Making Missions Meaningful: Projects in Tijuana
Missions Special Event
Join the Global Missions taskforce in celebrating recent and upcoming work in Tijuana in partnership with Pastor Joel Hortiales. We’ll enjoy a Mexican lunch and hear from Pastor Joel about the meaningful, ongoing work with migrants and shelters in Tijuana, including Centro 32 and Comedore Juan 6:35.
Register by September 23:
More About Cross-Border Ministries, Centro 32 & Comedor Juan 6:35
Pastor Joel works with various groups in Tijuana that provide or support migrants with counseling, preschool & parenting advice, housing, food, clothing, job training and treatment for trauma experienced through deportation or refused entry to the U.S.
Cross-border ministries are not abstract political work, but deeply human ministries rooted in accompaniment, dignity, hospitality, and hope. Refugees, asylum seekers, and deportees arriving in Tijuana often face uncertainty, trauma, and isolation. Ministries such as Centro 32, Methodist outreach programs, and local church partnerships provide practical assistance while also affirming the sacred worth of every person.
Centro 32 is a non-residential shelter for people who: have been deported, were actively waiting for an immigration appointment but have been told the border is now closed, were actively traveling to the U.S. and have found the border closed. Their goal is to meet people’s physical needs (food, clothing, job training or referral, etc.) as well as their emotional needs, with many clients facing PTSD due to their immigration struggles, past abuse, and loss of loved ones to police and gang violence.
Comedore Juan 6:35 is a large new kitchen built by UMCOR Mexico near the border. It’s operated by a couple and supported by volunteers. They feed 100-200 unhoused neighbors four times a week. The food is provided by the Mexican UMC, as well as donations from San Diego communities and churches like ours.
Visit our Tijuana Cross-Border Ministries page to learn more about the cross-border ministries, upcoming serving opportunities, and additional ways to support Rev. Joel Hortiales' work.
