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Elizabeth Miller is the Country Representative for MCC Colombia-Ecuador.
In November, representatives from Mennonite, Mennonite Brethren and Brethren in Christ conferences in Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, and Venezuela gathered for four days of worship, study, and fellowship in the small hamlet of La Cumbre, Colombia. As the first Anabaptist Andean Encounter in nearly fifteen years, it was an important space for these churches to reconnect and focus their attention on living as “agents of hope” in their particular socio-political contexts.
Throughout the conference, one socio-political reality that repeatedly surfaced in workshops, at mealtimes, and in plenary sessions was the crisis in Venezuela. While the crisis affects the Venezuelan conferences most directly, all the Anabaptist conferences have been touched by the mass migration of Venezuelans into their countries, and three of the Colombian and Ecuadorian conferences represented have developed direct ministries with Venezuelan migrants.
On the last evening of the Anabaptist Andean Encounter, a group of 15 church leaders met together to discuss the crisis and how best to respond as a church body. In the face of rising xenophobia and rumors of military intervention, the church leaders’ most immediate concern was to make publicly visible their faith perspective amid the crisis. Three main themes emerged from the statement: the God-given dignity of all people, including Venezuelan migrants; the insistence on a non-violent solution to the crisis; and the responsibility of the Venezuelan state to respect and guarantee the rights of its citizens.
The migrant caravans from Central America have rightfully captured the attention of the public, but the reality of migration in the Americas extends far beyond the caravans and their journey North. As one wise friend working on the US-Mexico border recently noted, “We are all touching the same elephant.” May we consider the testimony of these Andean conferences as we seek to faithfully respond.
Lunch at the Riohacha Mennonite Church. Each day the ministry feeds around 45 Venezuelans who have migrated to Colombia. Photo: Kristin Cato
Statement on Venezuela, Andean Anabaptist Encounter
Members and participants of Christian churches of the Anabaptist tradition including Mennonites, Mennonite Brethren and Brethren in Christ of Peru, Ecuador, Venezuela, and Colombia gathered at the Andean Anabaptist Encounter, from November 9-12, 2018 in La Cumbre, Valle (Colombia), focused on the theme “The Church as Agent of Hope in the Socio-Political Context of Latin America.” We make the following statement regarding Venezuela and its relation with surrounding countries:
In coherence with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, no human being, country, ethnicity, or social group is our enemy. Thus we reject any warlike mentality or initiative against our Venezuelan brothers and sisters, against the country, against its government. We will not support any war, rather we will oppose it; we will promote nonviolent resistance against such and will encourage youth to conscientious objection and non-participation in war.
We call our governments to lead initiatives for nonviolent, peaceful, and dialogue-based solutions to resolve the internal problems and problems between countries.
We celebrate the opening of our countries to Venezuelan refugees, and we recognize with gratitude that in the past Venezuela received and provided homes to millions of people from our countries who searched for a better life. As churches committed to following Jesus Christ, we reaffirm our commitment to providing the solidary help that is within our reach in support of Venezuelan migrants in their search for dignified living conditions (Matthew 25: 35-40).
At the same time, we understand that three million people do not leave their country and venture into other countries for pleasure. Venezuelan migrants have done so because of the very serious problems of lack of work, food, medicines, and income, and—in some cases—because of persecution and repression by the government. Therefore, we ask the Venezuelan government to respect its people and their fundamental rights.
With this statement we want to leave a message of hope from the love of God. Let us not become weary in doing good, because in time we will see the benefits.
La Cumbre, Valle, Colombia
November 12, 2018
Part of a tapestry depicting the migrant journey from Venezuela to Colombia, made by Venezuelan women staying at the Riohacha Mennonite Church. Photo: Kristin Cato