Presbyterian World Mission works in partnership with the Council of Evangelical Churches of Nicaragua (CEPAD), which promotes justice and peace to help economically impoverished communities. Groups from the United States visit Nicaragua frequently to participate in the ministries of CEPAD. Our mission co-workers in Nicaragua receive visiting groups, coordinate activities to reflect the priorities of CEPAD, set up in-country logistics, plan the educational program with delegation leaders, and lead reflections with people who visit. They also will facilitate partnership relationships between US churches and Nicaraguan churches and institutions.
Nicaragua
Tracey King-Ortega, area coordinator, Latin America and the Caribbean
In June 2023, Tracey King transitioned from serving PC(USA) as regional liaison for Central America to area coordinator of Latin America and the Caribbean. As area coordinator Tracey helps create better communication between World Mission, mission personnel, partner churches and PC(USA) congregations interested in ministry in Latin America and the Caribbean. She has a special focus on programs of reconciliation and peacemaking.
Contact Tracey at tracey.king-ortega@pcusa.org.
Presbyterian World Mission works in partnership with CEPAD, the Council of Protestant Churches of Nicaragua. This organization is composed of 70 denominations and churches in Nicaragua, focusing work on helping communities and individuals to be the principal actors in their own development.
CEPAD was founded in December 1972, just days after a strong earthquake destroyed Managua, the capital of Nicaragua, by Dr. Gustavo Parajon, a practicing medical doctor who called people to gather together in service to help the victims of the earthquake. Now, 40 years later, while the needs have changed over the decades CEPAD continues to be one of the strongest organizations working for the development of rural communities in Nicaragua.
As an expression of its support for education, the PC(USA) relates to the Baptist Seminary, the Politechnical University of Nicaragua, and the Evangelical Faculty of Theological Studies (FEET). These three institutions provide Nicaraguan Christians with theological education as well as basic high school and university courses.
FEET is a project of the Interchurch Center for Theological and Social Studies (CIEETS), which does research on the development of the evangelical church in Nicaragua and also carries out community development projects in the countryside. Through the efforts of FEET the Evangelical University of Nicaragua (UENIC) has been established.
For more on CEPAD, visit their web site, http://cepadnica.org/