United Andean Indian Mission
Encyclopedia
The United Andean Indian Mission (UAIM), was an ecumenical and interdenominational Protestant mission, formed in the United States of America in 1946 with the purpose of working among the indigenous peoples in Ecuador, South America. The UAIM was created under the sponsorship of the Committee on Cooperation in Latin America, a multi-denominational agency that served as an umbrella organisation for all liberal Protestant missions in the region.
The constituent churches and denominations of the UAIM were: the Presbyterian Church in the United States
(Southern), the United Presbyterian Church in the United States of America
(Northern), the Evangelical and Reformed Church
, and the Evangelical United Brethren Church
. Prominent missionaries working for the UAIM were, among others, Paul Streich, Benjamin Gutiérrez and Eugene Braun.
The first missionary field for the UAIM was Picalquí, in Pichincha, Ecuador, where the mission bought a farm to train the amerindian people living there in agricultural techniques. The mission also operated a small medical mission with the help of american physicians already living in the country. Later on, the mission expanded to other places, but it never gained a strong presence in Ecuador. When the mission disbanded (due to disagreements among its missionaries and also because of the strong anti-american feelings among ecuadorian church leaders), it had few congregations.
In 1965, its congregations and parishes merged with those planted by missionaries of the Church of the Brethren
, to form the United Evangelical Church of Ecuador (Iglesia Evangélica Unida del Ecuador or IEUE), which changed in 1999 its name to United Evangelical Methodist Church of Ecuador.
The United Church's first president was Rev. Gonzalo Carvajal, now working for HCJB. Since the denomination adopted a Methodist identity, it has an episcopal structure. The current presiding bishop is Salomón Cabezas.
At the time of the merger, the participating churches in the UAIM were: the United Methodist Church
, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
, the United Church of Christ
and the Disciples of Christ (the last two through their joint "Global Ministries").
The United Andean Indian Mission was one of the founding missions of the Ecuadorian Evangelical Fellowship (Confraternidad Evangélica Ecuatoriana), along with the Church of the Brethren, the Christian and Missionary Alliance
, the Gospel Missionary Union, the Evangelical Covenant Church
, the Missionary Church
, World Mission Prayer League
, Norwegian Santal Mission, Christian Missions in Many Lands (Plymouth Brethren
), HCJB
, and many smaller missions and churches.
The constituent churches and denominations of the UAIM were: the Presbyterian Church in the United States
Presbyterian Church in the United States
The Presbyterian Church in the United States was a Protestant Christian denomination in the Southern and border states of the United States that existed from 1861 to 1983...
(Southern), the United Presbyterian Church in the United States of America
United Presbyterian Church in the United States of America
The United Presbyterian Church in the United States of America was the largest branch of Presbyterianism in the United States from May 28, 1958 to 1983...
(Northern), the Evangelical and Reformed Church
Evangelical and Reformed Church
The Evangelical and Reformed Church was a Protestant Christian denomination in the United States. It was formed in 1934 by the merger of the Reformed Church in the United States with the Evangelical Synod of North America . After the 1934 merger, a minority within the RCUS seceded in order to...
, and the Evangelical United Brethren Church
Evangelical United Brethren Church
The Evangelical United Brethren Church was an American Protestant church which was formed in 1946 by the merger of the Evangelical Church with the Church of the United Brethren in Christ...
. Prominent missionaries working for the UAIM were, among others, Paul Streich, Benjamin Gutiérrez and Eugene Braun.
The first missionary field for the UAIM was Picalquí, in Pichincha, Ecuador, where the mission bought a farm to train the amerindian people living there in agricultural techniques. The mission also operated a small medical mission with the help of american physicians already living in the country. Later on, the mission expanded to other places, but it never gained a strong presence in Ecuador. When the mission disbanded (due to disagreements among its missionaries and also because of the strong anti-american feelings among ecuadorian church leaders), it had few congregations.
In 1965, its congregations and parishes merged with those planted by missionaries of the Church of the Brethren
Church of the Brethren
The Church of the Brethren is a Christian denomination originating from the Schwarzenau Brethren organized in 1708 by eight persons led by Alexander Mack, in Schwarzenau, Bad Berleburg, Germany. The Brethren movement began as a melding of Radical Pietist and Anabaptist ideas during the...
, to form the United Evangelical Church of Ecuador (Iglesia Evangélica Unida del Ecuador or IEUE), which changed in 1999 its name to United Evangelical Methodist Church of Ecuador.
The United Church's first president was Rev. Gonzalo Carvajal, now working for HCJB. Since the denomination adopted a Methodist identity, it has an episcopal structure. The current presiding bishop is Salomón Cabezas.
At the time of the merger, the participating churches in the UAIM were: the United Methodist Church
United Methodist Church
The United Methodist Church is a Methodist Christian denomination which is both mainline Protestant and evangelical. Founded in 1968 by the union of The Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church, the UMC traces its roots back to the revival movement of John and Charles Wesley...
, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
The Presbyterian Church , or PC, is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination in the United States. Part of the Reformed tradition, it is the largest Presbyterian denomination in the U.S...
, the United Church of Christ
United Church of Christ
The United Church of Christ is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination primarily in the Reformed tradition but also historically influenced by Lutheranism. The Evangelical and Reformed Church and the Congregational Christian Churches united in 1957 to form the UCC...
and the Disciples of Christ (the last two through their joint "Global Ministries").
The United Andean Indian Mission was one of the founding missions of the Ecuadorian Evangelical Fellowship (Confraternidad Evangélica Ecuatoriana), along with the Church of the Brethren, the Christian and Missionary Alliance
Christian and Missionary Alliance
The Christian and Missionary Alliance is an evangelical Protestant denomination within Christianity.Founded by Rev. Albert Benjamin Simpson in 1887, the Christian & Missionary Alliance did not start off as a denomination, but rather began as two distinct parachurch organizations: The Christian...
, the Gospel Missionary Union, the Evangelical Covenant Church
Evangelical Covenant Church
The Evangelical Covenant Church is an evangelical Christian denomination of more than 800 congregations and an average worship attendance of 179,000 people in the United States and Canada with ministries on five continents. Founded in 1885 by Swedish immigrants, the church is now one of the most...
, the Missionary Church
Missionary Church
The Missionary Church is an evangelical Christian denomination of Anabaptist origins with Wesleyan, Pietist, and Keswickian influences.-Faith and practice:...
, World Mission Prayer League
World Mission Prayer League
The World Mission Prayer League is an American pan-Lutheran mission organization.The World Mission Prayer League is a Lutheran community in the mission of God...
, Norwegian Santal Mission, Christian Missions in Many Lands (Plymouth Brethren
Plymouth Brethren
The Plymouth Brethren is a conservative, Evangelical Christian movement, whose history can be traced to Dublin, Ireland, in the late 1820s. Although the group is notable for not taking any official "church name" to itself, and not having an official clergy or liturgy, the title "The Brethren," is...
), HCJB
HCJB
HCJB, "The Voice of the Andes", was the first radio station with daily programming in the South American country of Ecuador and the first Christian missionary radio station in the world. The station was founded in 1931 by Clarence W. Jones, Reuben Larson, and D. Stuart Clark.- History :Radio...
, and many smaller missions and churches.
Sources and further reading
- Sunquist, W. Scott and Becker, Caroline N., A History of Presbyterian Missions: 1944-2007, Geneva Press, 2008.
- The United Andean-Indian Mission Becomes a Reality, Board of International Missions, Evangelical and Reformed Church, 1946.
- Padilla, Washington, La Iglesia y los Dioses Modernos. Historia del protestantismo en el Ecuador, Corporación Editora Nacional, Quito, 2nd Edition, 2008.
- Horton, Douglas, The United Church of Christ: Its Origins, Organization, and Role in the World Today, Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1962.
- Anderson, Justice C., An Evangelical Saga, Xulon Press, 2005
- Damboriena, Prudencio, Protestantismo en América Latina, 1957.
- Miller, Park Hays, Why I Am a Presbyterian, Read Books, 2007.