The Presbytery of Grand Canyon
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| The Presbytery of Grand Canyon’s mission began in late 1870 with the arrival of Charles H. Cook, a German immigrant and veteran of the Civil War. He was following God’s call to teach the Pima Indians.
The Rev. Cook’s forty-three-year ministry lives on through the churches he founded and the school in Tempe that bears his name. Students from as far away as Alaska, Canada, and the Marshall Islands, as well as from most of the states, come to Cook College and Theological School for religious training and liberal arts studies. It serves as a link with the early days in the Southwest, recalling the great faith and determination required to build the foundation that supports the presbytery today. The current pastor of the first church established by Mr. Cook, Sacaton First Presbyterian, is Richard Blackwater, a graduate of Cook College. As presbytery leaders plan for the future, their collective understanding of the rich legacy provided by Charles H. Cook and others helps to determine the best course to fulfill Christ’s commission to “go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation” (Mark 16:15b). Encouraged by the Joining Hearts and Hands initiative to raise funds for church development and international mission, committee members are enthusiastic about planting churches at home while helping their brothers and sisters throughout God’s world. More than 130 years after Charles H. Cook’s arrival, there are 70 churches in the presbytery, 7 of them started by Mr. Cook. There are 18 Native American churches, 1 African American church, 2 Hispanic churches, 1 Korean church, and 48 other congregations. All of them, along with fellowships of immigrant groups from Ethiopia, the Philippines, the Middle East, and Spanish-speaking countries, regularly bring the increasingly diversified 16,741 members of the Presbytery of Grand Canyon together to worship and praise God. |
 Elder Mary Lynn Walters, member, GAC Presbytery Staff Rev. Ken Moe, executive presbyter Rev. Renato Alvarez, director, ministry to the rural poor Rev. José Olagues, associate executive presbyter for congregational resourcing Rev. Judy Wellington, associate executive presbyter for Native American ministries Linda Bailey, manager, records and publications, assistant stated clerk Richard Coffelt, stated clerk Marcia McCabe, office manager Paul Frieling, accounting coordinator Starr Luteri-Hicks, director, clergy spouse ministry Don Swanson, administrative property manager Kate Wilmoth, director, resource center PC(USA) General Assembly Staff Barry Creech, DEDO Linda Crittenden, DEDO Lindsay Crosby, BOP |
 Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? (1 Cor. 3:16). |
 Ps. 22, 105, 130, 148 Gen. 40:1–23 1 Cor. 3:16–23; Mark 2:13–22 |
