A Partnership Agreement between Mission Presbytery, PC(USA), and the Maya-Quiche Presbytery of the National Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Guatemala (NEPCG) through its Evangelical Committee for Service and Support, Maya Quiche (CESSMAQ).

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I. Basic Data
II. Needs
III. What We Offer
IV. Activities and Objectives
V. Define commitments to accomplish the activities and objectives
VI. Resources Available for the Partnership
VII. Evaluation
VIII. Next Steps

I. Basic Data

A. Contacts with Mission Presbytery (MP):

The Rev. Robert Mueller
407 North Calaveras
San Antonio, Texas 78207
Tel: (210) 433-9551
drhns@stic.net
Fax: (210) 434-2309

The Rev. David M. Evans
3707 Santa Fe
Corpus Christi, Texas 78411
Tel. (361) 258-7349
dmetexas@aol.com
Fax: (361) 852-6326

B. Contacts with CESSMAQ:

Noe Sam, Executive Director
CESSMAQ
11 Calle 5-21 Zona 5
Quetzaltenango,
Quetzaltenango Guatemala

Francisco Barreno Aj Pacaja,
Pres. Comunidad Chocola
Municipio San Pablo Jocopilas
Suchitepequez, Guatemala

C. Principles:

The partnership functions through a structure which is grounded in institutional rather than personal or temporal agreements. The relationship will occur in different ways and at different levels which must be channeled in particular ways as a matter of order. (I Corinthians 14:40) It must be coordinated and supervised. It will be for the strengthening of the relationship of the programs, the churches, the communities and the presbyteries as they look for new ways to share mutually and equally.

D. History:

Fifteen years ago, several brothers and sisters MP began arriving in Guatemala to do various work and to participate in study trips through various organizations. These initial contacts resulted in a body of persons in MP who have an interest in the situation of Guatemala and its people. In 1996, Rev. Mueller, along with his family, came to Guatemala and established, for the first time, contact with CESSMAQ thanks to the suggestion of Yolanda Alvarez de Garcia. The previous year Yolanda's son, Bernabe, worked in the church with Rev. Mueller as a participant in the PC (USA) Mission and Reconciliation Program. After this first contact, Rev. Mueller organized a group that worked with CESSMAQ in Chuisajcava, Solola. After their work, four people from this group representing three different churches (Jo Tippett, Katy Bedunnah, Rev. Mueller, and Rosemary Engstrom) came together and contemplated the possibility of an agreement between their Presbytery and CESSMAQ.

This group investigated the way to form an international partnership. They talked to the Division of Mission Outreach and Service and talked to the office of the Worldwide Ministry Division of the Presbyterian Church (USA) and Homer Rickabaugh. Rev. Mueller communicated to CESSMAQ that they should consult with their presbytery and with the Committee on International Relations of the Synod of the National Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Guatemala. CESSMAQ received the endorsement of Maya Quiche Presbytery in November 1998. In January 1999, the Division of Mission Outreach & Service approved that a small group of interested people participate in the process with CESSMAQ along with the Worldwide Ministry Division of the General Assembly. After months of communicating through phone and fax, the Rev. David Evans, Chair of the Division of Mission Outreach and Service of Mission Presbytery, and the Rev. Mueller, traveled to Guatemala to negotiate the relationship with CESSMAQ. The CESSMAQ representatives were Noe Sam, Executive Director, Rev. Francisco Barreno, President, Rev. Cristobal Sanchez, Treasurer, Rev. Issac Morales, member-at-large, and Elder Israel Can Salas, member-at-large. During four days, the brothers of Mission Presbytery had the opportunity to learn CESSMAQ's history, visited their work, and shared their own history and the realities of South Texas. They worked together and defined their hopes, needs, and opportunities that would provide support for the agreement. Finally, they wrote this partnership agreement with the purpose of sharing with the rest of the ecclesiastical body.

E. Date of approval by Mission Presbytery:

October 22-23, 1999

F. Groups responsible for the treaty:

MP: Special sub-committee for the CESSMAQ-MP Partnership under the supervision of the Division of Mission Outreach & Service of Mission Presbytery.

CESSMAQ: The Administrative Committee of CESSMAQ and its Executive Director

G. Date of approval by Maya Quiche Presbytery:

August 3, 1999

H. Ecclesiastical Bodies Consulted:

MP: Division of Mission Outreach & Service of Mission Presbytery and the office of the Worldwide Ministry Division of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

CESSMAQ: Maya Quiche Presbytery and the Committee on International Relations of the Synod of the National Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Guatemala

I. Duration of the Partnership:

Five years beginning January 1, 2000

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II. Needs:

A. Mission Presbytery needs:

1. To expand our vision of the work of God around the world through immersion in a culture and church different from our own.

2. To learn the significance of being Christ's church in a hostile environment where the disciples of Christ depend on their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ rather than financial resources and growing bureaucracies.

3. To discover new ways of being the church so that evangelism and justice can be joined.

4. To have the opportunity for the entire Presbytery to participate fully in a partnership between ecclesiastical bodies because of the geographical proximity of Guatemala and the potential of being hosted by CESSMAQ.

5. To envision new ways of doing ministry among the growing Spanish-speaking population of South Texas by observing our brothers and sisters in the National Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Guatemala.

B. CESSMAQ Needs:

1. To form leaders with the capacity to involve themselves in the church and community in order to facilitate the complete holistic human development.

2. The solidarity and the company of brothers and sisters of Mission Presbytery to fulfill the objectives of the CESSMAQ program in order to serve humankind.

3. The fellowship of the brothers and sisters of MP in order to realize our obligation to participate in and be instruments of the manifestation of the Reign of God on earth.

4. To bring hope for a new and more just society.

5. Human, professional, educational, and material resources (which we do not have available right now) to make concrete our plans and our mission.

6. To maintain the continuity of moral and spiritual support which we have received through the visits from our foreign brothers and sisters. We are not alone. We feel now that we are one body in Jesus Christ.

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III. What We Offer:

A. MP offers to the Partnership:

1. A promise to pray daily for and with our friends who serve our Lord Jesus Christ through CESSMAQ to the end that the words of Jesus are realized:

...So that they may be one, as we are one. - John 17:11

2. Willing or Christian persons, called by God to immerse themselves in the Guatemalan context, in order to learn the realities of life in Guatemala through travel for study and work.

3. A willingness to be a voice to our own U.S. government on behalf of peace and justice in Guatemala.

4. An interest in strengthening the ties between our communities through the identification of students who might be able to attend Presbyterian Pan American School in our Presbytery.

5. Material wealth, which belongs to God and which we are responsible for sharing.

6. People with educational and technical capabilities which can be shared with the people of Guatemala through CESSMAQ and its ministries.

7. Successful experiences with church-based community organizing models in the congregations of our Presbytery in San Antonio and the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo Valley.

B. CESSMAQ offers the Partnership:

1. Our prayers for MP brothers and sisters giving thanks to God for this opportunity to work together. We ask that God illumine our efforts in order to bring it to reality and that God reward us through our collaboration with CESSMAQ.

2. Testimonies of how our work and methods have changed lives here in Guatemala, and weoffer our strategies to the brothers and sisters of MP in order to help them to confront their realities.

3. Mayan spirituality as a resource to understand better how to live together as one whole human family and how to live in harmony with creation.

4. A place in which to develop mission and/or vocations both personal and ecclesial.

5. A basic administrative apparatus, a vehicle, and coordination of local work projects.

6. Human resources in the form of promotion and other technical matters.

7. A vivid experience that demonstrates how to unify evangelism and justice in pastoral work.

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IV. Activities and Objectives:

If God is willing and gives us the strength, we want to accomplish the following:

A. Exchange trips, CESSMAQ to MP and MP to CESSMAQ, so we can get to know each other better.

B. Work trips:

1. CESSMAQ to MP with the goal of sharing in workshops in our experience and methodologies as to community development from a Christian perspective.

2. MP to CESSMAQ - with the goal of supporting concrete projects where CESSMAQ is working.

C. To promote the vision of a "church without borders", which is committed to the Reign of God.

D. The search for human and material resources to realize the CESSMAQ plan; including those necessary for the establishment of a school for theological reflection, with emphasis on Christian service, and a complete program community development.

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V. Define commitments to accomplish the activities and objectives:

A. Exchanges:

1. MP commits itself to bring a group of at least 10-15 people to CESSMAQ each year to familiarize themselves with the work of CESSMAQ.

2. CESSMAQ commits to bring a minimum of two (2) people each year to become familiar with the reality of MP and to personally promote the work of CESSMAQ among the churches of MP.

B. Work Trips:

1. MP commits to send a group of 10-15 people each year to work in one of the communities of CESSMAQ.

2. CESSMAQ commits to provide a workshop on "Methodologies and Strategies in Church Development" for the churches and ministers of MP every two years.

NOTE: For these exchanges and work trips we anticipate that MP will pay the costs of the travel and the cost of the project. When members of CESSMAQ come to the United States, MP will pay their costs. Also, MP will pay to CESSMAQ an honorarium for their workshops to be determined on each occasion.

C. To promote a new vision of the Church:

MP commits itself to create opportunities and strategies in order to reflect on the theme of a "church without borders and committed to the Reign of God" whenever they host CESSMAQ, and CESSMAQ is prepared to do the same when they are hosting the members of MP. At the end of five years, MP and CESSMAQ will write a document in order to articulate the fruits of these conversations and reflections.

D. Looking for Human and Material Resources for the Work Plan of CESSMAQ:

MP commits itself to:

1. To legitimize the solicitation of funds and human resources generated by CESSMAQ and promote the support of them by the particular churches of the presbytery.

2. To pursue support for CESSMAQ and its projects, through such avenues as "Extra Commitment Opportunities" of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA).

3. To help CESSMAQ prepare an application for the "Birthday Offering" of the Presbyterian Women of the Presbyterian Church (USA)

4. To disseminate among the churches of MP a list of all the CESSMAQ needs for the "Alternative Market" during Christmas.

5. To provide trained persons who will teach Theology in the envisioned school of theological/biblical reflection.

6. MP commits to respect the rules of international partnerships between presbyteries suggested by the Worldwide Ministry Division of the PC (USA).

CESSMAQ commits itself to:

1. To create plans of work with budget estimates to distribute among the churches of MP.

2. To identify institutional, economic, and human resources here in Guatemala to contribute to the work plan.

3. To give a personal testimony of the completed work during the exchange trips.

4. To contribute its successful experiences in holistic development to future processes.

5. To provide facilities for the centers for reflection.

6. To identify and recruit the people to participate in the courses and projects.

7. To define policies, rules, etc. in the projects and the nature of the local contribution.

8. To create a list of CESSMAQ's needs and costs to distribute among the Churches of MP for their "Alternative Gift Markets".

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VI. Resources Available for the Partnership:

A. Both groups shall participate in the provision of resources. See above.

B. We anticipate that during the first year and each year following, MP will have to provide the costs of the brothers and sisters of CESSMAQ who come to the USA. In addition, MP commits to raise approx. $8,000 US to facilitate the diagnostic work that will be necessary in order to determine the details of future solicitations. CESSMAQ commits to do the job and prepare the solicitations with the necessary accounting.

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VII. Evaluation:

A. An informal evaluation shall be written by the participants who experienced each visit at the end of every exchange trip.

B. CESSMAQ will write a general evaluation of their work each year and provide a copy to MP for their information.

C. Each year, after the exchange trips, two MP representatives will stay in Guatemala to evaluate the partnership together with representatives of the Administrative Committee of CESSMAQ, members of Maya Quiche Presbytery, and members of the International Relations Committee of the National Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Guatemala. Copies of this evaluation will be provided to all, as well as to the Worldwide Ministry Division of the PC(U.S.A.)

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VIII. Next Steps:

A. Both groups of this partnership have to present this agreement to their ecclesiastical governing bodies in order to be approved.

B. CESSMAQ has to prepare a budget for the work of necessary diagnosis.

C. MP needs to start looking for funds to initiate the plans.

Upon the signing of the present partnership agreement and during the development of the same, communication will be made to the International Relations Committee of the National Evangelical Presbyterian Church (NEPCG) regarding the benefit of the fellowship which is precipitated; the fulfillment with the necessary information and of the results of said partnership.

Signatures of:
Noe A. Sam Yac, Executive Director, CESSMAQ
Francisco Barreno Aj Pacaja, President, CESSMAQ Board of Directors
Francisco Perez, Secretary, CESSMAQ Board of Directors
Isaac Morales Chay, Member-At-Large, CESSMAQ Board of Directors
Abraham Castro, Pres. Maya Quiche Presbytery
Israel Can Salas, Member-At-Large, CESSMAQ Board of Directors
Cristobal Sanchez Machic, Treasurer, CESSMAQ Board of Directors
Carlos Ortiz, Secretary, International Relations Committee, NEPCG
David M. Evans, Moderator, Mission Outreach and Service Division, Mission Presbytery
Robert W. Mueller, Mission Presbytery

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