Global Missions

“Mission is bearing witness to God’s love for the world in Jesus Christ.”

-Presbyterian Church (USA) Study Catechism, Question 63

Decatur Presbyterian has found many ways to share the good news of Jesus Christ and to help meet the needs of those who are hurting. Sixty percent of the people of the world survive on less than ten percent of its resources. As Christians in the United States, we have the opportunity and privilege to share our abundance with the many whose material resources are meager. We can seek to be good stewards for our God and proclaim in word and deed God’s love through Jesus Christ for all people.

DPC partners with five global missionaries who extend the ministry of our congregation across the globe.

Mark and Miriam Adams

Mark and Miriam are mission co-workers with the Presbyterian Border Ministry in Agua Prieta, Mexico. Mark is responsible, in partnership with the National Presbyterian Church of Mexico, for the coordination of the six ministry areas of Frontera de Cristo: church development, health, family counseling, the New Hope Community Center, mission education, and the Just Trade Center. Miriam serves as a liaison of Frontera de Cristo with the Center for Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation and Recuperation.

Jim and Jodi McGill

Jim serves in Malawi as coordinator of protected water within the Synod of Livingstonia’s Development Department. Jodi serves as a clinical instructor at the Ekwendeni Hospital’s nursing school.

Shelvis and Nancy Smith-Mather

Shelvis and Nancy work with Resource Centre for Civil Leadership, an indigenous ecumenical Christian organization in South Sudan, which promotes “peace building” by providing training in trauma recovery, conflict transformation, and civic education.

Dan and Elizabeth Turk

Dan and Elizabeth work in Madagascar as advisors to the reformed church’s environment and health departments, respectively. In 2014, Dan and Elizabeth Turk were honored by the Church of Jesus Christ in Madagascar/FJKM for 20 years of dedicated service.

Other Global Missions

Honduras Outreach, Inc.

Honduras Outreach is a non-denomination, Christian organization dedicated to building life-changing relationships between the people of the Olancho department of Honduras and caring North Americans and other nationalities. Rancho el Paraiso is the focal point of the Honduras Outreach ministry and is located in the department of Olancho in central Honduras.

The Jef Jel Project

“Jef Jel” is an expression in the Wolof language of Senegal that comes from the words “jef” meaning “effort” and “jel” meaning “take.” Together, “jef jel” translates to “give and take” or that “the nature of your reward equals the nature of your effort.”

Ndangane is a small, rural fishing and farming village within the region of Kaolack in Senegal, West Africa. The mission of the Jef Jel Project is to provide vital assistance to struggling communities in Senegal so that they can fully participate in their local economies.

Rural Presbyterian Church of India

Witnessing Ministries of Christ is a fund raising organization in the United States that proclaims the healing and transforming power of Jesus Christ to the untouchables (Dalits) in India by support of the Rural Presbyterian Church of India. Decatur Presbyterian Church provided over $5000 to this ministry in 1998 and has contributed over $15,000 in each subsequent year through 2012. The sum of $125,000 of this was a covenant pledge we made that created the self-supporting presbytery of Rasulabad with over 10,000 members. We continue to provide annual financial support to this Ministry.

Cafe Justo Coffee

https://www.justcoffee.org

Café Justo is a Grower owned Coffee Cooperative based in southern Chiapas Mexico, formed to address the poverty and migration from Mexico to the U.S.A. Their mission is to deliver the highest quality, organic, environmentally conscious, fresh roasted coffee to their customers at a price that is fair and just. PCUSA Mission co-workers Mark Adams and Miriam Escobar are a part of this cooperative’s work. When DPC brews coffee on Sunday mornings we purchase our coffee from Café Justo. We encourage our congregation to buy their own personal coffee from Café Justo as well.