The Presence of the Living Christ
Pastors Nolberto Guerria-Chacon and Delmy Mancia Tuesday, 03 November 2009
Delmy Mancía is a minister in good standing with Evangelical Friends International (EFI). She works with Nolberto Gueria-Chacón on the leadership team of the Evangelical Friends Church of West Philadelphia. She was born in the hamlet of Quebrada Larga, Zacapa, Guatemala. At the age of 12 she felt a strong call to be a minister, when Vilda Lopez, an inspiring woman minister, led worship in her home. As a young adult, she was recognized as an inspired preacher and leader of prayer and worship. She studied for the ministry through a correspondence course. Through a democratic process at the congregational level, she was chosen to hold the offices of president, secretary of pastor of her church. She also served as secretary of the District (working with Elser Galvez, leader of the Evangelical Friends work in Spanish in Philadelphia). She and her husband immigrated to Philadelphia six years ago. She recently offered heartfelt thanksgiving when God answered a petition about something that she cared very deeply about. She had been praying fervently about this matter, alone and with the support of her community, for 12 years.
Nolberto Gueria-Chacón is pastor of the Evangelical Friends Church of West Philadelphia (EFI), where Delmy Mancía is an active leader. He was born in San Luis, Betén, Guatemala. He has experienced God as active in his life since childhood. Upon arriving in the US in 1996, he felt a special need for God. In 1997, during a worship service at the Evangelical Friends Church of West Philadelphia, he had a personal experience of the presence of Christ. He became more active in the church; he offered to help in any way that was needed. Other church members supported him, eventually proposing his name as pastor. Initially he resisted this idea, emphasizing that he was “just an ordinary person like all the rest.” When Elser Galvez (the original evangelical Friends pastor in Philadelphia) joined with the rest of the congregation in encouraging him, he responded: “Here I am Lord, use me.” For several years he pastored the church while working full time as a carpenter; now he has more time for his pastoral ministry because he does not have secular employment (he has taken on additional childcare responsibilities; his wife is now employed full time). He believes that leaders in the church should be people who have “paid a price” – meaning that they should be “people of bended knee.” He sees prayer as fundamental for all Christians. As pastor, he is quick to open up leadership opportunities to others and to involve the whole church in congregational decision-making.
Helene Pollock, a member of Central Philadelphia Monthly Meeting, leads workshops and discussions about the spirituality of early Friends in her meeting and in other Quaker settings. A Quaker since 1991, she has worked on Quaker-related matters at Haverford College for the past 18 years; she recently took early retirement. She previously worked in parish ministry in the Presbyterian Church and lived in Bogotá, Colombia. She will serve as translator as needed.
