Quakers in Latin America
Encyclopedia
Latin America
contains approximately 17.5% of the world's Quakers. Latin American members of the Religious Society of Friends are concentrated in Bolivia
and Guatemala
. Most of these Friends are Evangelical and are affiliated with Evangelical Friends International
.
man, William Abel, who sold Bibles and preached in the capital city of La Paz
. Bolivian Juan Ayllon became convinced of the truth of the preacher's message and went to study at the Friends' Biblical Institute in Guatemala
. After graduating in 1924 he returned and began the Evangelical Friends Church. This denomination consists of 192 congregations throughout Bolivia and sponsors several schools.
Also during 1919 the Holiness Friends Mission, an association of independent Indiana Friends, established meetings in Bolivia's northern Andes surrounding Sorata village. When the Mission reorganized as Central Friends Mission in 1952 the Bolivian meetings divided into two Yearly Meetings—Central Evangelical Friends Church, and Holiness Friends.
At first, Bolivian yearly meetings
consisted only of members of Aymara heritage. Aymara Friends are now working among Quechua, Mosetain, Chimani, and other tribal groups. Yearly Meetings include Iglesia Evangélica Amigos Central (Central Evangelical
unprogrammed worship groups in Latin AmericaFriends Church), Iglesia Evangélica Unión Boliviana "Amigos" (Bolivian Union Evangelical Friends Church), Iglesia Nacional Evangélica Los Amigos de Bolivia (National Evangelical Friends Church of Bolivia), and Iglesia Evangélica Misión Boliviana de Santidad Amigos (Bolivian Evangelical Mission Church of Holiness Friends).
In Peru
there are about 5,000 Friends, they are a part of the Iglesia Nacional Evangélica Los Amigos del Perú (National Evangelical Friends Church of Peru). There are about 2,000 Friends in Honduras. They are members of the Junta Annual Amigos de Santidad (Friends of Holiness Yearly Meeting).
Mexico
has about 800 Friends in two yearly meetings—the Asociación Religiosa de las Iglesias Evangélicas de los Amigos (Religious Association of the Evangelical Churches of Friends) and the Reunion General de los Amigos en México (General Meeting of Friends in Mexico). In El Salvador
there are about 550 Friends, members of The Iglesias Evangélicas de los Amigos en El Salvador (Evangelical Friends Churches in El Salvador).
There are about 373 Friends in Cuba
. They are members of the Cuba Yearly Meeting, which is affiliated with Friends United Meeting
.
There are also about 72 Friends in Costa Rica
and about 20 in Colombia
.
Unprogrammed worship groups in Latin America
There are unprogrammed worship meetings and groups in Latin America in Costa Rica and Mexico since long time.
Also in Cuba there is small unprogrammed group in Havana since 1994, which has done great efforts to spread silent worships to the whole island; there were unprogrammed groups in Holguin for 2 years, one in Santiago de Cuba and in Santi Spiritus for a while but these three couldn't continue.
Unprogrammed worship groups in Latin American had their first annual meeting in November in 2006 in Costa Rica in Monteverde; the next annual meeting would be on November, 2007, in Friends House in Mexico D.F.
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
contains approximately 17.5% of the world's Quakers. Latin American members of the Religious Society of Friends are concentrated in Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
and Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
. Most of these Friends are Evangelical and are affiliated with Evangelical Friends International
Evangelical Friends International
Evangelical Friends Church International is a branch of Quaker yearly meetings around the world that profess evangelical Christian beliefs.- History :...
.
Bolivia
There are about 30,000 Friends in Bolivia. Quakerism came to Bolivia in 1919 through a NavajoNavajo people
The Navajo of the Southwestern United States are the largest single federally recognized tribe of the United States of America. The Navajo Nation has 300,048 enrolled tribal members. The Navajo Nation constitutes an independent governmental body which manages the Navajo Indian reservation in the...
man, William Abel, who sold Bibles and preached in the capital city of La Paz
La Paz
Nuestra Señora de La Paz is the administrative capital of Bolivia, as well as the departmental capital of the La Paz Department, and the second largest city in the country after Santa Cruz de la Sierra...
. Bolivian Juan Ayllon became convinced of the truth of the preacher's message and went to study at the Friends' Biblical Institute in Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
. After graduating in 1924 he returned and began the Evangelical Friends Church. This denomination consists of 192 congregations throughout Bolivia and sponsors several schools.
Also during 1919 the Holiness Friends Mission, an association of independent Indiana Friends, established meetings in Bolivia's northern Andes surrounding Sorata village. When the Mission reorganized as Central Friends Mission in 1952 the Bolivian meetings divided into two Yearly Meetings—Central Evangelical Friends Church, and Holiness Friends.
At first, Bolivian yearly meetings
Yearly Meeting
Yearly Meeting is a term used by members of the Religious Society of Friends, or Quakers, to refer to an organization composed of a collection of smaller, more frequent constituent meetings within a geographical area. These constituent meetings go by various names such as Quarterly Meetings, which...
consisted only of members of Aymara heritage. Aymara Friends are now working among Quechua, Mosetain, Chimani, and other tribal groups. Yearly Meetings include Iglesia Evangélica Amigos Central (Central Evangelical
unprogrammed worship groups in Latin AmericaFriends Church), Iglesia Evangélica Unión Boliviana "Amigos" (Bolivian Union Evangelical Friends Church), Iglesia Nacional Evangélica Los Amigos de Bolivia (National Evangelical Friends Church of Bolivia), and Iglesia Evangélica Misión Boliviana de Santidad Amigos (Bolivian Evangelical Mission Church of Holiness Friends).
Guatemala and other Latin American countries
There are approximately 20,000 Friends in the nation of Guatemala. Yearly meetings are Iglesia Evangélica Embajadores Amigos (Evangelical Ambassadors Friends Church), Iglesia Evangélica Nacional Amigos de Guatemala (National Evangelical Friends Church of Guatemala), and Junta Annual Amigos de Santidad (Friends of Holiness Yearly Meeting). There is also a small unprogrammed meeting, Guatemala Monthly Meeting affiliated with Pacific Yearly Meeting, which operates PROGRESA, an educational program at the high school and university level.In Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
there are about 5,000 Friends, they are a part of the Iglesia Nacional Evangélica Los Amigos del Perú (National Evangelical Friends Church of Peru). There are about 2,000 Friends in Honduras. They are members of the Junta Annual Amigos de Santidad (Friends of Holiness Yearly Meeting).
Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
has about 800 Friends in two yearly meetings—the Asociación Religiosa de las Iglesias Evangélicas de los Amigos (Religious Association of the Evangelical Churches of Friends) and the Reunion General de los Amigos en México (General Meeting of Friends in Mexico). In El Salvador
El Salvador
El Salvador or simply Salvador is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. The country's capital city and largest city is San Salvador; Santa Ana and San Miguel are also important cultural and commercial centers in the country and in all of Central America...
there are about 550 Friends, members of The Iglesias Evangélicas de los Amigos en El Salvador (Evangelical Friends Churches in El Salvador).
There are about 373 Friends in Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
. They are members of the Cuba Yearly Meeting, which is affiliated with Friends United Meeting
Friends United Meeting
Friends United Meeting is an association of twenty-six yearly meetings of the Religious Society of Friends in North America, Africa, and the Caribbean. In addition there are several individual Monthly meetings and organizations that are members of FUM...
.
There are also about 72 Friends in Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
and about 20 in Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
.
Unprogrammed worship groups in Latin America
There are unprogrammed worship meetings and groups in Latin America in Costa Rica and Mexico since long time.
Also in Cuba there is small unprogrammed group in Havana since 1994, which has done great efforts to spread silent worships to the whole island; there were unprogrammed groups in Holguin for 2 years, one in Santiago de Cuba and in Santi Spiritus for a while but these three couldn't continue.
Unprogrammed worship groups in Latin American had their first annual meeting in November in 2006 in Costa Rica in Monteverde; the next annual meeting would be on November, 2007, in Friends House in Mexico D.F.