Brethren in Puerto Rico ask for prayer for island's financial crisis.

Brethren from Puerto Rico who were at the Church of the Brethren's Cross Cultural Consultation and Celebration in Pennsylvania May 4-7, asked fellow participants to pray for the island during a serious financial crisis. On May 1 nearly 100,000 government employees including teachers and others were temporarily laid off as the Puerto Rican government ran out of money.

The "New York Times" reported Saturday, May 20, that government workers were back on the job May 15, after a special commission was appointed to create a plan to resolve the crisis, and evangelical and Roman Catholic religious leaders stepped in to influence the situation (see http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/20/opinion/20montero.html).

At least two Brethren members at the consultation in Pennsylvania were among those not receiving a paycheck, according to Jaime Diaz, who issued the call for prayer. He added that the financial crisis has been affecting his own family. Diaz is pastor of Castaner Church of the Brethren and a member of the Church of the Brethren General Board.

Source: 5/22/2006 Newsline
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