Ayllu

Missions going Both Ways!

For too long Missions has been a one-way street: from the Developed World to the Developing World. It has come from a Spiritual/Theological self-righteousness by the Developed World, and a “Poor-me” attitude by the Developing World. Enter this website and learn about a new paradigm in Missions: Ayllu.

Ayllu is an Aymaran word that means something between  ”community” and “extended family”. Once you are a part of the Ayllu, although you may move far away, you are ALWAYS a member of the Ayllu. 

The Bolivia/Oklahoma Ayllu began in 1986 when the leadership of the Iglesia Evangelica Metodista en Bolivia (IEMB) (Evangelical Methodist Church of Bolivia) felt a need to be in mission to another part of the world beyond the borders of Bolivia. And they believed (still do) that the place with the greatest need to be evangelized is the United States. Click here for more on this.

The Oklahoma Conference has benefitted dramatically from this Ayllu:

• Creation of Conference VIM office, largest in the country, suggested by an IEMB bishop in 1990
• Hundreds of lives transformed by the faith and witness of the Bolivian Methodists,
• Medical Teams returning from Bolivia deciding to start indigent Health clinics in several rural situations around Oklahoma

However, the greatest benefit has been a renewed commitment to serve Christ, who lives among the hungry, the thirsty, the homeless, and the oppressed.

And now, the IEMB and the Oklahoma Annual Conference have jointly appointed the first-ever “Missionary-In-Reverse”: Rev. David Stephenson. David preaches and teaches about the significant theological differences between Bolivia and Oklahoma, and represents the IEMB in Oklahoma for fund-raising and support of IEMB projects.

At this site, you will receive news and information of the work of the Methodist church in Bolivia and of Oklahoma’s partnership in that work. Spend some time. Look around.

Join us in this historic partnership, bringing together Methodist people from two different continents to transform the world for Christ.

Thank you,

Rev. David Stephenson,

“Missionary-In-Reverse”
Executive Director of Engineers In Action and
Mission Interpreter of the Bolivia/Oklahoma Methodist Ayllu;
a ministry of the Oklahoma Volunteers In Mission