By Martine G. Bates
The Alabama Baptist
As the Convention of Baptist Churches of Guatemala turns 60 this year, it is looking forward to both celebrating the convention’s growth and progress and continuing to reach Guatemala’s people for Christ.
According to Jorge Morales, president of the Guatemala convention, the convention was founded in August 1946. To celebrate its 60th anniversary, the convention organized a series of joint worship services throughout Guatemala, followed by a united worship service at the convention center in Guatemala City Aug. 13.
Even as the convention celebrates its growth and progress, it still faces challenges to spreading the gospel. Morales said the convention is currently addressing the need to “fortify the union of all the churches in the country.” He said it plans to address this through “the five functions of the church: adoration, proclamation, teaching, fellowship and service.”
Another challenge facing Guatemala Baptists is the mixing of religious beliefs and practices.
According to the U.S. State Department, early Catholic missionaries from Spain were tolerant of Mayan practices and allowed some of them to continue, creating confusion as ancient practices blended with Christianity.
Many of the practices continue today, noted Carlos Lemus, Hispanic missionary for Chilton and Autauga Baptist associations, who is from Guatemala. He came to Alabama in 2003 to work with the Hispanic immigrant population.
He noted the country contains pockets of superstition, paganism, witchcraft and even places where people offer sacrifices to demons. He cautioned, however, that the people in Guatemala should not be approached “as if they don’t know anything” about Christianity. “They do know that Jesus is the Son of God and that He died for their sins,” he said. “They just don’t know how to have a personal relationship with Him.”
Guatemala’s constitution provides for freedom of religion, and the government generally respects this right in practice, according to a 2005 report by the State Department’s bureau of democracy, human rights and labor.
The report also found that the three major religious affiliations in Guatemala are Catholic, Protestant and Mayan spiritual organizations. Of those who report a religious affiliation, about 50 to 60 percent are Catholic, and approximately 40 percent are Protestant, primarily evangelical.
According to Morales, the Baptist convention has a membership of 260 churches with more than 43,000 members out of a national population of about 12.3 million.
According to Lemus, when the Baptist convention first organized, the work went well but the fall of communism in the 1990s slowed work by Baptist nationals. “When East Germany fell (in 1989), the IMB (International Mission Board) changed philosophy and turned toward Europe,” he said. “The funds decreased. The convention did not have enough finances and it almost collapsed.”
Lemus reported that the convention is now much better able to care for the spiritual needs of Guatemala, largely due to strong leadership.
Seminario Teológico Bautista de Guatemala was also hit hard by the fall of communism, Lemus said. Located in Guatemala City, with six extensions across the country, the Baptist seminary was founded in 1950. It offers a certificate in Bible studies for students with at least a sixth-grade education but less than a high school diploma, as well as bachelor’s and master’s degrees in theology. The seminary also offers a license in theology, which is a step between the master’s and doctorate degrees.
The seminary also houses a school of music that awards the credentials for “Teacher in Music Education.”
He noted that some of the seminary buildings are used to house missions volunteers from the United States. The main building on the Guatemala City campus is in need of repair and would make a good project for Alabamians who are participating in the Alabama Baptist State Convention’s partnership with Guatemala, he said.
Education is one of Guatemala’s greatest needs, Lemus said. Although the country self-reports 70 percent literacy, Lemus believes it is actually much lower. “Perhaps 50 percent can read. The rest cannot read or have a low level of skills.”
During the civil war that ravaged the country for 36 years, the education system was virtually destroyed, particularly in rural areas.
The Global Education Partnership reported that even though 62 percent of the population is located in the rural areas, only 1.8 percent of high school students are from those areas.
For the indigenous population, education is extremely limited.
According to research released in 2004 by the Pan American Health Organization — a regional office of the World Health Organization — on average indigenous males spent 1.9 years in school, whereas the women have 0.9 years of education.
This creates some of the biggest challenges that IMB missionaries Vicki and Roger Grossman face as they work with the Quiché people in the western highlands of Guatemala. “Because people cannot read the Bible or other Christian literature, there is … the blending of Christianity with Mayan or other beliefs, making it no longer truly Christian,” Vicki Grossman said.
Another barrier to education is poverty, she said. Few can afford to attend school full time.
This also affects many students who attend the seminary. Lemus pointed out that the seminary helps whenever it can and is seeking sponsors for “half scholarships” for needy students.
As an alternative for those who cannot attend the seminary, the Grossmans have established the Joshua Quiché Bible Institute with branches in Chicua and Quetzaltenango to teach Quiché Christians.
The institute meets for four hours each time, making it possible for students to improve their skills but not lose their livelihood. Local pastors help teach the classes, and the students are other pastors and laymen.
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