28 Jan New Superintendent in Guatemala

The sixteen churches of Guatemala Conference held their annual conference January 15-17. During this time the conference elected Rev. Jaime Chun as their new superintendent. Rev. Chun and his family serve our largest congregation in Escuintla (located southwest of the capital of Guatemala City.

The out-going superintendent, Rev. Francisco Najera, was instrumental in bringing the churches of Guatemala into the United Brethren with the help of Rev. Juan Pavon of Nicaragua. He continues to serve his church on the outskirts of Guatemala City.

Rev. Chun came to Christ about the same time Francisco did, in his early 20s, as part of the movement happening among the churches being planted there. He and his wife have five children.

Global Ministries director Jeff Bleijerveld visited them when they were planting the church they now serve. The Chuns, all seven of them, were living in one room, which doubled as living room, bedroom…everything. The kitchen was outdoors under a tarp. They’ve now added a room for a small market, a personal business which helps support them. They area in which they live is mostly migrant workers who harvest sugar cane.

Guatemala became our 10th, and newest, national conference in 2010.