Rev. Carlos Pirona, pastor of Restoration United Methodist Church of Barquisimeto, Venezuela and recent graduate of our seminary presents Professor David, Academic Dean of the Wesleyan Seminary of Venezuela with a check. It is for 3,000 BFs. (about $1400 USD at the official exchange rate) for the construction of the seminary. These funds were collected during the Sunday morning worship service when they dedicated their new sanctuary. It was a portion of the first fruits offering with which they wished to bless the seminary. This represents a very sacrificial gift by this congregation.
Pastor and seminary student Alexander Camacho leads remodeling work at the Wesleyan Seminary of Venezuela.
Work teams from the States are needed at the Seminary. But often some work needs to be done in preparation for those teams. Due West United Methodist Church of Marietta, Georgia has sent a team (February 20 to28) to lay cement block for the Seminary’s security fence. However, prior to their arrival footings and a foundation had to be dug, steel rebar tied and cement poured. Alexander Camacho gave two weeks of his time to lead this work so Due West could lay the block when they arrived.
As improvements are made on the seminary facilities security becomes a more serious issue. Theft is a threat with which we must responsibly deal. As in almost all of Latin America, effective security fences are constructed of concrete and are usually over 10 feet high. This wall will be 11.5 feet tall and must surround the entire property. The partnership which exists between Methodists in the US and Methodists in Venezuela strengthens both and represents Christ in a secular world.
Please contact us if your church would like to send a work team to the Seminario Wesleyano de Venezuela. God will bless your church and the church in Venezuela. Become a part of what God is doing in a very critical place in the world.
Dan Dunn recently returned from Venezuela and shared this report on his blog at missiondunns. We are glad to celebrate what God is doing in Venezuela through the ministry of the Seminario Wesleyano de Venezuela.
Seminario Wesleyano de Venezuela students Jairo and Yaneth Hernandez take time off from their regular jobs in order to work together as a team to place the tile in the seminary’s second bathroom in the Men’s Dormitory. Yaneth mixes the cement by hand and Jairo places the tiles. They are also plumbing the showers. Praise God for His servants that love the training they get at SEMWESVEN.
n February 1, 2009 in Barquisimeto, Venezuela. About 700 members attended this great celebration and over a dozen made a first time commitment to follow Christ. Professor Dan Dunn, Dean of Students of the Serminario Wesleyano de Venezuela and John Butler, a long time supporter of the work of the UMC in Venezuela, attended this historic worship celebration.
ria to do in this growing poorer community in Barquisimeto.
nezuela in August, 2008. Dr. Maria had previously become a Pediatrician and has a practice in the community where they serve. Carlos was an engineer before responding to God's call to ministry and subsequent enrollment in the seminary.
More digging down before the wall can go up. Have you ever seen someone bend steel re-bar by hand? You saw it here first! (See previous post for more explanation.)
eternity!
"The Wesleyan Seminary has affected my life in more than a positive way, in a great way, because without the Wesleyan Seminary I would not have been able to withstand or persevere in the practical day to day ministry. Pastoring is not easy, nor is teaching the word of God but the Wesley Seminary of Venezuela has affected my life. For the first time I saw holiness in the Bible and also learned the inductive Bible study method. I have come to know persons very different from me who have been examples of how to love and serve the Lord, such as the brothers that come from the United States, Pastor Warren, Dan Dunn, David Cosby and many others, as well as their wives, who have been touched by the power of God and the gospel of Jesus Christ. I have learned many things that I have put into practice in my church and shared with other pastors. I have shared the materials I have learned at the seminary with other people and in truth it has been a beautiful experience. We give thanks to God and to all the brothers that have given each dollar and given other things they have sent down, I give thanks to God for you all. Thank you for helping to see that Venezuela would also be won for Christ. God bless you."
We (all of us at Venezuela Now, Inc. and the Wesleyan Seminary of Venezuela) are so blessed to know wonderful people as Pastor Toby and Pastora Elizabeth Ramirez. What a great opportunity God has given us to be in partnership with such effective Christian servants.
