Our Missionary

To Brazil

R. Steven Newnum Caixa Postal 832 86001-970 Londrina, Parana Brazil Webpage: http://newnum.8m.com Email : stephen@inbrapenet.com.br

Steve Newnum and his wife Maria will be back in the USA and Indiana during the first three months of 2002.

They have been busy with Education and Training -- involved in a Course for the Capacitation of Laity that gives basics on the Bible, the Methodist Church, doctrine, leadership and spirituality.  Also a Course of Pastoral Theological Formation that leads to the possibility of graduates being consecrated as pastors who may be appointed in the same manner as ordained pastors.  They have been excited about a Course for the Capacitation of Laity and a Course on Missions. They have been visiting local churches to promote these courses and have been preaching as they visit.

We hope to have Steve and Maria here at Sweetser for a visit while they are in the USA.

August 2001

Dear Friends:

Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ!

Although the year has not yet terminated, it has already been a very productive one, both in our personal life and in our work activities.

The Methodist Center for Education and Training (CEMETRE, in its Portuguese abbreviation), along with its current activities, is undertaking several new programs.

This year we began a Course for the Capacitation of Laity that gives basics on the Bible, the Methodist Church, doctrine, leadership and spirituality.   The course was originally planned for correspondence, but we are also giving the classes at local churches.  Maria and I are both involved in preparing the materials and in teaching this course.

Through the Methodist Evangelical Theological Seminary, which is a part of CEMETRE, we continue the Course of Pastoral Theological Formation that leads to the possibility of graduates being consecrated as pastors who may be appointed in the same manner as ordained pastors.  Over sixty students are currently enrolled in this course that meets six times a year during a four-year program.  We also have a Pre-theological Program that has evening classes four nights a week (7:00 to 10:15pm.) or on five weekends during the year.  This course gives a basic background on the Methodist Church and prepares students for the entrance exams at the Methodist School of Theology in Sao Paulo, where they earn a Bachelor of Theology degree.  Eighteen students are participating in this course.

We are also excited about new courses that CEMETRE will offer.   The Course for the Capacitation of Laity will also be offered in twice-weekly evening classes.  But the newest program is a Course on Missions that will be offered in weekend modules or a twice-weekly evening program that will prepare laity for voluntary missionary activities, either in the local church or in establishing new centers of Methodist activity.  They will be trained in an understanding of missions from biblical and Methodist perspectives, with classes in evangelism, discipleship and the preparation of Bible studies and church school classes.  We may also offer this program in local churches, depending on the possibilities.  Through this program, we hope to reach out to train more persons for missionary service.

Maria and I have been visiting local churches to promote these course and I have occasionally preached as we visited the churches.  The interest has been great and we eagerly wait to see how these new offerings will be accepted.

The Methodist Evangelical Theological Seminary is also conducting a continuing education seminar for pastors, directed towards handling the situation of stress that many pastors face.  We have qualified professionals that will be leading this course, in conjunction with the Pastoral Therapy Center here in Londrina.

The General Conference of the Methodist in Brazil gathered in July in Maringa, a city about one hour from where we live.  We had planned to attend, but because of my thesis and a surgery Maria had, we were not able to.  But we were thrilled by the election of the first female bishop here in Brazil.  She will be serving in the North of Brazil.  Bishops are elected for five-year terms.  We were pleased that our Bishop was reelected and reassigned to serve again in our Conference and continue what he has done so well.

In our personal lives, we have also been very active.  Maria has finished most of her basic course work for her Master of Theology degree, specializing in the Bible.  She still has two classes to take (when we return from our visit to the USA) and her dissertation to complete.  She hopes to finish next year.

I am pleased that I successfully defended my doctoral thesis on August 23.  It included the areas of mystic and cosmology, using the German philosopher Ernst Cassirer as a base.  I am pleased to have finally completed that!

We are planning to return to the USA for our period of Home Assignment.  Current plans call for church visitation to occur in January and February.  We are in the process of entering into contact with Conference Mission Secretaries to arrange our schedule.

For those who wish to contribute to CEMETRE, you may do so by sending Advance Special.  Contributions through your local church to : CEMETRE (Methodist Center for Education and Training) #011814-8RA.  All offerings are greatly appreciated and vital to strengthening of this important ministry.

Yours in Christian Service,

R. Stephen Newnum

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