Colombia 2020
Seattle Presbytery
Colombia 2020 team members: James Kumin/Inglewood, Doug Early/Queen Anne, Alex Maxim/Mercer Island, Austin Ashenbrenner/Redmond, Jarred Hill/Overlake Park, Scott Anderson/St. Andrew, Tali Hairston/Seattle Presbytery, Crystal Hairston/Lake Burien, Eliana Maxim/Seattle Presbytery, Steph Boyer/Mercer Island, HT Lee/Overlake Park, Ben McConaughy/Mercer Island.
Seattle Presbytery’s trip to Barranquilla, Colombia was Jan. 27 – Feb. 7, 2020. A team of 12 teaching and ruling elders from Seattle Presbytery spent 10 days in Barranquilla, Colombia in our ongoing partnership with the presbytery of the North Coast of the Presbyterian Church in Colombia. The following churches established congregational partnerships while there: Queen Anne PC with Sincelejo PC, Overlake Park PC with 5th PC, Vashon PC with 9th PC, Lake Burien PC with 4th PC and Cartagena PC, Union PC with 1st PC, Redmond PC & St. Andrews PC with 3rd PC, and Mercer Island PC/Preschool with El Camino PC/Colegio Americano. We give thanks for the deepening relationships and missional partnerships being developed. While there, members of the Partnership Task Force worked with representatives from the Presbyterian Church of Colombia to write an overture to the 223 General Assembly requesting ongoing support for the church’s role in the nation’s peace process.
February 2, 2020 Colombia weekend update:
A weekend with lots and lots of activity.
Our team broke into pairs on Saturday and visited mission partnerships of various churches in the presbytery. From community programs for children, seniors, and the displaced to collective worship planning, and then onto a presbytery-wide women’s ministry event about changing worship styles.
On Sunday everyone went to a different church; Austin Ashenbrenner (Redmond PC), James Kumin (Inglewood PC), Doug Early (Queen Anne PC), Crystal and Tali Hairston (Lake Burien PC) and Eliana Maxim (presbytery staff) all led worship services.
Church doesn’t end with worship though; lunch, meetings, and wonderful conversations with “tintos” filled the day.
Team’s arrival in Barranquilla.
Colombia Task Force members and trip participants gathered at the Maxims’ on December 2nd for the first of several trip preparation meetings.