Preparing Global Servant Leaders
International Centers Second Meeting in Mexico City, Mexico
28 February-5 March 2004
The International Centers’ Network, comprising of the International Center of
Bethlehem, Luther Center in Wittenberg and Mexico Center gathered in Mexico
City, Mexico from February 28 – March 5, 2004 for the second time, the first
meeting had taken place during 2003 in Dallas, Texas. The three centers are
recognized by the ELCA as a Life Long Learning Centers. Those present for this
second gathering included Kim Erno and KC Grafft from Mexico Center, Bill
Swanson and Twila Schock from Luther Center, Rana Khoury from The International
Center of Bethlehem, Said Ailabouni from the ELCA Division for Global Mission,
and Dick Bruesehoff from the ELCA Division for Ministry. Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb
was denied a visa for Mexico, and therefore could not be present.
The three existing centers share strategies for the training and transformation
of global servant leaders. The hope is that by developing a shared vision and
connections between the three centers, these centers can be bridges and points
of contact in the international church.
What does it mean to be an International Center?
These centers have a commitment to faith transformation that can occur when one
experiences God in another context and culture. There is a sense that “we need
the other to know ourselves.”
The shared commitment of the three centers is to bringing people to a deeper
understanding of the reformation movement.
Each of the three centers has its unique gifts, and there is commitment to
letting the uniqueness of each speak. One of the ways of doing this is by being
true to the context of each center and letting that context do the teaching.
Each also is working with reformation as a living heritage, a movement that
allows them to be bridge builders. The focus, therefore, is certainly on
transforming individuals and also transforming the church. The centers may be
part of the Holy Spirit’s work of readying the church for whatever new forms it
will need to take in order to be part of the global village, always asking the
questions “What does the church need to be for today? What is God doing now?”
Therefore these centers are a window through which we can look to see the world.
These three centers offer three different views.
In order to be these kinds of centers—and to be this kind of church—we must be
willing to lose ourselves in the process of re-forming. What remains constant is
the core Lutheran identity of being a reforming movement in the Christian
church.
The Mission Statement of the International Centers presently reads:
Encountering people and places of formation, reformation and transformation
to become Global Servant Leaders in a changing/tumultuous world and a
changing/searching church.
The meeting in Mexico focused during the first three days on involving the
participants in an immersion experience in Mexico City and Cuernavaca. This
experience included learning about the Mexican history, thus a visit was
organized to view the murals painted by Diego Rivera on the walls of the
National Palace. These murals depict various periods of and themes in Mexican
history through the early 20th century. In addition, a tour of the museum at the
Temple Mayor, the ruins of a large pyramid which was the site of religious
rituals, was arranged as well as a presentation on 20th century Mexican history.
Another city, Cuernavaca, was a focus during this gathering, mainly highlighting
the current struggle in Mexico between the multi-national corporations and the
local culture that is being razed in favor for the international companies. The
participants heard a presentation on the recent struggle between those who were
developing a large shopping area that included a Costco store, and those who
were attempting to preserve a casino building which contained another famous set
of murals. The effort, on one level, was unsuccessful in that the casino was
razed and the Costco store and a large grocery store were built on the site.
However their efforts did seem to have affected the political climate in
Cuernavaca in terms of both participation in the political process and awareness
among local officials that future projects of the sort would require greater
involvement of local citizens. Another issue that was highlighted was the plight
of the Mexican people in terms of poverty and housing. The participants had a
chance to meet with two families in the squatter settlement called La Estacion,
who talked about their lives in the settlement and the community organizing that
was going on in their efforts to win title to their properties.
After the 3-day immersion experience, the participants began a more formal time
of reflection.
A 3rd meeting is scheduled for the network to take place in Bethlehem in 2005.