Congregations are encouraged to be involved locally as well as internationally as part of their commitment. In Yakima that means the development of an Hispanic Presbyterian fellowship with the assistance of Mexican Presbyterians. Jorge Lopez, a pastor in the National Presbyterian Church of Mexico, spent two years as a missionary in Yakima. We want people to have hands-on experiences . . . because that changes people. We believe our people need to be affected by mission as much as the people on the other end.
Grace participates in wide-ranging international and local mission programming.
Construction teams from Grace are working with officials in Mexico to build a clinic with proper medical facilities. Medical and health needs, with evangelism, with Bible translation, with building churches, with reaching out to college students around the world. We try to have a balance. Harry Slye Low-Key Mission in the Middle East St. Johns Assyrian Presbyterian Church in Turlock, California, partners with six congregations in Iraq, a nation that has maintained shaky relations, at best, with the United States. This prompts discreet measures in mission by St. Johns, a mostly Assyrian congregation of 160-170 members who have roots in Iraq, Iran and Lebanon.