When an earthquake struck El Salvador in 2001, the Christian Reformed Church (CRC) in Santa Tecla was so badly damaged that it had to be torn down. But the congregation itself was not destroyed. Meeting in makeshift quarters, church members laid plans to rebuild. And in March 2007, a new sanctuary was dedicated to the glory of God and for service to the community of believers and beyond. The event was a milestone for the work of Christian Reformed World Missions (CRWM) in El Salvador, which began in the late 1970s. Rev. Carlos Mejia, the pastor at Santa Tecla, came to the CRC through the denomination’s literature ministry. The CRC’s work in El Salvador continues through the work of CRWM missionary Ruth Padilla DeBorst, who is currently in the United States on study leave, along with her husband Jim, who worked for many years in El Salvador with the Christian Reformed World Relief Committee (CRWRC). (Christian Reformed Church)
