Lessons from Peru spur action back home for PC(USA) leaders

This past summer, a small delegation of Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) leaders journeyed to Peru. Over eight days, they traveled from remote Andean villages to the coastal capital of Lima and into the depths of the Amazon jungle. Along the way, they met with church leaders, theologians, activists and local citizens. They worshiped, dialogued, and learned about the profound damage that conquest and extractive mining have inflicted — and continue to inflict — on the environment, indigenous communities, and other marginalized populations. When they departed, they carried a promise: what happened in Peru would not stay in Peru.

Global engagement is a key value of the PC(USA), and international trips are common — especially for denominational leaders. However, while many past trips centered primarily on observing or serving communities abroad, this delegation approached the visit with an eye toward action back home. The Rev. Tony Larson, Co-Moderator of the 226th General Assembly (2024), brought a personal connection to the trip’s focus on the impacts of extractivism — a challenge he sees on the Carolina coast where he lives. The trip’s conveners were determined that participants would return not only with memories, but with insights and commitments they could apply in their U.S. communities.

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Alongside Larson, the delegation included denominational staff from ministries focused on ecumenical and interreligious engagement; compassion, peace, and justice; as well as disaster assistance. Representatives from presbyteries across the country also participated, bringing a wide range of experiences and perspectives. 

Speaking about the commitment to tangible follow-ups from their trip, the Rev. Dr. Laurie Kraus, director of Humanitarian and Global Ecumenical Engagement in the Interim Unified Agency, said, “We have not generally aimed for specific ‘deliverables’ when following up on such visits. This, we realize, is a lost opportunity for our Church, as well as for the partners who have taken time and effort to share their work and vision with us. This time, instead of limiting the trip to staff leads and the Co-Moderator, we intentionally invited leaders from two presbyteries involved in Joining Hands work in Peru: the Rev. Annanda Barclay from San Jose and Dr. Clarice Hutchens from Giddings-Lovejoy.”

In addition to its support of the Joining Hands Network in Peru, the Presbytery of San Jose has an ongoing commitment to addressing Indigenous land rights and the environmental consequences of the Doctrine of Discovery. Barclay also co-moderates the board for the Center for Jubilee Practice, which supports churches and Christian organizations in “confronting their legacies of liberation and developing restorative communal practices.” Giddings-Lovejoy Presbytery has advocated for environmental justice within the U.S., endorsing General Assembly overtures highlighting the intersection of environmental issues and social inequities. Hutchens, a scientist and business executive, focuses on environmental sustainability and the integration of Western science with Indigenous knowledge.

This diverse group of Presbyterians brought their own expertise and passions to bear during their time in Peru. Now that they are home, they are committed to finding ways to integrate what they learned into their local contexts. While much is still being discerned, some concrete ideas have emerged.

Group members reconvened in August to share their ideas for next steps, which Kraus said include “outreach to a number of other presbyteries within whose bounds similar issues of environmental racism, extractivism, and Indigenous rights are in play.” She said they are working toward a follow-up trip to include some of those presbyteries in hopes of longer-term dialogue. Kraus also said a series of short videos could lift up the connection between experiences of partners in Peru and struggles in the U.S.

Barclay is producing a podcast with content from the delegation’s many recorded meetings with Peruvian partners in hopes of educating and equipping others to engage more deeply in this work. Larson is interested in using upcoming moderator and mid-council leader gatherings to share some of these learnings. Hutchens discussed the possibility of Presbyterian Women engaging with indigenous people in the Andes to fund planting edible indigenous plants.

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Meanwhile, in Peru, the work to undo the damage of conquest and the pervasive threat of extractivism continues. Eduardo Arboccó, head of Peru’s Joining Hands Network, emphasized the need to support Indigenous defenders — particularly women — who bear the heaviest burdens of exclusion in a society still marked by colonialist, sexist and classist practices. He said efforts going forward will focus especially on the northern Amazon, where indigenous communities face heightened risks from foreign and domestic companies, and where environmental defenders often struggle to make their voices heard. The network also hopes to continue partnering with other Christian organizations, including the PC(USA), as they work toward justice and healing for the earth and human communities harmed by extractivist industries.

The Rev. Edwin González-Castillo and Valéry Nodem, who oversee Presbyterian Disaster Assistance and the international Joining Hands program, found the delegation experience both encouraging and invigorating. Looking ahead, they are excited for the PC(USA) to continue deepening its partnership with Peruvian communities through both ongoing conversation and tangible projects. Nodem said the visit energized conversations around expanding efforts to protect forests, support environmental defenders, and scale initiatives such as reforestation in heavily polluted areas. González-Castillo emphasized strengthening resilience, well-being and disaster-prevention programs for communities along the Kujon River and beyond. Both leaders stressed that these efforts are collaborative and long-term, with U.S. churches invited to join in the work, fostering shared commitment to environmental stewardship, human rights, and systemic change in Peru.

The delegation members plan to meet again soon to update one another on follow-up plans and offer support as they continue seeking ways to share what they learned. González-Castillo said seeing what Peruvians with limited resources were able to accomplish “brings hope and ideas to what could happen in our own context.” Nodem agreed: “Part of what Joining Hands taught us was sometimes you go so far away to actually realize what's happening back home.”