Steering Committee Formed and Getting Down to Business

The Guatemala Partnership of New Castle Presbytery has just exploded in the last two years….in a good way! There is new energy from churches, new excitement from individuals, and new commitment from the Presbytery. We launched a website, increased our financial support tenfold, and formalized our partnerships in Guatemala. There are now 12 churches within the Presbytery involved—with more in the wings—and more and more individual members have traveled with us to see God’s work up close.

NCP Guatemala Steering Committee — Steering Committee meets via Zoom

But this newfound success also means a lot of work! We quickly recognized the need to expand our team and design a formal plan for the future. To form our Steering Committee, we tapped eight individuals—representing five different churches—who have demonstrated great enthusiasm for our work. They also bring incredible skills and resources to the table.

The Steering Committee has been meeting twice a month since March via Zoom. Our first order of business was to work with an organizational development professional (thank you Kim Eschborn!) to formalize our mission, vision, and beliefs shared below. We are now digging deeper and outlining our 3-5 year strategic plan, establishing goals, and defining roles and responsibilities. If you or your congregation would like to learn more about the Guatemala Partnership, please now feel free to reach out to any member of this amazing leadership team listed below or contact us here.

Whether you’ve known about this partnership for many years or you’ve just heard about it, we would like to reintroduce ourselves as we all walk along this journey—together.

Who We Are

The Guatemala Partnership of New Castle Presbytery (Partnership) is an entity that is sponsored by New Castle Presbytery (NCP) and led by a designated Steering Committee. Our purpose is to encourage, guide, support and coordinate the efforts of New Castle Presbytery, its congregations, and individual members to actively engage with our partners in Guatemala, namely the Protestant Center for Pastoral Studies in Central America (CEDEPCA) and the Association of Mam Christian Women for Development (Association).

Our Mission

Walking together with our partners, we faithfully respond to the widespread, critical needs of women and their families in Guatemala through sustainable development initiatives focused on health, income, education, the environment, and spiritual growth.

Our Vision

We aspire to create an efficient network of individuals and congregations within New Castle Presbytery who are committed to strengthening and promoting the Guatemala Partnership, so we can fulfill our mission and improve the lives of all involved.

Our Beliefs

Relationships are first and foremost to addressing poverty in Guatemala.
All people are equal in the eyes of God.
Direct collaboration with our in-country partners is the most effective way to make a positive impact.
Change should be made through sustainable programs that empower people to improve lives.
Our work must preserve dignity, uplift personal and spiritual growth, and enhance lives of all involved.