Vital Congregations, Presbyteries and Synods

A Letter from César Carhuachín, serving in Colombia

Summer 2023

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Hello brothers and sisters in the United States!

Greetings from Decatur, GA where we are until Oct. 17. This time in the U.S. is a rich time to visit congregations, presbyteries and other church gatherings to share about God’s mission in Colombia. But, also, I am being enriched by their ministries by seeing how God is working in our churches. God is good and is working here and there, showing his love, peace and justice in our world. I want to thank you for your prayer and financial support because with it we are able to serve God, and our church and minister with our church partners around the world.

I visited the 251^st Synod of the Mid-Atlantic assembly meeting in Richmond, VA on March 9-11. This was the first time I attended and preached at a synod assembly. In addition to the sermon on Friday (“Mission and Poverty”), I had the opportunity to share about God’s mission in Colombia on Saturday morning. It focused on “Poverty and Women in Colombia.” I received good feedback from the delegates after my sermon and presentation. Since it was my first time attending a Synod assembly, I learned a lot about it. The kindness and professionalism of my colleague Rev. Warren Lesane and the leadership of the synod made this a blessed time for me and my wife.

On Saturday and Sunday, April 15 and 16, we went to Gastonia, NC at Flink Groves Spanish Church to share at a conference about discipleship, stewardship and leadership. It was a special visit for me because the pastor of the church Rev. Manuel Hernandez was one of my former students in Charlotte, NC when I was a pastor and professor of a seminary in Charlotte.

The weekend of April 29 and 30 we visited Christ Presbyterian Church of Canton, OH. We were so blessed with this beautiful church with a great chorus. My sermon was about “Jesus the Sheep Gate.” Rev. Michael Wallace, one of the pastors of the church is going to Barranquilla, Colombia this coming July to teach the two courses that I typically taught at the Reformed University (Introduction to the Systematic Theology I-II). Please pray for him, his wife Courtney and his two children, so they might be a blessing to others and be blessed in Colombia. The following weekend, on June 7, we visited Old Union Presbyterian Church of Mars, PA. There, Rev. Peter deVries, his wife and members of the church made us feel at home. We participated in a short video at the online weekly devotional time. I talked to the Adult Sunday School class about the ministry in Colombia. Then I preached a sermon titled “Jesus, the Way, the Truth and the Life.” The feedback from the members of the church was so good and generous. I thank these pastors for their passion for God´s mission around the world.

On Tuesday, May 16, I spoke at the stated meeting of the Presbytery of Charlotte, where I shared about God’s mission in Colombia. I love this presbytery, which has been my home presbytery since 2006 and where I served for seven years. On Sunday, May 21, I preached at Cornelius PC, NC about “The Prayer of Jesus” reflecting on what would be the prayer of Jesus today in the United States and Latin America, which includes our worries and concerns. Currently, we are facing serious problems such as intra-family violence, mass shootings and war. Today, Jesus would pray for peace and reconciliation in our families, our churches and our society.

On Sunday, May 28, I went to Hoschton, GA to share conferences and preach in a Spanish New Worship Community. The pastor of the congregation, Rev. Zulema Garcia was one of my students at the Theology program of the Reformed University in Barranquilla, Colombia. She came to the United States to help her youngest daughter two months before the pandemic. Then, when the pandemic began in 2020, she couldn’t return to Venezuela. She stayed with her daughter and weeks later she decided to host Bible studies at her home. After some months, the Presbytery of Great Atlanta opened its doors to that group and it became a New Worship Community. Please pray for this ministry done with Venezuelan migrants.

At this particular time, I want to ask for your prayers for safe travels because I am driving to visit all these congregations that I have on my calendar for the rest of my Interpretation Assignment time in the U.S. If you didn’t sign up yet to receive my mission connection letters, please do it so at: https://www.presbyterianmission.org/ministries/missionconnections/rev-c-sar-carhuach-n/.

Grace and peace!