Fuel a new era of communications on Giving Tuesday:

Give to power a new era of Christ-centered communication around the world and transform lives. You can DOUBLE your impact and help us reach our $10,000 goal! All gifts will be matched dollar-for-dollar up to $5,000 through 12/3

Nora and Wilson Boots Honored at Encounter with Christ Quadrennial Dinner

May 1, 2012, Tampa—Passionate and committed were the words used to describe the honorees of the Encounter with Christ dinner held at Hyde Park United Methodist Church in Tampa on Monday. Drs. Nora and Wilson Boots have left an enduring mark on the life and service of the Methodist family of churches in Latin America and the Caribbean through the Encounter with Christ permanent fund.

The couple was part of the brainstorming, organizing, and birthing of the permanent fund, which celebrates its 20thanniversary this year with a current balance of $1.5 million. A balance of $1 million is needed before disbursements of the fund’s annual interest income can be made to mission projects. Since reaching that mark in 2006, the fund has provided a total of $372,000,000 to about 50 projects in 21 countries of Latin America and the Caribbean.

The words tenacious, faithful, and persistent also describe this couple, whom Bishop Joel Martinez said had “joined their hearts and their futures in Bolivia.” Wilson Boots first traveled to Bolivia as a United Methodist missionary. Nora Quiroga was tasked with teaching him Spanish. Although after their marriage they moved to the United States, where Wilson served as a pastor and district superintendent in the New York Annual Conference, they never lost their love and concern for the people of Latin America and the Caribbean.

Many old friends made the trip over the river from the Tampa Convention Center, where the 2012 General Conference of The United Methodist Church is being held, for a chance to thank Wilson and Nora for their tireless efforts to provide tangible and lasting financial resources to the Latin American family of Methodist churches. So many friends from the former World Division of the General Board of Global Ministries attended the dinner that Nora quipped that she should call a staff meeting.

For much of her professional life, Nora had served as director for the Latin America and Caribbean office of the World Division. She also served as a pioneer in the mission agency’s work with the community-based primary health-care model. She made it possible for indigenous women of Latin America to travel to Jamkhed, India, to meet and learn from indigenous women there in a program developed by Drs. Raj and Mabelle Arole.

Today, Encounter with Christ continues to extend community-based health care into rural communities as one of its priorities for ministry in Latin America and the Caribbean. The fund’s other mission priorities include evangelism, new church development, and meeting the needs of women, children and youth.

Established in 1992 after consultation among United Methodist leaders, members of the Council of Evangelical Methodist Churches in Latin America and the Caribbean (CIEMAL) and the Methodist Church of the Caribbean and the Americas (MCCA), distribution of the mission funds currently occurs through a shared decision-making partnership of church leaders of the Latin American and Caribbean churches and the General Board of Global Ministries.

The 2012 General Conference has voted to support Encounter with Christ in a resolution that celebrates its achievements and calls upon annual conferences, local churches, and individuals to renew and increase their commitment to the fund and the ministries that it makes possible in Latin America and the Caribbean. At the dinner, Bishop Martinez indicated that $10 million to $15 million was the envisioned goal for this permanent fund.

Bishop Martinez was joined by bishops Elias Galvan and Jane Middleton in expressing gratitude for the lives and service of Wilson and Nora Boots. Pam Carter, who replaces Wilson as the fund’s director of interpretation, presented gifts and greetings as well.


Like what you're reading? Support the ministry of UM News! Your support ensures the latest denominational news, dynamic stories and informative articles will continue to connect our global community. Make a tax-deductible donation at ResourceUMC.org/GiveUMCom.

Sign up for our newsletter!

Subscribe Now
Racism
The Rev. Neelley Hicks. Photo courtesy of the author.

Confronting hate: What do you wear?

An encounter with neo-Nazis shows how fear, the need for belonging and distorted views about Christianity form a dangerous mix.
Church Leadership
Dr. Katelin Hansen. Photo by Maxine Moore, courtesy of the author.

Deaconesses are still here – let’s invest in them too!

A distinctly separate order from deacons, deaconesses and home missioners serve in a wide variety of full-time lay ministries for the church.
General Conference
The Rev. Andy Call, chair of the General Conference commission, helps lead Holy Communion during opening worship Nov. 19 at the General Conference commission’s meeting in Charlotte, N.C. Sitting beside Call are Monalisa Tui'tahi (left), the commission’s vice chair, and the Rev. Aleze M. Fulbright (right), the new General Conference secretary. During the meeting, the commission began preparations for the next gathering of The United Methodist Church’s top lawmaking assembly, scheduled in 2028. Photo by Heather Hahn, UM News.

General Conference leaders start afresh

With mostly new membership, the group that plans The United Methodist Church’s big legislative assembly hopes to turn the page on past mistakes and act with more transparency.

United Methodist Communications is an agency of The United Methodist Church

©2024 United Methodist Communications. All Rights Reserved