Transitions in the Leadership of the Colombia Accompaniment Program
The Colombia Accompaniment Program, a joint effort of the PC(USA), the Presbyterian Church of Colombia, and the Presbyterian Peace Fellowship, announces that the Rev. Shannan R. Vance-Ocampo will serve as the new Director of Colombia Programs and that Linda Eastwood will serve as Accompaniment Program Coordinator.
Shannan Vance-Ocampo, Pastor of the Watchung Avenue Presbyterian Church in North Plainfield, NJ and member of the Presbyterian Peace Fellowship's National Committee states: "Exciting changes are underway in the Colombia Accompaniment Program as the reins of leadership are being handed on from both Anne Barstow and Sarah Henken who have served us with passionate and committed leadership. Since late 2004, volunteers representing the PC(USA) have provided a supportive and protective presence for our colleagues in the Presbyterian Church of Colombia (IPC) who work with the many people displaced by that country's violence. To date we have trained 102 volunteer short-term mission co-workers to serve as accompaniers, deploying 70 of them to Colombia for this ministry of presence. During Holy Week 2010, representatives from the United States and Colombia gathered together in Barranquilla, Colombia for a discernment meeting to reflect on our partnership to date. We came away from that meeting with a clear Spirit-led call to continue and further develop this Colombia Accompaniment Program, which is run by the Presbyterian Peace Fellowship on behalf of the PC(USA). God's Spirit of peace and justice continues to be with us as we serve in ministry alongside our sisters and brothers in Colombia and the United States!"
After nearly six years of leadership as the Director of Colombia Programs for the Presbyterian Peace Fellowship, volunteer-extraordinaire Anne Barstow has “retired” from her day-to-day responsibilities. Anne has served as the leader of the Accompaniment Program since the inception of the program, guiding it to grow into the strong witness of peace and mission that it is today. Anne wrote these words to the Accompaniers in early April 2010: “The Presbyterian Peace Fellowship (PPF) already was my home within the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), now I have two homes, for I have come to respect and love the Iglesia Presbiteriana de Colombia (IPC). It is a small church which stands for nonviolence in the midst of a very violent society; we (PPF) are a small group who tries to speak up for peace in our far from peaceful country. We were meant for each other. I consider it an honor to have served both. And I am proud that now all the faith groups who work on accompaniment in Colombia know about our Presbyterian project. I think that PPF is at its best doing direct-action for peace like the Gaza Project and our work with the IPC.” Anne will remain a faithful friend of the Accompaniment Program—and we give thanks to God for putting Anne at the right place at the right time to found and grow this shared ministry.
After three years of leadership as Colombia Accompaniment Coordinator, Sarah Henken is also stepping down from her responsibilities as of June 30, 2010. Sarah graduated from McCormick Theological Seminary in 2008 and will be taking a position beginning July 1, 2010 as Presbyterian World Mission’s regional liaison for the Andean Region in South America, where she will continue to be involved with ministry and mission in Colombia. Under her leadership the Accompaniment Program continued its growth and service within Colombia, extending its reach beyond the North Coast of Colombia to the Uraba region. Sarah also helped re-organize various aspects of the program and trained nearly 60 accompaniers during her three year tenure in her position. After a year as co-moderator with Anne Barstow, Sarah also served a two-year term as moderator of the PC(USA) Colombia Mission Network from 2008-2009. As we bid Sarah goodbye we pray for God’s blessings to continue to follow her into her next calling in mission.
Rev. Shannan Vance-Ocampo will serve as Director of Colombia Programs for the Presbyterian Peace Fellowship. Shannan served as an Accompanier in November 2006 and is married to Juan Gabriel Ocampo Valle, from Bogotá, Colombia. She has made numerous trips to Colombia since 1999, and will be participating in a Witness for Peace delegation in 2010 to visit new U.S. military installations in Colombia. Ordained in 2001, upon her graduation from McCormick Theological Seminary, Shannan served for eight years as the Associate Pastor at Rumson Presbyterian Church (Monmouth Presbytery) and currently serves as Pastor at Watchung Avenue Presbyterian Church (Elizabeth Presbytery). Shannan is also a Certified Christian Educator in the PC(USA) and a Fellow with GreenFaith.
Shannan can be contacted at: svanceocampo@yahoo.com
Linda Eastwood is the new Colombia Accompaniment Coordinator for the Presbyterian Peace Fellowship. Linda originally trained as an Accompanier in February 2006, and gradually increased her involvement in the Accompaniment program, including “accompanying” IPC pastors studying alongside her at McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago. Following research on the history and background of the Accompaniment Program, Linda served as an Accompanier in Colombia from January-March of 2010, visiting all three presbyteries of the IPC. Linda also has experience with mission-partnership in Cuba, and has studied at seminaries in both South Korea and Egypt. Linda emigrated from Britain to the USA 25 years ago, and worked as research scientist and as business manager in the medical equipment industry until she quit in order to attend seminary. A 2010 M.Div. graduate of McCormick Theological Seminary, Linda is a Candidate for ordination under the care of Case Western Reserve Presbytery.
Linda can be contacted at: colombia@presbypeacefellowship.org
