Staff & Board

Frontera de Cristo Staff

The Frontera de Cristo staff is supported by the Presbyterian Church (USA). In everything they do — be it administrative duties, hands-on service, or policy work — the FDC staff works to ensure that all of Frontera de Cristo’s actions reflect the will of God.

US Coordinator

Mark Adams

Mark Adams is a native of Clover, South Carolina, and a graduate of Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia. He was ordained in 1998 and has served as US Coordinator of Frontera de Cristo since that time. He is married to Miriam Maldonado Escobar, also a Presbyterian Church (USA) mission co-worker since 2011, and they have three children. Mark sees his 1994 border mission experience in Piedras Negras, Mexico, as the foundation for his present ministry.

Mexico Coordinator

Joca Gallegos

Named Mexico Coordinator for Frontera de Cristo in 2014, Rosario Jocabed Gallegos Viesca first came to the border in 1990 when her father undertook the same position. She was born in Gómez Palacio, Durango, and attended seminary in Mexico City (as one of only three women studying theology) from 1998 until her graduation in 2002. Joca served as youth counselor in her presbytery, served in a church in Nogales, Sonora, and assisted with health ministry in South Carolina before becoming an intern at Frontera de Cristo in 2010 and later Facilitator for Mission Delegations.

Mission Co-Worker with the Mennonite Central Committee

David Bonilla

David supports Frontera de Cristo and its partners by developing their administration skills. “My focus is to help people discover, develop, define, and evaluate their goals so that they can grow in healthy ways that reflect biblical principles and can be examples to others.”

Mission Co-Worker with the Mennonite Central Committee

Marina Forero

Marina leads education programs at the New Hope Community Center that provide children and youth alternatives to the drug culture. Marina says “When I put my faith into action—uniting my belief, my abilities, talents, and the knowledge of my profession—is when in service to others my faithfulness can be reflected … a faith in action, not a dead, quiet, or sleeping faith.”

Mission Co-Worker & Community Garden Facilitator

Miriam Maldonado Escobar

Miriam Maldonado Escobar is from the Mexican state of Chiapas. She left home at age 18 to work at the border in US-owned factories to help support her family. She and Mark Adams met when Mark came to Agua Prieta to serve at Frontera de Cristo. After working for several years alongside her husband, Miriam was invited in 2011 to serve as a Presbyterian Church (USA) mission co-worker. She works with DouglaPrieta Trabaja to help rehabilitation centers and families of the church, community, and schools to grow their own food. She and Mark have three children.

Frontera de Cristo Board of Directors

Frontera de Cristo is led by a bi-national board that seeks to discern God’s will for the ministry. Each board member brings a wealth and diversity of experience and valuable perspective to the organization. (Page update in progress)

President / Agua Prieta, Sonora

Rene Espinoza

Vice-President / Agua Prieta, Sonora

Maky Hernandez

Secretary / Scottsdale, Arizona

Jean Tsuya

Treasurer / Tucson, Arizona

Jeff Krongaard

Tempe, Arizona

Catherine May

Camp Verde, AZ

Jeni O’Callaghan

Agua Prieta, Sonora

Mara Salazar

Tucson, Arizona

Jenn Soule-Hill

Member Emerita / Douglas, Arizona

Shirley Jewell

Born in Raton, New Mexico, Shirley Jewell migrated to Douglas, Arizona via Burlington, Iowa in 1965. She is a member of First Presbyterian Church. Growing up with Spanish-speaking friends, she loved this opportunity to renew her speaking skills with Mexicans, make new friends, and enjoy the dry climate. Board meetings in Mexico are a five-mile round-trip drive. Shirley has served on the board since its inception in 1986. The excitement of this service has given her a “wonderful new devotion to God, and it has not abated.” Shirley’s dream is to see expansion of services along the border as more churches and organizations become aware of the work that Frontera de Cristo is undertaking. Volunteers coming to serve on both sides of the border can help make this a reality.

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Staff & Board

Frontera de Cristo Staff

US Coordinator

Mark Adams

Mexico Coordinator

Joca Gallegos

Mission Co-Worker with the Mennonite Central Committee

David Bonilla

Mission Co-Worker with the Mennonite Central Committee

Marina Forero

Mission Co-Worker & Community Garden Facilitator

Miriam Maldonado Escobar

Frontera de Cristo Board of Directors

President / Agua Prieta, Sonora

Rene Espinoza

Vice-President / Agua Prieta, Sonora

Maky Hernandez

Secretary / Scottsdale, Arizona

Jean Tsuya

Treasurer / Tucson, Arizona

Jeff Krongaard

Tempe, Arizona

Catherine May

Camp Verde, AZ

Jeni O’Callaghan

Agua Prieta, Sonora

Mara Salazar

Tucson, Arizona

Jenn Soule-Hill

Member Emerita / Douglas, Arizona

Shirley Jewell

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