Mita Congregation
Encyclopedia
The Mita Congregation is a Christian
congregation based in Puerto Rico
. The congregation has chapters in the United States
, Canada
, Venezuela
, Colombia
, Ecuador
, Panama
, Costa Rica
, Mexico
El Salvador
, Spain
, and in the Dominican Republic
. The Congregation is headquartered at its Temple at 203 Duarte Street, Hato Rey, Puerto Rico.
The Mita believe that a woman named Mita, born Juanita García Peraza
, was chosen by God like all the prophets were chosen in earth and she became the body, the living incarnation of the Holy Spirit
in its third manifestation. First as the omnipotent father in Jehovah then in his beloved son Jesus Christ and in its third manifestation with a new name revealed Mita, name of the holy spirit of God. According to their beliefs, the Holy Spirit once acted through Mita and anointed Teófilo Vargas Seín (born on October 23, 1921) as the first prophet of God in what they call the new manifestation of God, the third manifestation, the Holy Trinity, The father, son and the Holy Spirit. Teófilo Vargas was renamed Aarón and before the date when Juanita García Peraza died in 1970, she called Aarón and by the words of the Holy Spirit of God thru her mouth told him to take care of his church and is today the spiritual leader of the Mita's Congregation. The congregation was formed in Arecibo
in 1940, but in 1947 the church was relocated to Hato Rey, San Juan
, Puerto Rico.
Spanish translation of the Bible. They are trinitarian
, believing in Jehovah, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, who they believe "is on earth, that His new name is Mita and that, through Aarón, He guide His Church and guides it through truth and justice towards salvation." Aarón is considered God's prophet for today, and through him God's message of cleansing, freedom from sin, and unity is brought to the world.
The church's message thru the music of the different bands the biggest marching band in Puerto Rico, Harps, Cords, Chorus emphasize love, liberty, and unity. The church counsel is for a clean life following God's Ten Commandments.
At official activities, members dress in all white as a symbol of purity and cleanliness of their redeemed souls.
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
congregation based in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
. The congregation has chapters in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
, Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
, Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
, Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
, Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
El Salvador
El Salvador
El Salvador or simply Salvador is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. The country's capital city and largest city is San Salvador; Santa Ana and San Miguel are also important cultural and commercial centers in the country and in all of Central America...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, and in the Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
. The Congregation is headquartered at its Temple at 203 Duarte Street, Hato Rey, Puerto Rico.
The Mita believe that a woman named Mita, born Juanita García Peraza
Juanita García Peraza
Juanita Garcia Peraza, also known as "Mita" was the founder of the "Mita congregation", the only Protestant religion of Puerto Rican origin.-Early years:...
, was chosen by God like all the prophets were chosen in earth and she became the body, the living incarnation of the Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of the Hebrew Bible, but understood differently in the main Abrahamic religions.While the general concept of a "Spirit" that permeates the cosmos has been used in various religions Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of...
in its third manifestation. First as the omnipotent father in Jehovah then in his beloved son Jesus Christ and in its third manifestation with a new name revealed Mita, name of the holy spirit of God. According to their beliefs, the Holy Spirit once acted through Mita and anointed Teófilo Vargas Seín (born on October 23, 1921) as the first prophet of God in what they call the new manifestation of God, the third manifestation, the Holy Trinity, The father, son and the Holy Spirit. Teófilo Vargas was renamed Aarón and before the date when Juanita García Peraza died in 1970, she called Aarón and by the words of the Holy Spirit of God thru her mouth told him to take care of his church and is today the spiritual leader of the Mita's Congregation. The congregation was formed in Arecibo
Arecibo
Arecibo may refer to:*Arecibo, Puerto Rico, a municipality located by the Atlantic Ocean*Arecibo Observatory, a very sensitive radio telescope located approximately south-southwest from the city of Arecibo...
in 1940, but in 1947 the church was relocated to Hato Rey, San Juan
San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...
, Puerto Rico.
Doctrine
The doctrine of the church is based on the original Reina-ValeraReina-Valera
The Reina-Valera is a Spanish translation of the Bible, first published in 1569 in Basel, Switzerland and nicknamed the "Biblia del Oso" . It was not the first complete Bible in Spanish; several others, most notably the Alfonsina Bible, were published in previous centuries...
Spanish translation of the Bible. They are trinitarian
Trinity
The Christian doctrine of the Trinity defines God as three divine persons : the Father, the Son , and the Holy Spirit. The three persons are distinct yet coexist in unity, and are co-equal, co-eternal and consubstantial . Put another way, the three persons of the Trinity are of one being...
, believing in Jehovah, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, who they believe "is on earth, that His new name is Mita and that, through Aarón, He guide His Church and guides it through truth and justice towards salvation." Aarón is considered God's prophet for today, and through him God's message of cleansing, freedom from sin, and unity is brought to the world.
The church's message thru the music of the different bands the biggest marching band in Puerto Rico, Harps, Cords, Chorus emphasize love, liberty, and unity. The church counsel is for a clean life following God's Ten Commandments.
At official activities, members dress in all white as a symbol of purity and cleanliness of their redeemed souls.
External links
- congregacionmita.org – official website
- J. Gordon MeltonJ. Gordon MeltonJohn Gordon Melton is an American religious scholar who was the founding director of the Institute for the Study of American Religion and is currently a research specialist in religion and New Religious Movements with the Department of Religious Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara...
(1996, 5th ed.). Encyclopedia of American Religions (Detroit, Mich.: Gale) p. 389