Prayers for IARCA

The Synod of the Iglesia Anglicana de la Región de Central América is meeting this week in Panamá. Our Padre Mickey will be on the scene with camera and taking notes for us. He is also preparing the opening liturgy which will take place tomorrow night.

This meeting is an important one because at it they will elect the third archbishop of the province. Their canons allow for two consecutive four-year terms. Bishop Martín Barahona of El Salvador, elected in April 2002 after the death of Cornelius Wilson of Costa Rica, has now completed those two terms and it is time for someone else to take the place. Tea leaf reading indicates it will be the bishop of Guatemala, Armando Guerra, who will be elected, but who knows what the Holy Spirit will be? There is hardly a large field — since the Bishop of El Salvador is ineligible, save changing the canons, that leaves Guatemala, Nicaragua (Sturdy Downs), Panamá (Julio Murray) and Costa Rica (Hector Monterossa). I would be amazed if the bishop of Nicaragua were elected... he has struggled with health issues of late. So that leaves Guate whose bishop has the longest experience, then Panamá and Costa Rica in terms of consecration.

So hold this young province, just barely 12 years old, as it moves through its synod, that God's grace and wisdom shall prevail and politics might sit in the backseat.

I would expect there be a celebration of Bishop Barahona's ministry as archbishop. I hope so! All I can say is that things will be quite different henceforth.