The Jilakata of the Bolivia/Oklahoma Methodist Ayllu

Know your Aymara:

“The Jilakata de Ayllu: The Council of Elders of a spiritually bound community.”

“Ayllu” (pronounced “I Yo”) is an Aymara word that means something between extended family and a community of parents, grandparents and cousins. It is more than a community and more than an extended family. It implies an intimate long-term relationship between family/community persons. “Ayllu” is the basic relationship that exists in a community as a part of the Andean community known as “Tahuantinsuyo”. Inside an Ayllu there are family relationships, solidarity, also a relationship between the people and nature. While someone may move away from the community, from the Tahuantinsuyo, they never leave the Ayllu.

“Ayni” means something like ‘reciprocity’ or ‘interdependence’. It is, in some ways, the opposite of individuality. When you live in poverty your farm, your home and your lives clinging to the side of a steep mountain, with all the variances of weather and crop production, the idea of individuality and going it alone makes no sense. Life is about sharing, sharing food, sharing labor to work on each other’s homes and fences and farms, sharing personal burdens, and sharing our faith.

The Jilakata (Pronounced: “hee la ka ta) are leaders or elders or wise (experienced) ones. So the Jilakata de Ayllu is the ‘Council of Elders’ or ‘Council of Leaders’ of a spiritually bound community. The Jilakata de Ayllu aren’t voted upon in a formal way, but simply emerge within a community and are recognized as leaders. The Jilakata are set aside by the community to speak on their behalf and make decisions. 

The Jilakata de Bolivia/Oklahoma Ayllu is a committee under the jurisdiction of the Missions and Service Ministries Team (MSMT) of the Oklahoma Annual Conference. It was established in 1987 at the signing of the first Partnership Agreement between the Oklahoma Annual Conference and the Iglesia Evangelica Metodista en Bolivia.

The Jilakata de Bolivia/Oklahoma Ayllu will:

• Live in Ayni with the people of Bolivia and especially our Methodist brothers and sisters.
• Help create a sense of Ayllu between Oklahoma and Bolivia based on Ayni. Building a real sense of community, reciprocity and interdependence. We will become more aware and facilitate the Oklahoma Annual Conference’s (OAC) increasing dependence and education coming from Bolivia on how to live in solidarity with the poor and to serve the Servant. We will also strengthen the relationship with the Iglesia Evangelica Metodista en Bolivia (IEMB) so that they IEMB can depend more and more on the OAC for support and aid.
• Provide oversight and direction for the Bolivia/Oklahoma Methodist Ayllu based on Ayni.
• Provide oversight and direction for the work of the “Missionary-in-Reverse” (Mission Interpreter of the Bolivia/Oklahoma Partnership), Rev. David Stephenson.

The signed agreement between the Bolivia and Oklahoma Methodist Churches states the Jilakata’s responsibilities are to:

• Strengthen the spirituality, discipleship, and mission of our churches in Bolivia and Oklahoma.
• Facilitate the listening and learning from each other through mutual exchanges and visits to each other’s Conferences.
• Sustain and expand the evangelization, leadership development, and construction of churches through the sending and receiving of volunteers in mission teams and individual volunteers.
• Care for all persons so that their lives can be uplifted through the proclamation of the gospel and delivery of social services including health care, education, rural development, agriculture and nutrition.
• Encourage congregations in each of our conferences to be in relationship with each other.
• Receive from the IEMB a list of priorities to share with the churches of the local Oklahoma United Methodist Church, and then any specific needs will be coordinated through the IEMB Executive Committee and to provide a list of the needs of the Oklahoma Annual Conference to be fulfilled by the IEMB.
• Provide in-depth orientation for all teams and individuals traveling to each other’s countries.
• Evaluate the covenant regularly and, in 2012, reevaluate, redefine, and renegotiate the Covenant at that time.

Each member of the Jilakata shall:

(Other Conference Committees are appointed by a Nominating Committee, rotate every 4 years, and recieve payment for their expenses. This is very different:)

• Attend Monthly Reporting/Planning Meetings of the Jilakata. (on-line)
• Participate in and provide leadership in one or more Project or Program Committees which will meet as needed and report to the Elders. The elder may be the chairperson, or assists another Elder to provide that leadership.
• Make a personally challenging financial gift to one of the Ayllu Projects, beyond their own travel expenses. Depending upon their financial situation that may be $100 or it may be $10,000 or more.