquisimeto

 

After this I shall pour out my spirit on all mankind; your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams and your young men see visions; I shall pour out my spirit in those days even on slaves and slave-girls. Joel 2: 28-29

 

Within the context of the Latin American Consultation of Pentecostal Women and the Encounter of Bishops and Presidents of Pentecostal Churches, held October 16-20, 2001, official delegates from:

 

Christian Biblical Church, Argentina

Christian Life Church, Lima, Perú

Mission Grapevine Association, Barranquilla, Colombia

Evangelical Wesleyan Mission of Chile

Pentecostal Church of Chile

Christian Mission Church of Nicaragua

Evangelical Pentecostal Church of Argentina

Ebenezer Pentecostal Church of Chile

Brazil for Christ Church

Pentecostal Mission Faith and Holiness of Costa Rica

Christian Center New Life, Alajuela, Costa Rica

Evangelical Pentecostal Union of Venezuela

 arrived at Barquisimeto, Estado Lara, Venezuela, in order to evaluate the Pentecostal process of cooperation and unity led by The Evangelical Pentecostal Latin American Commission (CEPLA), and to make decisions on lines of work for the years to come.

 We have come so far, by the convocation of God’s Spirit assumed by our Pentecostal pioneers, founders of the churches we represent today.

 Entrusted in God’s hands, we also respond to the historical commitment in search of a Latin American and Caribbean Pentecostal church united, strengthened and faithful to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We urge the other churches members of CEPLA to respond affirmatively to this call.

 For this reason, and in the midst of an intense journey of prayer and reflection, for the decision we assume today, it seems timely to make the following statement:

 

  1. In the last 11 years CEPLA has continued a journey which began in the 1960’s, and has been expressed in many encounters, consultations, workshops, intense work, exchanges, courses, ecumenical participation at the local, continental and global levels.
  2. During these years we have seen the consolidation of these efforts, which reaffirm and commit our Latin American and Caribbean Pentecostal identity.
  3. We have the conviction and urgency to deepen, improve and transform this experience into a more effective service to the Pentecostal people.
  4. We feel in our hearts that the decisive moment has come to establish an organism which can represent us and make visible our witness and commitment.
  5. Therefore, all Pentecostal churches present agree on:

 

5.1  The creation of a Latin American and Caribbean Council of Pentecostal Churches. To that end, we initiate a process of consultation, convocation and constitution with the Pentecostal churches.

5.2  We entrust the conduction of this process to CEPLA’s director along with the presidents of the churches Brazil for Christ, Pentecostal Church of Chile, The Christian Mission of Nicaragua, and Christian Biblical Church of Argentina so that a charter assembly is held in a period of three to five years.

 

We thank our God, the Pentecostal people, the sister churches within Latin America and in other parts of the world, the ecumenical organizations and church councils, for their accompaniment in this pilgrimage. We call you to join efforts and contribute to the consolidation and deepening of this process of unity that, with God’s help, we are to build.

“If the Spirit is the source of our life, let the Spirit also direct its course.” Galatians 5: 25

 

Barquisimeto, Estado Lara, Venezuela, October 18, 2001