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Friday October 26, 2007

[Foto: M. Quintero]
[Foto: M. Quintero]

Anglican, Julio Murray, new President of CLAI

Carolina Brito and ALC/CLAI, BUENOS AIRES, Argentina, February 23, 2007

The V Assembly of CLAI this afternoon elected as its new President, Bishop Julio Murray Taxi Heathrow Airport of the Anglican Church of Panama. Murray was declared the maximum authority of the Latin American ecumenical organization, following the third election ballot in which he received 56% of the votes cast by the plenary delegates to the Assembly. Felipe Adolf of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ecuador, gained second place with 44% of the votes cast.

The other candidates nominated at the Assembly by the five geographical regions of CLAI were, Francisco Duque of the Episcopal Church in Colombia, Noemí Espinoza of the Reformed Church of Honduras and until today Vice-President of the Council, and Oscar Bolioli, President of the Methodist Church of Uruguay.

The 154 voters present in the assembly hall of the Ward School arranged to accommodate the Assembly’s plenary sessions, began the election process at around 3:00 pm. on Thursday, February 22, and two hours later had an absolute majority of votes that placed Murray in the presidency of CLAI.

Bishop Julio Murray Thompson, was born on December 19, 1958 in Panama City, Panama. He did his theological studies in the Latin American Biblical Seminary, in San Jose, Costa Rica, and at the National University of Heredia, upon which he returned to the Latin American Biblical University in Costa Rica. Murray has had an active commitment in society through his membership and participation in various civic and social organizations of his country. With his commitment to education and youth ministry, Julio Murray was elected Diocesan Bishop of the Anglican Church of Panama in 2000.

In his first greeting to the V Assembly as President, Bishop Murray pointed out that “God writes straight paths on crooked paths, and carries out his will despite of us,” referring to the election results. With the applause of those present, he added that the Lord brings about justice when an excluded black person comes to be President of an organization as important as CLAI. Finally, he encouraged all to work together in the doing of God’s will and for there being justice for all the peoples of Latin America.