“Avenida Estanislao López. This is where our story begins. Here stands the Iglesia Metodista del Camino. Its story is deeply intertwined with the history of Methodism in Uruguay.
The Methodist Church’s arrival in Uruguay dates back to 1838. It came through a mission from England. This initial effort faced interruption in 1842. But the Methodist Missionary Society from the USA re-initiated it in 1870.
Initially, the Uruguayan work was part of the mission based in Buenos Aires. In 1893, the annual conference of South America formed. Uruguay then became a district. From the start, there was a strong emphasis on education. The Crandon Institute of Montevideo was founded. To this day, it remains one of the most prestigious educational establishments in the country. Later, the Crandon Lyceum and College of Salto were added. More recently came the Institute of Good Will. It is dedicated to the formation of young people who are physically handicapped.
In 1952, Uruguay became a provisional conference separate from Argentina. By 1968, the general conference of the United Methodist Church authorized it. It became an autonomous church. The district conferences were abolished. Instead of the episcopal tradition, the church adopted a president as leader. The position is open to clergy as well as lay members. The highest authority is the national assembly. A board for Life and Mission supervises the whole church. It is composed of three clergy and six lay persons. Besides the one thousand members, there is a wider community. It includes about two thousand people related to the church.
The Iglesia Metodista del Camino and the wider Methodist Church in Uruguay implements its mission through five departments. These are evangelism, education and formation, women and family, youth, and service and witness. Coordination between these departments aims at an integrated response to mission. This includes the department of communication. In 2004, a pastoral institute was created. It is for the on-going formation of the laity. It also serves for the renewal of pastoral studies.
Two large programs are the focus of the church’s mission. One is the integrated rural mission in the north. This is in the most impoverished region. Here, the church is growing more than elsewhere. The other is the urban mission in Montevideo. Both are challenges to the whole church. Both are areas of voluntary service for professionals and lay persons. They come from the congregations and the wider community.
Historically, the Iglesia Metodista del Camino marks itself by its commitment to human and political rights in the country. Together with the Conference of Argentina and the Church in the South of Brazil, the programme “Churches without Borders” was initiated in 2003. It is a joint mission and pastoral project. It is in the border zone between Uruguay, Brazil, and Argentina. The Iglesia Metodista del Camino maintains close relations with Methodist churches in the USA, the UK, Switzerland, Argentina, and Brazil.
So as you stand before the Iglesia Metodista del Camino, remember its long and impactful journey. From its early roots to its current mission, this church has played a significant role in Uruguay.”