Sierra Blanca Presbytery, after gathering reams of demographics and angaging in study members from both the Las Cruces congregations, has embarked on a new venture of evangelism and outreach.

Rev. Wayne Hawkins has been engaged as a New Church Developoment specialist, to lead the presbytery's task force in reaching the largely-unchurched Hispanic population of Las Cruces and Dona Ana County. The task force, under Wayne's direction, has finished a planing process of theological thought and discernment, in developing their strategies and timelines. Task force members are Adrian Martinez (Chair), Larry Cooper (Vice-Chair), Florence Hamilton (Moderator-Elect of Presbytery), Alex and Marjorie Burr, Judy Kemper, Marcus Burr, Charles Glover, Olga Hawkins, Frank Morales, Olga Hawkins and Shannon Webster (EP).

Bible Studies have begun to gather in homes, comprised of people mostly Catholic but, as Wayne says, "Hungry for the Word". Las Cruces is the fastest growing city in Sierra Blanca, one of the fastest growing in the country, and its Dona Ana County borders Chihuahua, Mexico. The growth of Spanish-speaking population is rapid.

Rev. Wayne Hawkins moved to New Mexico from California, after successful psatorates in Hispanic and multi-cultural congregations there and in Washington State. His wife, Olga, is from Ciudad Chihuahua, and Wayne was the son of missionary parents and raised in Mexico.

The objectives of this nascent ministry are to employ a bi-lingual/bi-cultural person to develop and lead ministries of compassion, justice and Christian nurture by the end of July 2006; to establish ministries with the Hispanic communities of Dona Ana County based on their needs and the resources of the Presbyterian Church; to establish a viable Hispanic Presbyterian church/congregation/ministry in the Las Cruces are within 5 years; to promote bridge building among all cultures throughout Sierra Blanca Presbytery.