The PC(USA) is working in Sri Lanka through in cooperation with its church partners, the National Christian Council of Sri Lanka and Presbytery of Lanka. The country has a contentious past, and our partners there work for reconciliation.
In the early 1980s, the tensions between the majority Buddhist Sinhalese and the predominantly Hindu Tamils erupted in violent conflict. Church leaders in Sri Lanka have expressed cautious optimism following moves during the past 15 years to bring lasting peace.
The Van Brocklins are based in Sri Lanka and also work in other countries in South Asia. They serve as regional liaisons for Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) support of partner programs, relationships and activities and as implementers of the Presbyterian World Mission strategy. They also guide and support PC(USA) mission personnel in the region in communications, information sharing, mentoring, encouraging, and missiological reflection. In addition, Gary and Marlene facilitate and seek to strengthen healthy, effective and missiologically appropriate relationships among entities of the PC(USA) and those of partner denominations or organizations in the region.