A letter from Susie Frerichs in Mexico
August 2011
Yancuic Camanali
News from the Presbytery of the Huatecas, National Presbyterian Church of Mexico
The Big Day
The ceremony.
A huge thanks to all who covered us with their prayers over the past few months. Abraham and I made it to and through the wedding with flying colors. God gave us two days of sun (a day to prepare and the day of the wedding). And despite the fact that the main bridge that leads to Frijolillo had its ramp taken out by flooding three days before the wedding, by God’s sovereignty the ramp was actually fixed by municipal workers in time for visitors to use it on their way to Frijolillo! We had a wonderful day with friends from near and far (about 500 of them!). We are now settling into married life — work, ministry, laundry, and meals. I have attached a few photographs. To see more, you can go to susieandabraham.shutterfly.com to see photos taken by friend Jerry Cass of Austin (about half way through the photos you will note that there are photos of a different wedding included on the site. We plan to remove them but have not had time on the Internet to do so yet. Thank you for your patience.
The Mexican Church breaks its relationship with the PC(USA)
The happy couple.
By now some of you may have already heard the news. On Friday, August 12, the General Assembly of the National Presbyterian Church of Mexico decided to end its partnership with the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) over a number of theological differences—mainly precipitated by the most recent changes to the PC(USA) constitution. While this development was not a surprise, it does bring great sorrow for all of us who have worked for years to build a healthy partnership with the Mexican church.
The Mexican church asked all PC(USA) mission personnel to immediately cease their ministry in Mexico. Though no one has been removed from the country as of yet, discussions between the two General Assemblies will provide those details in coming weeks. Due to my personal circumstances, I will remain in Mexico and continue to minister, but now I will be working directly with the Presbytery of the Huastecas. Once the PC(USA) determines its plans for personnel who have been working in Mexico, I will end service with the PC(USA), eventually transfer my church membership to the Most Holy Trinity Presbyterian Church of El Frijolillo, seek an immigrant visa to stay in Mexico, and continue serving with the presbytery here.
During its ordinary meeting this week, the Presbytery of the Huastecas was informed of the end of the relationship. They agreed to send a letter of thanks to the PC(USA) for all its support over these past five years, and they welcomed me with open arms, now as “one of them.” I had planned on reducing my work load with the Presbytery, but I came away from the meeting with more responsibilites!
The Presbytery of Huastecas.
I will continue to teach Introduction to the Bible and Church History in the Presbytery’s Bible Institute. I will also continue to be in charge of the Presbytery’s Sunday School materials and video projection equipment. But now, instead of simply being an itinerant preacher, they have asked me to tend to the Divine Savior Congregation of La Laguna on Sundays between now and January 2012, when they may designate a full-time female lay pastor (called a missionary here) for the congregation. This is the congregation I have been visiting over the past four years, teaching children in the Sunday School. Please pray as Abraham and I become more involved in the life of this 15-member congregation of believers, preaching, visiting, and in some way contributing to the spiritual and numerical development of the congregation. My new schedule as a married woman has not allowed me to restart the literacy program I had begun in the spring. And a number of my elderly students have been ill. Please pray for guidance as to the future of this program.
Many of you may wonder about how you can continue to partner with us in ministry here in the Huastecas. Officially the relation has ended. We have no governing structures to support shared ministry and it is yet to be seen what form shared ministry will take in the coming years. For the moment, however, we want to respect the Mexican church’s desire for a halt to PC(USA)’s involvement with the National Presbyterian Church of Mexico. The Presbytery of the Huastecas is open to continuing the partnership; however, they are leery of working with congregations or presbyteries that supported removal of constitutional restrictions on the ordination of people living in same-sex relationships. By winter we may have a clearer idea of how ministry might continue. I will keep you up to date. If you have questions or concerns in the meanwhile, please feel free to ask.
With mission colleagues.
If your congregation sent financial gifts to the Presbytery via the San Antonio offices of the Prebyterian Border Ministry, all of those funds were transferred to the Presbytery of the Huastecas in July. Gifts sent to the PC(USA) remain in the account designated for the Presbytery. At this time I do not know how the PC(USA) plans to deal with those gifts. As to my personal support, until I end service with the denomination (anytime between September and December) your gifts are still appreciated.
Thank you for your support over the years, both for me personally and for the Presbytery of the Huastecas. Please know how much you have been appreciated. The Mexican church found it necessary to break ties due to a growing divergence in theological and biblical understanding and concerns that mission personnel may bring teachings contrary to what the Mexican church believes. We must seek to understand and respect their concerns. But, again, please know how grateful they are for each of you and your participation with them in ministry, in prayer, with your financial support, and with presence.
Keep us in your prayers. We keep you in ours. May God lead His church forward ...
In other Presbytery news
With our parents.
During this week’s Presbytery meeting (Aug. 25–28), ministry personnel and elders received training in how to better serve those with different abilities (usually referred to as the disabled). Missionary Sareth Bautista Martinez, our recent graduate of the Bible School for Missionaries in Mexico City, provided the training.
Pastor Jorge Bautista Martinez informed the Presbytery that the mission in Xicotla is preparing to name its first leadership team (directiva) and is investigating the possibility of building a worship center in the coming year.
The Presbytery has designated the $5,000.00 dollars it received (gifts from you in 2010 sent via the Presbyterian Border Ministry) to support three programs: new windows and doors for the Macuilocatl congregation, windows for the Octlamecayo church, and Sunday School room renovation for the church in Huitzitzilingo.
Pastor Jorge Bautista was named Director of the Presbytery’s Bible Institute. New lay pastors Sareth Bautista Martinz and Abigail Hernandez Bautista were named to the faculty.
Please keep lay pastor Saret Hernandez of Taxicho in prayer as she awaits surgery (hysterectomy) in September.
Susanne Frerichs
The 2011 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 283
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Give to the ministries of the Presbytery of the Huastecas, INPM (National Presbyterian Church of Mexico).
