Key points
- Puerto Rico Methodists highlighted the impact of their social ministries, including disaster recovery, housing reconstruction and food security.
- Church leaders reaffirmed the denomination’s longstanding covenant relationship with The United Methodist Church.
- The conference called the church to deeper discipleship rooted in Christ and faithful service alongside the island’s most vulnerable communities.
The Methodist Church of Puerto Rico concluded its 11th Connectional Conference with a renewed commitment to discipleship, community engagement and partnership in mission, even as the island continues to face economic and other challenges.
Meeting under the theme “Come and See” (Psalm 66:5), clergy and lay delegates gathered June 25-28 for worship, legislative sessions, ministry reports and ordination services that emphasized the church’s present ministry and its future calling.
Attendance exceeded organizers’ expectations, reflecting what church leaders described as strong congregational engagement and confidence in the denomination’s mission.
“Participation has been extraordinary,” said Bishop Lizzette Gabriel Montalvo. “We have 255 clergy and lay delegates, and the commitment has been evident in a very special way.”
Despite the challenges facing Puerto Rico, Gabriel Montalvo said the denomination continues to experience growth.
“While many parts of the world are seeing declining participation in the Christian church, we continue to witness growth,” she said, pointing to an increase in church membership during the past conference period.
The bishop also reaffirmed the importance of the Methodist Church of Puerto Rico’s covenant relationship with The United Methodist Church, describing it as a model of long-term partnership in ministry.
The United Methodist Church has a concordat relationship with the Methodist Church of Puerto Rico, as well as the Methodist Church in Britain, the Methodist Church of Mexico and Methodist Church in the Caribbean and the Americas.
Responding to communities in difficult times
The conference met against the backdrop of significant social challenges affecting Puerto Rico, including population loss through migration, lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic pressures and growing concerns among immigrant communities.
Gabriel Montalvo acknowledged that rebuilding congregational life after the pandemic remains one of the church’s ongoing pastoral challenges.
“All of this has affected the life of the church,” she said, noting the gradual return to in-person worship, the migration of church members to the U.S. mainland and the deaths of more than 225 members across local congregations during the past two years.
She also expressed concern for immigrant congregations affected by increased immigration enforcement.
The bishop recalled preaching recently at a Methodist mission congregation in Toa Alta when federal immigration officers conducted an enforcement operation near the church.
“The fear and anxiety were overwhelming,” she said. “I stood in front of our brothers and sisters to protect them.”
That climate of fear, she said, has reduced participation in some congregations and affected churches that minister alongside immigrant communities.
A longstanding partnership
While Methodist churches in parts of Latin America continue to navigate institutional realignment, the Methodist Church of Puerto Rico has maintained the covenant agreement established in 1992, when General Conference approved its transition from a United Methodist conference to an autonomous Methodist denomination.
The agreement continues to provide opportunities for shared leadership and participation in the ministries and governance of The United Methodist Church. The Methodist Church of Puerto Rico has two voting delegates at General Conference, and its bishop is part of the Council of Bishops. In addition, the denomination can have one liaison representative to each of The United Methodist Church’s general program agencies. Clergy in the Methodist Church of Puerto Rico also have retirement benefits through Wespath, although the denomination’s plan is separate from what Wespath manages for United Methodist clergy.
“Our relationship remains strong and enduring,” Gabriel Montalvo said. “We continue participating in the ministries and leadership of The United Methodist Church according to our covenant.”
She noted that although divisions have affected Methodism in some parts of Latin America, those developments have not significantly impacted the Puerto Rican denomination.
That partnership extends beyond governance to collaborative mission, leadership development and humanitarian ministry.
One recent example is the church’s work with the United Methodist Committee on Relief, whose support helped fund one of the denomination’s largest disaster recovery initiatives following hurricanes Maria and Fiona.
Expanding community ministry
One of the conference’s most significant ministry reports came from Rebuilding Communities with Hope, the denomination’s community development and disaster response ministry.
Supported by UMCOR and other partners, Rebuilding Communities with Hope reported extensive work helping communities recover from Hurricane Fiona in 2022.
The ministry rebuilt 84 homes, provided case management services to 1,119 families — exceeding its original goal of 1,050 — and distributed 624 household appliances, along with food and rebuilding materials.
The project served residents in 21 municipalities and received positive evaluations at its completion.
Beyond disaster recovery, Rebuilding Communities with Hope continued expanding its community outreach through its “Brigades of Hope,” assisting neighborhoods affected by flooding, prolonged power outages and other emergencies.
The ministry also provided food assistance to 4,811 families, distributing more than $240,000 in aid.
Its work now includes programs serving older adults, opioid abuse prevention, mental health services, support for survivors of violence and educational initiatives for children and youth, making Rebuilding Communities with Hope one of the church’s largest outreach ministries.
A church rooted in service
The Rev. Luis Daniel Román, president of the conference planning committee, said the strong participation reflected an active church committed to serving its communities.
“Our expectations have been exceeded,” Román said. “Everything has been organized in a spirit of respect and inclusion, allowing people with different perspectives to participate.”
He attributed the church’s continued vitality to its longstanding commitment to ministry among vulnerable populations.
“The Methodist Church of Puerto Rico has remained alongside people who suffer, marginalized communities, immigrant families and others facing vulnerability,” he said.
According to Román, many people see Methodist congregations as places of refuge where they find spiritual care, practical assistance and hope amid economic and social hardship.
He also emphasized that despite theological diversity within the denomination, the church has maintained unity through mutual respect.
“In essentials, unity; in nonessentials, tolerance; in all things, love,” he said, while affirming the Wesleyan tradition of “thinking and letting others think.”
Preparing leaders for mission
The church’s partnership with The United Methodist Church also continues through leadership development.
Román announced that, in collaboration with the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries, the Domingo Marrero Theological Studies Center will launch a lay leadership training program for the United Methodist Mission in Honduras later this year.
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Feedback from the partnership has been highly encouraging, he said, and church leaders believe the initiative could become a model for future leadership development throughout Latin America.
‘Come and See’
The conference theme reached its fullest expression during the ordination service, where the Rev. José Daniel García Pérez, superintendent of the Metropolitan-Overseas Region, preached from John 1:35-51.
Reflecting on Jesus’ invitation, “Come and see,” García Pérez reminded those entering ordained ministry that discipleship is more than religious identity.
“A disciple lives with the Lord, learns from the Lord, follows the Lord’s teachings and puts them into practice,” he said.
Addressing newly ordained elders and deacons, he emphasized that Christian leadership is grounded not in personal recognition but in faithful obedience to God’s call.
“God’s choosing is sovereign and always greater than ourselves,” García Pérez said. “It is not about us. It is about God.”
He concluded with a challenge that echoed throughout the conference.
“The one who must shine here is Christ — not you or me.”
Vásquez is Hispanic-Latino Relations coordinator for United Methodist Communications. For more information, contact UM News at +1-615-742-5470 or [email protected]. To read more United Methodist news, subscribe to the free UM News Digest.
