The Costa Rican Lutheran Church celebrated it´s general ordinary assembly 2018 on 24 of february. In this meeting was elected the new board of directors. During this meeting various reports were presented; as diaconia, institutional strengthening, development of Communities of Faith, finances and the presidency.
In this important event participated delegates of Faith Communities, the Board of Directors, the pastor team, coordinators of programmes and special guests from synods in North Carolina, the Southwest of Texas, Mission One World and the Lutheran World Federation. With their presence they highlighted the importance of building one body in Christ.
The new Board of Directors is now set together of:
President: Pastor Gilberto Quesada
Vice president: Mrs. Esmeralda Pérez (laywoman, Good Pastor Congregation in San Juan de Quitirrisí)
Secretary: Mr. Luis Zamora (layman, Inclusive Faith Congregation in Paso Ancho)
Treasurer: Miss Yudi Torres (laywoman, Bethany Congregation in the community of Puriscal)
Member 1: Mr. Oscar Varela (layman, San Pedro y San Pablo Congregation in Paso Ancho)
Member 2: Mrs. Rocío Umaña (laywoman, San Pedro y San Pablo Congregation)
Member 3: Pastor Julio Melara (Walking in Community Congregation in the community La Carpio)
Prosecutor: Mr. Oscar Retana (Coordinator of the Indigenous Legal Programme)
The new board of directors officially starts it's work on first of march in 2018 and will continue their work up to february in 2021, in which will take place the following general ordinary assembly and the election of a new board of directors.
The official installation of the new board of directors was combined with a service that was very important for the church. In this service all the participants could put their trust in the recent elected and especially promise company to this new board of directors. The bishop Ray Tiemann of the Synod in Southwestern Texas was in charge of the preaching.
For the church it is of great importance to give continuity to the processes, through which it is intended to continue develop the empowerment of leaders, increasing their participation in the life of the church and especially to achieve the creation of active comissions.
During the assembly the participants showed the wish to continue supporting this way of transformation that tries to give room to a healthy development of this institution and provides the opportunity of a new administration in which the opening and exchanges of opinions and experiences is a determinant factor in being a church.
This assembly represented an important democratic process, in which participated rural, urban and indigenous communities and of course the youth of the church. In all this population it is urgent to encourage the empowerment of the leadership and inclusion.
The president Pastor Gilberto Quesada says in his presidency report:
"Thanks to all the people committed to the church, for having straightened the roads, and in this struggle we are learning, since it is not enough to call ourselves Christians, but it is also essential, as executors of the resources of the church, to have transparent practices , balanced and specially to give testimony of our being of believers, followers of Jesus "