Iglesia Evangélica Metodista Unida del Ecuador

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope..." 1 Peter 1:3

It is a great joy to know that all together we are part of the Hope that the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ brings us. Living Hope, to achieve the promises of full life to families and communities in Ecuador.

I would like to share with you the progress and challenges of 2026 and that the Church in Ecuador continues to advance with faith and great passion for God’s mission.

The churches are growing in their mission trusting that God provides what is necessary to continue serving the people who need good news. Even in the midst of violence and pain, in the churches of Quevedo, Santo Domingo, Guayaquil, El Carmen - cities of the Coastal District - the ministries with children are strengthened by giving a new vision of life to children, praying for them, teaching them of God's love, supporting them with food and integral health. They are showing that there is another way to live and achieve success, seeking to prevent children and teenagers from being easy prey for gangs and drug cartels.

There is a feeling of helplessness and pain in the face of reality of the Coastal region, but our strength is in prayer; we pray to the Lord that these children may grow in the light and hope of Christ.

Strengthening the capacity of educators

All the educators and tutors in the churches are local volunteers and many change frequently, so it is necessary to constantly offer resources and training in creative methodologies for working with children and youth. We know that education in Christian values, integral health, emotional accompaniment, and the love of God can rebuild the vision of life for children and adults.

We thank you, our partners in mission, for your prayers and for your important contributions with donations to Integral Ministries with Children. Each one is a great blessing. This allows us to support the efforts of local churches and programs that seek the integral development of children, with food, biblical education and discipleship, school support, recreation and integral health for these children and their families in communities in need.

It is wonderful to have the support of a Minnesota-Florida VIM group and Ecuadorian leaders, with which we were able to include to our activities, online workshops, and face-to-face courses. Bible study and discipleship, development of children, with an emphasis on writing of contextual Bible Lessons for our children have been the focus of these efforts.

Building new safe spaces for children

Progress is being made in the construction of new churches in Ecuador:

Quevedo - The new church in the Gustavo Campi neighborhood is slowly moving toward the completion of classrooms for children's Bible School, thanks to local support and input over the years from friends and supporters from Hilton Head in SC, the Methodist Student Network at the Univ. SC, and more visitors. Many finishing work has yet to be completed.

Santo Domingo - In the City of God community in Alluriquin, we were able to build a large multipurpose room, which serves children and families, thanks to the solidarity support of the Methodist Church of Great Britan; permanent visit and work with the churches in this region supported by churches from the Alabama – Florida; and others like the medical team from MSN of SC.

Gonzales Suarez -. Local members of the Otavalo culture together with the support of Bethel UMC in Charleston SC, churches of the South Carolina Conference, Broomfield CO, medical groups from WSUMC in Columbia SC, and African American Women Pastors Association from the N Georgia Conference, have completed the multiple use temple and children´s classroom.

Misahualli - This local church in the Amazon region, together with the visit and work of several mission teams over the years from the MSN SC, the Charleston SC Wesley Foundation, Main Street UMC in Hattiesburg MS, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in Charleston SC, and missionary support of the Methodist Church of Ireland, has consolidated the ecclesial work in Misahuallí and has advanced to other communities. In Nueva Ongota, a piece of land was purchased and during the visit of a group of volunteers from the Creekside Church of Cumming GA, work was begun on the foundations of the church and facilities for the children and community.

El Prado/Florencia - In the community of Florencia, together with the Pastor and leadership of El Prado, land was purchased, and the foundations, base floor, and structural columns are finished. By December the roof is expected to be completed. We have the important support of the Washington Street UMC in Columbia SC, Case Church and others in Columbia SC, Woodbury UMC in CT, Main Street UMC in Hattiesburg MS, First UMC in Paris TN, and the African American Association of Women Pastors from the North Georgia. Our urgent challenge is the completion of the classrooms and dining room to continue with the integral ministry with the children and families of the local and surrounding communities.

School in Pastocalle - Another work to be completed, which has taken many years and which we now can resume with strength and urgency, are new classrooms for the El Sembrador Methodist School in Pastocalle, in the region of the beautiful Cotopaxi volcano. The school is growing and urgently needs these classrooms. Over the years the school has received support from Bethany Methodist Church of Summerville SC, the MSN University of SC., the Charleston SC Wesley Foundation, Broomfield Church in Colorado, and scholarships from Glenn Memorial UMC in Decatur GA.

Ascázubi - The Methodist Church in Ascázubi has completed works on the construction and maintenance of a building which serves children and adolescents with a strong women’s ministry. We are especially grateful for the support of Bethel UMC of Charleston SC for this work. Pijal - This year the congregation of the Good Shepherd Church of Pijal built a new roof on the sanctuary with the solidarity support of the local members, funds from the MSN SC, and the African American A. of Women Pastors NGA. We thanks also the permanent support from Woodbury CT – NY District. In many ways, the local Methodist churches in Ecuador are working to improve their spaces for service. Churches in Romerillos, Llano Grande, Congomita, Ciudad de Dios, and others also received support from Volunteer In Mission teams.

Support for Pastors’ Salaries

God allows these ministries to be developed from the local churches, be it with children, families and communities, construction work, support for migrant populations, and many more, thanks to the magnificent work of the pastors, leaders, and members of the local churches. We thank for the strength that God gives to our men and women pastors, we thank God for the offerings and donations that you share specifically for the Support of Pastoral Salaries. The churches in Ecuador are very faithful with offerings and tithes, but it would be impossible to achieve a minimum wage for pastors without your commitment to support these pastors.

We Thank God for All of You

We thank God for the solidarity, offerings, and donations you share through our Advance projects through the General Board of Global Ministries: Pastoral Support, Integral Ministry for Children, and Building Churches. On this occasion, together with the authorities of the Evangelical United Methodist Church of Ecuador, we give thanks for the visits and work of VIM teams, and the prayers, communications, offerings and donations of churches and friends. Here is a message from Bishop Silvio Cevallos.

You are a very important part of God's Mission in Ecuador.

May God bless your church and your family. Together let us continue to proclaim God's Love and Living Hope.

Rev. Silvio Cevallos, Bishop of IEMUE

Rev. Carmen Castañeda, IEMUE Treasurer

Hna. Sara Flores, UMC GBGM Missionary