Opportunity to witness the mission and ministries taking place in Puerto Rico
By Melody K. Smith | Presbyterian Mission Agency
LOUISVILLE – The Presbyterian Mission Agency Board is pleased to announce that it has accepted an invitation from the Presbytery of San Juan to hold its March 2017 meeting in Puerto Rico.
The PMAB typically holds its meetings in Louisville, but with several large conventions in town, sufficient hotel space was not available to accommodate the March PMAB meeting. Several cities with appropriate meeting and hotel space were considered and priced before San Juan was selected.
Worship service welcoming 1001 new worshiping communities to Puerto Rico. Photo by Erin Dunigan.
“This is a great opportunity to witness the mission and ministry taking place in Puerto Rico,” said Ken Godshall, Presbyterian Mission Agency Board chair. “It allows us to bring attention to the work of Presbytery of San Juan and the Sínodo de Boriquén en Puerto Rico, and it is in keeping with action taken this year by the General Assembly.”
Because the PMAB meeting cannot be held in Louisville, additional costs would have been incurred for staff and board regardless of the location. Compared with the cost of meeting in other considered cities—including Minneapolis, Dallas, Chicago and Atlanta—the additional cost for board and staff to meet in San Juan is estimated at $12,000.
The 222nd General Assembly approved three resolutions this year in response to humanitarian conflicts and the financial crisis in Puerto Rico. The resolutions were compiled in a report entitled On Calling for a Just Solution for the People of Puerto Rico. It has been 20 years since the PMAB or its predecessor bodies have met in Puerto Rico.
The Committee on the Office of the General Assembly recently voted to hold its meeting in San Juan at the same time as the PMAB meeting. This comes on the heels of a suggestion from the new ministerial committee of the PMAB, Increased Coordination with the Office of the General Assembly, to increase collaboration between the board and the Committee of the General Assembly.
The PMAB Executive Committee will meet on March 21, 2017, with the full board meeting March 22 through March 24, 2017.
“There are great expectations that God is doing something amazing and new for the church in Puerto Rico,” said Tony De La Rosa, interim executive director of the Presbyterian Mission Agency. “This is the Mission Agency’s opportunity to learn from, contribute to and experience the transformative power of the gospel that is beginning to bear fruit.”
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