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PRESENT MINISTRIES

Nearly half of the population lives in the central valley, an urban sprawl surrounding the capital, San Jose. Four of the churches in the district are in this central valley; the other two are several hours north toward the border with Nicaragua. The priorities for the district are developing leaders, planting churches, strengthening the FM identity and economic sustainability. The district leader, Victor Quesada, also pastors the Montecillos FMC. Over the years connections from Costa Rica resulted in the start of FM work in four other countries in the region.

ORIGINS

In early 1990 a group of some 300 adults who had formerly been part of the Methodist Church heard about the Free Methodist Church from Spanish speaking Free Methodists in Lawrence, MA, and expressed interest in affiliating with a holiness denomination. Free Methodist missionaries studying language in Costa Rica at the time made contact and began attending services. Later the area director visited the congregation’s leadership and took steps to establish a formal relationship between the Free Methodist Church and the congregation. In October of 1990, this group was approved as a mission district under Free Methodist World Missions. Contacts through Costa Rica provided the bridge to start the FMC in Nicaragua, Colombia, and a creative access country, as well as the new Shoreline Mission District.