Journey with Joy: Congregation Life

La Gente de Congregación de San Timoteo

Porque donde hay dos o tres reunidos en mi Nombre, yo estoy presente en medio de ellos.

Mateo 18.20

For where two or three gather in my name, I am there among them. Matthew 18.20

I cannot recall exactly when I learned this bible verse; like much of my bible knowledge, it is something unconsciously stored in my mind. Being raised in a church has given me lessons of scripture that I often do not realize I have learned; much different than the memorization of the books of the bible (thank you 6th grade Sunday school teacher Michele Bobo!).

However, there is a difference between knowing and understanding. This is one of those verses that I really had not much given much thought to except when thinking about one-on-one discussions of spirituality that I have had with friends. Yet, as I have been welcomed and accepted into the community of San Timoteo, my understanding of this verse has deepen.

Some background: in the United States, I belong to Epiphany Lutheran Church of Toledo, Ohio which is a part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA). During the 1950s, the ELCA sent missionaries to Argentina and Uruguay to share their faith perspective and establish churches and schools. They formed the Iglesia Evangelica Luterana Unida (IELU) and now there are over 30 congregations throughout the two countries.

I have been fortunate to have visited many different ELCA congregations in the U.S. from big to small, young to old, diverse to homogeneous. I was told before arriving that the IELU had much fewer members than I was used to; I was surprised to actually see how few.

Most of the congregations in the IELU have around 15 members. When I first arrived, Iván, the pastor of San Timoteo, told me that typically they have maybe 9 or 10 people for worship and sometimes during poor weather it can be 4 or 5. La Plata is a city known for its universities so we also have a young adult group of about 10 that has their own meetings and events.

Such a difference than what I am accustomed to! In the U.S., my home congregation has about 50 people for each of their three services. That does not take into account the Wednesday worship, bible studies, youth events or the various community organizations who use our building.

During my time with San Timoteo I have witnessed the closeness that grows between a few. In general, I have found Argentines are more familiar with each other. For example, when greeting each other we press our right check to the other's and make an air kiss/smoochy sound; sometimes you may get a real kiss on the cheek, usually by a child or an elderly person. Nothing remotely romantic or sexual; this is simply how you greet every person, whether you have previously met them or not. I like the closeness it brings and that it eliminates the American dilemma of handshake, wave, or hug.

The people of San Timoteo are not close because they are Argentine but because they choose to form a community. They choose to attend worship, bible studies, and other events knowing that only a few people may be participating; actually, this may encourage them to participate more, I'm not sure. They get to know one another on a deeper level that big groups simply cannot obtain.

The size of the church also gives the members a different sense of responsibility than I am used to experiencing. The only person who is financial supported by the church is Iván the pastor yet everyone contributes their time, energy, and money to supporting the building and the people. I have seen Marta clean the floors and pick up trash from the outside of the building. Carlos will answer emails and update the church Facebook page. Nico is musician for worship and if he is unable to attend, Iván plays guitar and leads us in song. From a monetary perspective, I do not know much but I do know that it is up to the people to provide for each other. If we run out of coffee, someone buys some for the next time. If we are having some sort of meeting during lunch time, there is not a set aside budget but we all contribute some money.

I think of the attitudes the U.S. over the fear of shrinking congregations. Part worried about sustaining and part reminiscent of the past, organizations focus on numbers of bodies in the seats. By the standards of U.S. congregations, this congregation would be considered 'dead' a long time ago. Yet how can that be said when they keep returning for knowledge of the Word and nourishment for their souls? Why do we look at numbers before looking at the strength and bonds of a community? Why do we look at numbers at all when concepts of faith and hope are immeasurable?

I am inspired to rethink the standard in my head of what a successful organization looks like; it is clearly not based on size or money. The words mission, dedication, and hope come to mind. What do you think of?

Peace, Love, &
Joy