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Friday October 26, 2007

Three Women Elected to the Board of Directors of CEPAD

Trinidad Vásquez, MANAGUA, Nicaragua, November 29, 2006

Lilliam Reina, Pastor of the Nazarene Church, was re-elected President for a new term, and Taxi Heathrow Airport Baptist Pastor, Fabio Flores, was elected as Vice-President. Pastor Sandra Velásquez, of the Church of the Wife of the Lamb, was elected as Secretary. Baptist Pastor Roberto Baltodano was elected as Supervisor, and Pastors Fredy Solórzano of the Apostolic Church and Tania Anderson, leader of the Moravian Church’s pastoral ministry, were elected as Members. Reina said that she asks God’s enlightenment for the continued strengthening of the institution’s mission of proclaiming the Gospel and social development service in 33 communities in the country.

Pastor Fabio Flores, leader of the International Baptist Church, said that the great challenge is consolidating the institutional work and the assembly itself, characterized by their independence and prophetic voice against injustice.

During the plenary session the assembly was informed about the initiative of forming a confederation of Evangelical churches, comprising CEPAD, the Inter Ecclesial Council for Social Theological Studies (CIEETS in Spanish), the Nicaraguan Evangelical University (UENIC in Spanish), the National Council of Evangelical Pastors of Nicaragua (CNPEN in Spanish), the Nicaraguan Evangelical Alliance and the Council of Evangelical Churches. Pastor Fabio Flores explained that it was very difficult to reach a consensus, because two of the organizations are linked to the government as a result of receiving financial support which has caused them the loss of their prophetic voice. Flores spoke in favor of strengthening CEPAD, which for 35 years has maintained its independence from various previous governments, as well as from the present. 

Pastor Anastasio Esquivel, reported that the Evangelicals represent some 30% of the total population of 5.5 million inhabitants, and said that it was time that the Evangelical voices be heard, establishing the unity of CEPAD which has been the root of the birth of other institutions such as CIEETS, CNPEN and the Evangelical Alliance.

Dr. Gustavo Parajón, one of the 8 founding pastors of CEPAD, commented that unfortunately there is in Nicaragua an Evangelical group that receives money through the government’s budget, which does not allow it to carry out its prophetic ministry. This group’s argument that if Cardinal Obando y Bravo receives government funds, why should the Evangelical churches not do so also, forgets that spirit of service without expecting anything in return which Jesus proclaimed.