Mennonite
Central
Committee

Colombian Mennonite Brethren leader will visit Canada and the United States

Tim Shenk
February 9, 2006

Cesar Garcia, president of the Mennonite Brethren Church in Colombia, will visit Canada and the United States in March and April to speak about how Anabaptist churches are working for peace in his country.

Responding to Violent Conflict

Garcia is planning to visit churches to describe how his denomination is responding to needs created by decades of violent conflict in Colombia. The Mennonite Brethren Church in Colombia, which has 44 congregations, is working to resolve conflicts, teach peacemaking skills and care for victims of violence.

"We have something that no one else has in Colombia — offering a holistic Christianity with a strong emphasis on pacifism, on forgiveness of enemies, community development," Garcia says.

Torre Fuerte

Garcia and his wife Sandra Baez are co-pastors of Torre Fuerte, a Mennonite Brethren church in Bogotà, Colombia. They are traveling together, along with their two daughters, Maria Alejandra, 12, and Paula Andrea, 10.

MCC provides funds and other support for the relief, development and peacemaking work of the Mennonite Brethren and other Anabaptist denominations in Colombia. MCC has six personnel involved in peacemaking, education and health work in Colombia and is sponsoring Garcia's speaking tour.

Tour Information

Garcia and his family will visit British Columbia, Ontario and Manitoba in March, followed by Alberta, and locations in the United States in April. For more information about Cesar Garcia's speaking schedule, contact Larry Guengerich, MCC U.S. ().

 

MCC in Colombia