News

El Aposento Alto Celebrates 70 Years

(March 28, 2008, GBOD/UR) — Upper Room Ministries' El Aposento Alto, a Spanish-language version of The Upper Room daily devotional guide, is celebrating its 70th anniversary.

At 70, El Aposento Alto devotional magazine represents an integral part of the history of the Upper Room, a ministry of GBOD.

"As an organization, we cover the earth with the message of Jesus Christ," says current editor, the Rev. Carmen Gaud.

El Aposento Alto began in 1938 under the leadership of its first editor, Dr. Grover Carlton Emmons. In 1937 Emmons invited the Rev. Dr. Juan Pascoe to be the translator and editor of this new Spanish edition. The son of an English father and a Mexican mother and a graduate of Vanderbilt University, Rev. Pascoe was also the first Mexican elected bishop when the Methodist Church in Mexico became autonomous. Dr. Pascoe served as editor from 1938 to 1962, making him one of the longest-serving editors.

Pascoe and his wife, Elisa, together translated and edited the meditations; after his death, Elisa would continue her husband's work until 1971.

On the left, Pastor Eliud Martínez, UMC Hispanic Mission in Crossville, Tenn. and the Rev. Carmen M. Gaud, international editor, El Aposento Alto, share a laugh during the reception that followed the worship service at the Upper Room anniversary celebration.

During this period, Doña Elisa Strozzi de Pascoe worked in collaboration with the Rev. Rolando Zapata, a Methodist elder who was also bishop of the Methodist Church in Mexico.

A Time of Growth and Expansion

From 1938 to 1971, the translation and editing were completed in Mexico, while the devotional guide was produced in Nashville. Copies of the magazine were sent by mail to different countries in Latin America.

For the first time ever, editorial and production were consolidated in Nashville from 1972 to 1978 under the Rev. Dr. Roberto Escamilla, associate general secretary of the General Board of Discipleship, who assumed responsibility for coordinating the production of El Aposento Alto.

The Rev. Horacio M. Ríos, former International Editor for El Aposento Alto was the first editor to be devoted to the magazine on a full-time basis. His vision led to publication of many other works in Spanish.

In 1978, also for the first time, El Aposento Alto had an editor who could dedicate his time fully to the magazine: the Rev. Horacio Ríos.

During this time, the magazine was printed and distributed in Mexico City; Santiago, Chile; Lima, Perú; Madrid, Spain; Santo Domingo; and the Dominican Republic.

Under Ríos' watch, shipment of El Aposento Alto to Cuba -- which had been interrupted by the embargo -- was resumed.

Ríos also supervised the translation of the Emmaus manuals into Spanish. It was his vision that led to developing other publications and works in Spanish.

The Rev. Dr. Carmen Gaud became editor of the magazine in 1995, with Theresa Santillán, editorial assistant, joining the team in 1998, and Jorge Berríos, associate editor, coming on board in 2001.

El Aposento Alto Enters the Technological Age

Current editorial staff of El Aposento Alto from left to right: Theresa Santillán, editorial assistant; the Rev. Carmen M. Gaud,international editor; the Rev. Horacio Ríos, former international editor; and Jorge Berríos, associate editor.

The magazine fully entered the technological age, which led to production in more countries and to more affordable copies being made available to more readers in Spanish-speaking countries.

Since 2003, the staff has been sending the content and the covers electronically to the cities where El Aposento Alto is manufactured and distributed.

Today El Aposento Alto is printed and distributed from the United States, Mexico, Argentina, the Dominican Republic, Chile, Bolivia, Peru and Colombia. From these sites, the magazine goes to other Spanish-speaking countries, such as Puerto Rico, Cuba, Spain, Uruguay, Paraguay, Venezuela, Ecuador, and countries in Central America.

"For many years, El Aposento Alto has been my daily devotional guide. I never go out of my house in the morning without reading and praying with you," says Veneranda Landrau-Cruz, a reader from Toa Alta, Puerto Rico.

Landrau-Cruz, who also turns 70 in November, began reading El Aposento Alto very early in life. She says, "the magazine has contributed enormously to my spiritual growth. Only people committed to the redemptive mission of Christ can develop such a beautiful ministry."

El Aposento Alto is experiencing consistent growth in circulation and influence in each of these countries.

"People in all walks of life use El Aposento Alto. The growth of the Hispanic population in the U.S. is another growing area of ministry, and one in which the magazine continues to play an important role in evangelism and spiritual formation," says Gaud.

The Spanish edition of The Upper Room hopes to continue the work of proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ to people in many countries of the world.

Today, Upper Room editors around the world produce 77 editions in 40 languages, and the magazine is even distributed in Ushuaia, one of the closest towns to the South Pole.

The General Board of Discipleship's mission is to support annual conference and local church leaders for their task of equipping world-changing disciples. An agency of The United Methodist Church, GBOD (www.gbod.org) is located at 1908 Grand Ave. in Nashville, Tenn. For more information, call the Media Relations Office toll free at 877-899-2780, ext. 7017.