Local pastor helps black Ecuadoreans build church -
BY COURTNEY GA1LLARD
THE CHRONICLE
Souls and salvation weren't
the only things on Rev. John
Mendez's mind when he traveled
; to South America recently.
After a number of black
Ecuadoreans were converted by
Southern white Protestant church
es, Mendez says, they were aban
doned by the Protestants and left
to build the church literally from
the ground up. Unaware of how to
do that, a number of South Amer
icans then turned to African
American churches for guidance
apd instruction on how to run
their Protestant church in a pre
dominantly Catholic country.
Mendez was happy to receive
that call and go where he was
needed.
"Many white missionary
organizations from the Americas
went there (South America),
planted churches, converted folks,
then left them hanging," said
Mendez, who said he was receiv
ing weekly calls at Emmanuel
Baptist Church, where he is pas
tor, from people in distress about
organizing their new Pentecostal
church in their impoverished liv
ing conditions.
Mendez spent eight days trav
eling around Quito (the capital of
Ecuador). Santo Domingo. San
Lorenzo, El Meraldes - all areas
that are heavily populated with
black people. Throughout his
visit. Mende/ encountered a num
ber of people who were interested
in not only the African-American
theological perspectives but their
history of racism and means of
dealing with it in the church.
Mende/ explained that the
black Protestants fell victim to
overt racism from the clergy in
4 the while Southern Baptist
Church, who often told them to
"lock up all of the Africans and
throw away the key." and have
since broken off from the white
church.
'They need help and want
help. They're not looking for
handouts but just help and support
so they can get (on) their feet, and
a lot of churches really v. an I to get
involved." Mendez said.
Serving as a church consult
ant of sorts, Mendez went to
Ecuador representing his church
as well as the Progressive Nation
al Baptist Convention (PNBC).
an international association of
Baptist churches. Mendez has
brought the matter of the strug
gling Protestant ehureh in Latin
countries to the attention of the
organization with the hope of
identifying more minister, who
would like to get involved.
He also hopes that once the
Latin churches develop a stable
operation for their congregations,
that they will consider partnering
with the PNBC to maintain a
worldwide discourse withr,other
churches, which will allow them
to receive the other resources they
will need in the future.
"They identify with the
African-American church, partic
ularly (with) Dr. King (MLK)."
Mendez said.
About a year ago. Mendez.
was preparing for the United
Nations Conference on Racism in
Ecuador as a delegate from the
Americas, including North and
South America. It was then and
there that he was first introduced
to some African Pentecostals w ho
informed him that they were in
desperate need of instruction on
creating and organizing a struc
tured plan for their church. Since
that time Mendez and his congre
gation have been in frequent dia
logue with the group and have
even been able to assist them with
financial aid.
"Our worst day is still better
than their best day." Mendez said.
"We complain about the roof
leaking. Thank God you've got a
roof."
Beyond spiritual stability.
Mende/ feels that the role of the
church, once it is established on a
solid foundation, will impact the
people and region socially, politi
cally and economically. C
A follow-up trip to Ecuador is
planned for September, when
Mendez will return and hopefully
with a group of other ministers
from the United States.
Photo by Courtney Gaillard
Rev. John Mendez poses with members from the Progressive Baptist Church in Quito, Ecuador
in front of the building that will become their future place of worship.
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Construction projects change traffic patterns at Winston-Salem State
SPEC lAl ro THE CHRONICLE
A number of construction
and renovation projects under
way at Winston-Salem State
University this summer will
force temporary changes in
vehicular and pedestrian traffic
patterns on campus beginning
immediately.
The projects include:
? Construction of campus
tennis courts at the Anderson
Center, to be completed in July.
? Installation of air-condi
tioning systems in Dillard Hall.
* Atkins Hall and Moore Hall, to
be completed August.
? Construction of the new
residence hall facility known as
Ram Commons, to be complet
ed in August.
? Demolition of Colson Hall
and the Old Student Affairs
Building. scheduled for
?August.
? Construction of the addi
tion to the F.L. Atkins Building,
to be completed in October.
? Installation of an elevator
in Coltrane Hall, to be complet
I ed in October.
? Restoration of the S.G.
Atkins House, to be completed
in October.
? Installation of a central
chiller plant and chilled water
loop/steam repairs, to be com
pleted January 2003.
As a result of the construc
tion projects, no vehicular traf
fic will be allowed to travel
past the Carolina Hall parking
lot on Cromartie Street or Wal
lace Street at the "intersection
where the Physical Plant and
Atkins Hall buildings are locat
ed;
All other vehicular traffic
should use the main entrance to
campus or the entrance off of
Reynolds Park Road. Other
traffic patterns will be imple
mented at appropriate times as
construction project locations
change. Appropriate signage
will be posted when traffic pat
terns change.
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