Mission Opportunities
Salem Presbytery has been sending short term mission teams to serve both at home and abroad since the inception of the presbytery in the 1980’s. Trips have focused on disaster assistance, facility and home construction, Christian education, medical services, new church development and youth outreach. Our primary mission goals have been directed toward national disaster assistance and construction/education trips to foreign countries.
Our disaster assistance trips have been focused on North Carolina as well other states. Many of our international trips have been to Chiapas, Mexico the southernmost state of that nation. In the past, Presbyterian missionaries from the U. S. established churches, schools, medical facilities, and other ministries throughout Mexico and the church there has grown significantly since.
Presbytery’s focus since the early 2000’s has been on supporting the ongoing ministries of the Hebron Mission, a Presbyterian agency serving indigenous and Mexican peoples in Chiapus. The teams have assisted our Mexican brothers and sisters in providing medical services at Los Manos de Cristo Clinic (The Hands of Christ Clinic) built with the help of Salem congregations in Ocosingo, Mexico. In addition, teams have assisted in providing educational ministries, facility construction, children and youth outreach and new church development. (Churches in Salem Presbytery helped establish Hebron USA a national nonprofit that develops ongoing support for the Chiapas Mission.) Due to Covid outbreaks, all Presbytery sanctioned mission trips have been canceled since 2019.
As we look forward to a more normal health situation in our Presbytery, the Presbytery Mission Committee is considering restarting mission efforts this coming summer. The Committee is seeking individuals who might consider serving in a disaster assistance mission to Kentucky or other locations or a mission trip to Chiapus. We are hopeful that medical missions to Chiapas may restart in the fall.
To learn more about these possible mission opportunities contact:
Ray Mims, Committee Moderator at raymims1@gmail.com.