The
Wesley Heritage Scholarship Program has been designed and established
by the Wesley Heritage Foundation, Inc in partnership with the Iglesia
Metodista del Peru (IMP – the Methodist Church of Peru). This scholarship
program is part of a wider cooperative ministry by these two entities
to develop a new initiative in theological education for the purpose of
securing a strong future of ministry and mission for the IMP. The IMP
is a church overflowing with hope but scarce on resources, in part because
it is a relatively small church in a large country, and also because it
has struggled with both internal and external circumstances, many beyond
its control. The present time is a very critical time in the history of
the IMP, a church first established in the 1860’s by missionaries
from the United States, and thereafter with support from British and Continental
European Methodists.
In recent years the IMP has been struggling to create a viable future
in the midst of economic crises, loss of leadership, autonomy and dissipating
Wesleyan identity. Programs of theological education have come and gone
in the IMP, often because of the loss of leadership or because of internal
crises in Peru that have had a detrimental effect on most every institution.
One such attempt at the development of a strong program of theological
education was the Comunidad Bíblica Teológica (CBT), a seminary
of the IMP, located in the heart of Lima, which opened in 1988 but subsequently
closed in 1998 in part due to the ramifications of the terrorist days
of the Sendero Luminoso (the Shining Path); a conflict which ravaged Peru
for fifteen years, causing massive death, disappearances and destruction;
along with accompanying social, political and economic deterioration.
During and soon after these years, the “brain drain” on the
country was enormous, with medical and other professionals leaving the
country in search of security. This exodus of leaders also encompassed
the IMP, as ordained Methodist persons sought other opportunities in other
lands. The IMP was left with a shortage in leadership, with struggling
morale, and with many uncertainties about its future.
Nevertheless, there were courageous Methodists in Peru who remained entrenched
and were confident that by the grace of God the IMP would be sustained
and that God would mercifully and lovingly guide them to find a way to
grow the church to its former years of strength and raise up new leaders
to carry on the Wesleyan theology and spirit that had for so many years
been a strong contribution to Peru (The Methodist Churuch was the first
Protestant church to be established in Peru after the government gave
non-Roman Catholic churches permission to evangelize). In recent years,
by the grace of God, the IMP has experienced some growth, particularly
among the indigenous segments of Peru, with new churches among the Quechua,
Amayra and the people of the jungle, as well as several new missions in
impoverished “young villages” on the outskirts of Lima. Nevertheless,
many of these mission churches do not have leadership that is adequately
trained in the Wesleyan tradition and they are served by lay pastors with
virtually no formal training in Bible, theology, Christian history or
practical pastoral courses. They are simply trying to fulfil the call
of God upon their lives and to learn how to be faithful pastors in the
midst of daily responsibilities and challenges.
The Wesley Heritage Foundation, Inc. (WHF), a 501c3 non-profit, was formed
about twenty years ago for the express purpose of translating the Works
of Wesley into Spanish (Obras de Wesley in 14 volumes); a monumental project
over many years that also encompassed publication and distribution. Since
the completion of this project, the WHF has expanded its work of promoting
Wesleyan thought and spirituality among Latinos/as through various new
projects. In early 2007 the IMP requested that the Foundation serve as
consultant in assisting the IMP to develop a strong program of theological
education; a program so earnestly needed by the IMP in order to sustain
the church for the future. Since the closure of its seminary in Lima,
the IMP has had only five persons ordained as Elders, with only two of
these having had a full theological education (the others were ordained
by “special call” and experience, but with minimal theological
education; a process for ordination allowed in its current Discipline).
NOW is a critical time in the life and ministry of the IMP. It is for
this reason that the Wesley Heritage Foundation has entered into partnership
with the IMP to develop a central seminary in Lima with satellite seminaries
in four other locations. The larger vision for the seminary in Lima is
for it to become a Center for Wesley Studies which will serve all of Latin
America. While the Foundation is seeking funding for facilities and for
administration of the program, at the same time is developing the Wesley
Heritage Scholarship Program described herein to support students who
will be admitted for theological education, training and spiritual formation;
these students will then be eligible for ordination and ministerial service
within the IMP.
The Wesley Heritage Scholarship Program works as follows:
United Methodist/Methodist Churches, organized women’s and men’s
ministries, youth groups, Sunday School classes, financially well-established
seminaries in the US, England and Continental Europe, as well as individual
Methodists from all over the world, are asked to “adopt” a
seminary student for a period of 5 years. The contribution for “adoption”
is $,3500 per year per student, for a total commitment of $17,500 over
5 years. This amount represents about 85% support of a student for 3 years
of fulltime study in the seminary (tuition & fees, room and board),
with the remaining 2 years of support beyond the 3 years of study to be
used to support either the student’s further study or his/her first
2 years of service in the church. Every student who receives such a 5-year
scholarship signs a pledge to give back to the IMP a minimum of five years
of service (with the assumption that during this time the person will
have been, in many cases, ordained and committed to Christian service
within the IMP). Some students will be trained as educators to support
the Christian Education program of the IMP; some will be formed to be
future seminary faculty; and others will be educated, trained and formed
to fulfil their call to specialized ministries in music, social justice,
children’s or youth ministry.
The genius of the Wesley Heritage Scholarship Program is a special component
that fuses education with evangelism. That is, in some cases, where a
student demonstrates a strong call, along with the gifts and maturity,
this student will be assigned to a mission location. The student, under
supervision from the seminary’s Director of Ministerial Studies,
along with both the Superintendent of the district and a mentoring Elder,
will be engaged in the upstart of a new mission congregation. In these
cases, for example, the two years of scholarship monies beyond seminary
education will be used to give this pastor support in the establishing
of the mission church as a new congregation within the IMP. A Stewardship
Initiative of the IMP, in partnership with the seminary, will train, guide
and assist both the students of and the new congregations themselves in
understanding the importance and centrality of Christian Stewardship;
this initiative will be a vital component of the fusion of education and
evangelism (congregational development). The goal will be that after 5
years the congregation and newly ordained pastor will be self-sustaining
in pastoral support. After 5 years, assuming ordination by the Board of
Ministry of the IMP, the student/pastor will become a part of the full
itinerant system of appointed pastors.
The Wesley Heritage Foundation will administer and monitor the Wesley
Heritage Scholarship Program and will forward funds to the office of theological
education in Lima as funds are needed. The seminary in Lima will make
full accountability for these funds with regard to each student.
It is the intent of this program that each congre-gation, church group,
seminary, or individual which adopts a student will get to know this student
very personally over the years of support. The Pledge of Support for a
student is part of this brochure and your pledge is welcomed and encouraged.
After receiving the Pledge of Support, the supporting entity (congregation,
group or individual) will be assigned a student and receive a picture
and bio of the student with contact information. The Director of Ministerial
Studies at the seminary office in Lima will be available to assist supporting
entities and students to develop a strong, ongoing relationship throughout
the five years.
The Foundation thanks you for your generous support of this program. The
Methodist Church of Peru rejoices with gratitude for your commitment.
Wesley
Heritage Foundation, Inc.
Mark W. Wethington, Ph.D., President, Board of Directors
PO Box 76 Henrico, NC 27842-0076 USA
Phone (910) 295-7720
markwhf@gmail.com
L. Elbert Wethington,
Ph.D., Treasurer
4309 Sunny Court
Durham, NC 27705 USA
elbert@wethingtons.com
© 2002-2009
Wesley Heritage Foundation, Inc. All rights reserved.
http://www.wesleyheritagefoundation.org