The Journal of the Baptist Peacemaker October-December 2016 - 20

summer conFerence

Chiapas

Chuck Shawver, in the midst of interpreting, said that SIM
has begun to make significant breakthroughs in ecumenical
and cooperative work. A number of new (to them) indigenous
continued from page 19
groups have asked them to give classes and get involved in their
communities. They don't yet have the resources or personnel
"We've had some great professors, with doctorates, who to do all of it, but this is their dream.
have given classes here, and they come and do that without any
Asked to relate their favorite thing about SIM, Eleazar
kind of payment. It's a gift to us," Dalia said. [The	BPFNA	sent	 said it was the theology of the place.
Amaury	Tañon	Santos	to	teach	a	course	last	summer-see	"The	Power	
I	came	to	a	place	in	my	life	where	I	didn't	want	anything	to	do	
of 	Storytelling"	below.]	But they need a more permanent staff
with	the	church.		I	saw	the	church	as	the	enemy	of 	real	progress	
who can teach at all levels.
in	our	communities	rather	than	a	friend.	The	theology	I've	learned	
When asked what Baptist Peacemaker readers can do to
here	at	SIM	and	the	theology	of 	the	Baptist	seminary	in	Mexico	
support SIM's work, they said that the most critical need was
have	done	just	the	opposite.	Instead	of 	creating	problems	in	our	
for the staff to continue working on Masters degrees. One thing
community,	it's	showing	us	a	way	to	liberation,	a	way	to	work	
that may help is a new online, Spanish Master of Theological
together,	a	way	to	deal	with	problems	and	make	our	communities	
Studies program from Palmer Seminary in the US. The SIM
healthy	again.	This	has	given	me	a	way	to	see	the	church	in	a	
staff has been involved with that.
new	light	and	be	the	church	in	a	new	form.	This	new	theology	
Of course, the underlying need is for regular financial
has	helped	me	to	change	my	whole	understanding,	my	mission,	
support. Another need is for the staff to learn English, because
for	what	it	means	to	be	a	Christian.
so much of their support comes from the English-speaking
Dalia said,
world. They would love for a person to come to Chiapas for a
year, live with them and make them use only English.
We	have	five	spokes	in	our	seminary:	preparing	people	biblically	
Churches have recently been coming to SIM with all kinds
and	theologically,	helping	people	to	understand	culture	and	the	
of concerns. The economy is suffering with agricultural losses,
dynamics	of 	intercultural	things,	helping	people	to	understand	
coffee blights and droughts. The staff is working with the people
ecumenism	in	the	city,	building	peace,	and	helping	people	underto help them understand what is causing this.
stand	gender	issues.	These	are	the	five	areas	that	have	given	me	
"We see a big part of our future, not in bringing more and
life.	We	have	only	been	able	to	take	small	steps,	but	we	are	seeing	
more people to San Cristóbal and creating a huge plant here, a
results.	The	most	important	thing	to	me	is	what	we	are	doing	
traditional school, but that our challenge is to educate whole churches
for	indigenous	people.	Working	in	this	culture,	I	have	learned	
theologically, ecologically, socially and politically," Dalia said.
so	much	and	been	brought	into	so	much.	It's	not	only	what	we	
When we were there, the staff was getting ready to do
are	trying	to	teach	and	what	we're	trying	to	work	with,	but	it's	
trainings for a group of Presbyterians about evangelism that's
whom	 we	 are	 teaching	 and	 whom	 we	 are	 working	 with	 that	
culturally relevant. The communities also face huge challenges
"floats	my	bubbles."	
around hunger issues-and, to complicate that, the recent
advent of junk food into their culture.
-Katie	Cook	is	the	editor	of 	Baptist Peacemaker.

The Power of Storytelling:
Learning to Preach with Indigenous People
in Southern Mexico
by	Amaury	Tañón-Santos

L

ast July, the BPFNA ~ Bautistas por la Paz and the
Seminario Intercultural Mayense (SIM) partnered for
the fourth year in a row in offering a class together at the
seminary. With North America as its region of influence, the
BPFNA seeks to be enriched and blessed by the great diversity
of the region. SIM is committed to all possible ways of living
interculturally, including engaging with persons beyond the

20 Baptist Peacemaker

OCT-DEC 2016

Chiapanecan and Mexican contexts. I have been privileged
with the opportunity to represent the BPFNA and to learn with
seminarians in SIM for these four years.
The course this year focused on preaching. The Lord
knows I am a preacher. I also have many opinions. I have shared
these in some venues regarding the way traditional, Western,
Protestant understandings of preaching have other-ized and
sometimes disengaged other forms of homiletics.



Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Journal of the Baptist Peacemaker October-December 2016

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