Mennonite Air Missions, Guatemala, was envisioned by Harold Kauffman while serving as a missionary with the Conservative Mennonite Fellowship in Guatemala. Its purpose was to establish churches in the unevangelized areas in the interior of Guatemala which had no access roads. The mission was organized in 1972 and had a board of directors in the United Sates and an Official Board incorporated in Guatemala with all national members re-elected annually under the name Misiones Aereas Menonita. A plane and pilot were hired initially until Harold acquired his own plane and flying license. In addition to the congregation at the base on the western side of Guatemala City, 10 other congregations and established missions were located in seven departments of Guatemala. Harold Kauffman served as bishop along with 14 leaders. Five Guatemalan ministers and one deacon were ordained and the other nine were commissioned lay leaders. Missionary nurses and teachers in church schools were a part of the congregational witness. A Bible institute was begun in 1983. The total baptized membership was about 180 in 1987. In 2003 there were 345 members.

In 2010 the Mennonite Air Missions had 17 congregations with 262 members:

Bibliography

©1996-2012 by the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. All rights reserved.