Dear Sisters and Brothers:

With great sadness, we learned that the National Presbyterian Church of Mexico voted overwhelmingly to severe its relationshipwith the Presbyterian Church (USA) on August 19, 2011. At the meeting, 116 of the 138 men present voted to immediately end our 139 year relationship because of the Presbyterian Church USA's recent change in its book of order that would allow for churches and presbyteries to consider candidates for ordination as deacons, elders and ministers of the Word and Sacrament regardless of their sexual orientation, an issue that has been debated for decades in the PCUSA and of which PCUSA is still not of one mind.  Read more about the decision and the response of World Mission here.

While a wall between our two national churches has been erected, Frontera de Cristo remains committed to witness to the good news of Jesus Christ on our shared border. It is very important to share that the decision of the National Presbyterian Church of Mexico does not dissolve the vibrant and important ministry that sisters and brothers from both sides of the border are engaged in. It changes it in the following ways:

Click "read more" below to see the rest of the letter Jeni O'Callaghan, President of the Board of Frontera de Cristo.

1) No longer does the ministry have the moral support of the General Assembly of the National Presbyterian Church of Mexico;

2) Our partners in the Presbytery of Chihuahua and the Presbyterian churches in Sonora will have to discern what the National Presbyterian Church of Mexico's General Assembly decision means for their participation with the ministry of Frontera de Cristo.

If our Mexican Presbyterian partners discern that they cannot participate because of their denominations decision, many of our ministries and partners in ministry should not be directly affected because they are ecumenical or non-Presbyterian in nature: the CRREDA drug rehabilitation center; the Just Trade Center, the network of Café Justo cooperatives; the Migrant Resource Center; DouglaPrieta Trabaja; Agua Para La Vida; the Southern Border Communities Coalition; the health ministry and the Mission Education ministry. If our Mexican partners in Sonora and Chihuahua decide they cannot participate, the one area that would be affected would be our new church development ministry on the Mexico side of the border.

This is a time of grief in our family-a divorce in a marriage that has lasted 139 years is painful and sad. We ask you to join us in prayer that new life will come from the end of the relationship between our two national churches and that we will be attentive to how God is leading us into this new chapter of grassroots ministry along the US/Mexico border.

Frontera de Cristo will continue to be in ministry with all who seek to witness to life in the face of death, unity in the face of division, hope in the face of despair and love in the face of hate. We invite you to continue with us in partnership as we journey into the future that God has in store for us.

We ask you to join us in prayers for our two national churches that there will be healing and that despite the rupture they will be instruments of God's blessings

Also pray for us as an executive committee and our board so that God will manifest Divine wisdom in us as we seek to discern new directions and that we may have courage as we continue forward.

Peace, Jeni O'Callaghan

President of the Board