Since 2014, First United Presbyterian Church has been committed to a long-term partnership with the Presbyterian Church of Honduras. This exciting church is growing rapidly and currently consists of 27 congregations, with new congregations being formed every year. Here are some highlights of this partnership, and First United Presbyterian Church’s involvement in it:
- In the Copan region of western Honduras, we have taken members of FUPC and other Presbyterian congregations from our presbytery on four week-long trips to work with groups of Hondurans to improve the quality of life and help families stay together and care for one another. Community development in Western Honduras is a partnership between US Presbyterians and Honduran leaders and “gente” to improve housing and strengthen community bonds so that families can provide a living for themselves and are less inclined to pursue elusive economic dreams that involve dangerous travel to find work in the US.
- The Presbyterian Church of Honduras was founded in the 1950’s by lay Presbyterian immigrants from Guatemala. The original churches were in the Southeastern cities of Guimaca and Tegucigalpa. Since then, by the work of the Holy Spirit, the church has expanded rapidly, with 27 current congregations, mostly in the southeastern part of the country. First United Presbyterian Church has been active in supporting the work of the presbytery of Honduras in theological education, leadership training, financial support of pastors and their families, and scholarships enabling Honduran youth to finish high school. Efforts are being made to establish new congregations in the western department of Copan, where the US-Honduran community development work has flourished.
All participants in the mission trips to Honduras go through an orientation and in-country training before going. The long-term partnership, with continued relationships, makes each trip more effective.