The Free Methodist Church in
Latin America
IML Website (en Español)
Latin America Digital Magazine
Deeper Dependence
The Free Methodist Church in Latin America participates with God in the restoration of the region. We do this by developing healthy leaders who multiply disciples, groups and churches and empower them for holistic transformation.
In 2025 God is inviting us to a deeper dependence on the Holy Spirit, which will open our spiritual eyes and ears to be sensitive to God’s voice and be obedient to His guidance as we align with His prevenient grace. Through spiritual practices, known to many Wesleyans as “Means of Grace,” we hope to discern God’s will for Latin America individually and as a community.
At the beginning of the year, 28 key leaders from nine countries signed a covenant of dependence on God, community and love. The covenant “is intended to express our mutual commitment to be a community made up of people who depend on the Holy Spirit, with lives marked by the abundant use of spiritual practices and healthy relational practices, which allows us to intentionally discern and listen to God to effectively unite us with His purposes.”
As you pray for the Latin American Area, pray we will live out the seven points of the covenant, which are to:
- pursue and maintain spiritual vitality
- depend on God for the guidance of His Spirit
- walk with integrity
- enjoy rest and simplicity of life
- practice genuine love marked by compassion
- seek peace in the unity of the Spirit
- faithfully participate in God’s mission
It is our prayer that this will permeate the whole denomination and beyond. We know that as we seek the Lord through private and corporate prayer, fasting, solitude and more, we will be more effective in reaching out to those around us and participating in God’s restoration of Latin America.
Dr. Ricardo Gómez
Latin America Area Director
Latin America Area Director
Ricardo Gómez
Countries
GIVE
Give to Church Planting and Development (CPD)
Give to Extra Mile Projects (EMP)
Argentina
Brazil
Chile
Colombia
Costa Rica
Haiti
- Haiti Bible Institute
- Dessalines Rural Health
- Haiti Goat Project
- Haiti Medical Scholarships
- Haiti Providence University
- Help Haiti Heal
Mexico
- Casa Hogar Tabitha (Tabitha’s House)
- Mexico City Strategic Initiatives
- Guadalajara Church Plants
- Nogales Ministries
- Rancho Betania Conference Center
“RA” Creative Access
“X” Creative Access
Give to Extra Mile Projects (EMP)
for the Latin America Area
About the JUMELI - Latin American Free Methodist Youth Ministry
The JUMELI movement aspires to connect Free Methodist youth and young adults, strengthen their identity in Christ, and help them answer God’s call to participate with Him in the restoration of Latin America. Through JUMELI, we desire young people will have a personal and transformative encounter with God and be discipled so they can effectively evangelize, influence, and inspire their generation.
About the Leaders' Sabbaticals Project
Our vision is to participate with God in the restoration of Latin America. One way we do this is by developing healthy leaders. There are high caliber leaders throughout the entire region participating in pastoral care groups and ministerial formation opportunities. To further the health of leaders, our goal is to enable three key leaders per year the opportunity for three-month sabbatical. Some of our leaders have been in ministry for more than 30 years with no break. This is just one more piece of helping our leaders renew their ministry vision and establish healthy life rhythms. They will be eligible to apply for sabbatical every seven years and must have a clear plan and budget approved by the Area Director to qualify.
About the Asbury Scholarships Project
The Free Methodist Church in Latin America is happy to partner with Asbury Theological Seminary (Wilmore, KY) to offer a Certificate in Pastoral Leadership to a cohort of 20 students. We desire to deepen our church’s biblical and theological foundation in Latin America and prepare key leaders to pursue advanced degrees. Students will pay a portion of the tuition and fees. However, even with generous scholarships from Asbury and very appropriate cost structures, the economics of Latin America relative to the costs of a U.S.-based education requires help to defray costs, at least for the first cohort. The total cost for FMWM Latin America to assist 20 students in completing the 2 ½-year program is $33,750.
About the Community Church Planting Project
Community Church Planting (CCP) is part of a group of rapid church planting movements that have been quietly and fervently changing the world we live in. CCP has seen 1 million baptisms and 30,000 churches planted in the last 10 years. The CCP program focuses on multiplying disciples, pastors and churches among the unreached communities of the world.
The Free Methodist Church began its partnership with CCP in Central Africa where there have been over 200,000 members added. In 2011 initiatives were launched in the Middle East and Asia. Since then CCP has been introduced in Europe, Latin America and now the United States. Contributions are focused on translating materials and equipping leaders rather than supporting pastors.
About the Developing Healthy Leaders Project
Giving to the Developing Healthy Leaders fund allows the Latin America Area to create and deploy a thoroughly Free Methodist curriculum to our pastors and church leaders. The area offers in-person courses across 17 countries. Coursework is also offered virtually to international cohorts, helping build solid biblical foundations for new believers who are sharing the saving gospel of Jesus with their families and friends. Additionally, the Latin America area partners with Asbury Theological Seminary (Wilmore, KY). Qualified Latino leaders can receive a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree, thus strengthening the theological foundation of the area’s leadership.
Additionally, the area provides mentoring and pastoral care to strengthen the formation of pastors and church leaders, including offering emergency funds to those church leaders who find themselves in need of family therapy and counsel.
Goal: $24,530
About the Emergency Fund
Latin America Emergency Fund is designed to help with the medical needs of Mission District Leaders and superintendents in a medical crisis if/when insurance doesn’t cover the expense.
About the Empowering Transformational Churches Project
A transformational church participates intentionally in the community to demonstrate God’s love and participate in the transformation of their neighborhood. Recognizing that each person carries God’s image, they are active in their sociocultural contexts, modeling and promoting love-driven justice. This initiative of empowering transformational churches is helping local churches live out and participate with God in the restoration of Latin America.
Your donation will empower transformational churches by:
- developing training in community transformation
- providing coaching for churches developing projects community transformation projects
- providing funds to launch new transformational projects
About the Roots: Children's Ministry Project
The number one request from Free Methodist children’s workers in Latin America is for a solid and effective curriculum to use with the children they serve in kids’ clubs, Sunday schools, and Christian schools. An experienced international team is working on translating and contextualizing the “Roots” curriculum, produced by Light and Life Publishing, which helps children ages 3-12 to know Jesus personally and not just know about Him. Your gift will help train the next generation of Free Methodist leaders by funding translation, development, and training costs to allow this dynamic curriculum to be implemented.
About the Scholarship Fund
This fund will receive and disburse funds to assist emerging young leaders in their academic development.
About the Strategic Initiatives Project
The most effective way to resource the Latin America Area is through giving that invests in national leaders, international missionaries, urban initiatives and long-term sustainability. Giving in this way allows us all to participate with God in the restoration of Latin America through developing healthy leaders, multiplying committed disciples, and empowering transformational churches. Funds are directed to the greatest and most strategic opportunities in the Latin American Area.
Missionaries
Guy & Betsy Crawford
Guy and Betsy Crawford provide pastoral care and support to FM missionaries in Latin America. Their role includes encouragement and spiritual nurture via emails, phone calls and field visits; special care in emergencies or times of crisis; and organization of prayer networks.
J.R. & Becky Crouse
Based in Quito, Ecuador, the Crouses assist the Free Methodist Church in Ecuador and the Latin America Area (LAA) through leadership development, education and transformational development.
Jose “Gaby” Estrella & Dalia Sanchez
Jose “Gaby” Estrella and Dalia Sanchez are joining the Latin American mission team to contribute in multiple strategic ways. Gaby’s primary role will be as a digital storyteller, harnessing his background in photography and videography, and utilizing these tools to help tell the story of what God is doing throughout Latin America. Dalia will apply her many years of experience in education as she joins teams that support and expand the ministry to children and students throughout the area.
Kay Stotts Godoy
Kay Stotts Godoy is deeply committed to the holistic development of children, with a special focus on nurturing their spiritual growth. She leads a dedicated team of Latin American children’s leaders and FM missionaries in adapting, translating, writing and implementing the Raices (Roots) curriculum across the continent.
Ricardo & Beth Gómez
Based out of Medellín, Colombia, Ricardo Gómez serves as area director for Latin America. He oversees the U.S. missionaries and national leaders in 19 countries as they implement the shared vision to participate with God in the restoration of Latin America by developing healthy leaders who multiply disciples, groups and churches and empower them for holistic transformation. Beth serves alongside him as an executive assistant.
Esteban & Cris Flores
Esteban and Cris Flores, originally from Baja California, Mexico, are fruitful leaders in the Free Methodist Church. For the past 15 years, they have served in various roles – worship leaders, youth pastors, short-term mission leaders and pastors of a local church. In 2022, they joined a team to coordinate an area-wide Youth Summit called JUMELI and are now leading the JUMELI movement across the Latin America Area.
Shane & Katie Jewell
Shane and Katie Jewell are developing worship teams for church plants in Colombia through mentorship and music lessons. Shane also serves the Latin American Area as VISA coordinator, helping connect the U.S. church with the Latin American church through short-term mission trips.
John Jairo Leal & Susana Castro
John Jairo Leal and Susana Castro are ordained pastors in Colombia and have served as pastors and church planters in Medellín. John is currently the field director for Community Church Planting with Impact Latin America and is part of the Colombian ministerial education and guidance board. Susana is the leader of the Developing Healthy Leaders pillar for the Latin American Area and is pastor of the Camino de Vida church in Medellín.
Dennis & Kyle Leon
Dennis and Kyle Leon moved to Esterillos, Costa Rica, with the vision of seeing everyone in every community have access to a living church by multiplying disciples, workers and churches. God has used them to lead to Christ and disciple many new believers, resulting in a multiplying network of churches and home groups now called the 360 Mission District.
Casto & Flor Marlene
Pastor Casto has a track record for training, mentoring, encouraging and empowering leaders, resulting in more than 20 new churches in his home country. He now mentors superintendents in Puerto Rico, Chile and Mexico, and is a mission district leader in Costa Rica. A retired teacher, Flor Marlene is currently part of the Latin America Area Developing Healthy Leaders team.
David López
David is an international missionary in Latin America. He and his family moved to their country of origin three years ago. David is an ordained elder with a successful track record of multiplying disciples, leaders and churches. He is the coordinator of the pillar for the Multiplication of Disciples, Groups and Churches in the Free Methodist Church of Latin America.
Anthony & Lizzette Owens
Anthony and Lizzette Owens are pioneering Free Methodist work in Panama. Anthony was born in Panama and ordained in the Free Methodist Church in Florida, where he planted and served in various church settings. In 2024, he and Lizzette took a step of faith, returning to his native Panama where they now serve as international missionaries, answering the call to expand the Kingdom and establish the Free Methodist Church there. Since they arrived in Panama, a strong and thriving house of peace (house church) has been established and is already seeing fruitfulness. Their short-term focus is on sharing the good news and discipling new believers. Eventually, they hope to establish a network of transformational house churches and established congregations.
Dan & Hope Owsley
Dan and Hope Owsley have served in four major regions of Brazil over the past three decades, helping start churches and organizing conferences. Their ministry has included teaching Bible and theology to church leaders, mentoring men and women in ministry, sharing the gospel, and discipling new believers. In 2020 they moved to the state of São Paulo to help restructure the Free Methodist seminary. Both Hope and Dan teach there, and Dan acts as the academic coordinator.
Juan Carlos Rodriguez & Yaneth Aguirre
Pastor Juan Carlos and Yaneth Aguirre, moved by God’s love, have made their home in Encarnación, Paraguay, where they participate with God in the restoration of Latin America. Juan Carlos, building upon his experience as a conference superintendent in Mexico, serves as a mentor (guide and trainer) to district leaders in Guatemala, Paraguay and a Creative Access Country. He also coordinates the Implementation team that serves throughout the region. Yaneth is part of the transformational churches team, supporting local churches as they develop ministries of transformation in their communities.
Thad & Nikki Roller
The Rollers live and minister in Cajicá, just outside Bogotá, Colombia. They are passionate about seeing leaders, disciples and churches multiplied in their communities and throughout Latin America. Thad is assistant area director for Latin America and Colombia’s district Leader. Nikki’s roles include coaching missionaries in their personal growth plans; participating on the Third Culture Kids Care team; and developing and mentoring for Raíces, a dynamic spiritual formation resource impacting more than 3,000 kids in 17 countries.
Rodrigo & Tanya Rosado
The Rosados are based in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and lead in three main areas. They pastor and serve at the Harbor, an international multicultural church. Tanya oversees the love-driven justice ministries (Empowering Holistic Transformation) for Latin America, leading a team of coaches who equip local churches in 15 countries as they start and run ministries to promote the holistic transformation of their communities. Rodrigo is the mission district leader for Argentina, providing vision and oversight for the district’s growth and maturity by developing healthy leaders, multiplying committed disciples and empowering holistic transformation.
Brook & Susan Selby
Susan and Brook Selby are excited to follow Jesus’ lead in pioneering a church-planting and multiplication movement in Panama, working alongside Antony and Lizette Owens. As a gifted leader and administrator, Susan enjoys creating systems and structures to disciple people into more peaceful, trusting and God-honoring ways of doing relationships. An ordained elder in the FM Church, Brook raises disciples and leaders, helping them identify what God is doing in their lives while assisting them in taking the next steps of faith in following Jesus toward advancing the Kingdom.
Rich & Laurie Sheriff
Rich and Laurie serve in San Pedro de la Paz, on the edge of Concepción, Chile. Rich is an elder in the Keystone Conference. After years of pastoring in the U.S. and leading short-term mission teams to various parts of the world, the Chilean Conference of the FMC invited the Sheriffs to come full time and plant bilingual churches. Along with church planting, they work in leadership development and encouraging local FM pastors, families and churches.
GO
Mana VISA Team
About This Ministry Opportunity
Mexico VISA Team
About This Ministry Opportunity
Santiago Chile VISA Team: Expansion of church
The church in Santiago, Chile is looking for help to complete a construction project expanding the church (new classrooms, as well as areas for the worship team and the youth group).
HEARTBEAT
Ministering in Brazil
The Free Methodist Church in Campo Grande, Brazil, ministers in a poor neighborhood rife with drug trafficking. Two hundred children are involved in...
Mobilizing and Uniting
There are three general conferences in Latin America: Haiti, Brazil and the Dominican Republic. Each has its own vision, mission and government, and...
Living in Transformational Community
As we sat together in the conference room for the Strategic Planning Retreat, we realized in reverent gratitude that almost everything God was doing...
Freedom in Bolivia
Two years ago, the transformational church pillar of the Latin American Area began sponsoring “Freedom Week” to create awareness of modern-day...
More Than We Could Ask or Imagine
If missionaries Don and Elda Rose Bowen could have seen 65 years into the future, they would have said, “It is more than we could ask or imagine.”...
Connection: Bible Memorization and Restoration
One simple interaction in Paraguay and an offering collected at the National Bible Quiz Finals in the USA are reaping great rewards in Colombia. It...