"The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth laborers into his harvest."
Luke 10:2
Our Pastor
After traveling to Panama with a mission's team in July of 1996, Mark Mavar, a firefghter/paramedic in the United States, and his wife, Carol, sensed the call of the Lord upon their lives to become missionaries. Over the next five years the couple dedicated themselves to studying and preparing to enter the minstry. Mark graduated from Grace Bible Institute (now known as Great Lakes Bible Institute) in April of 2000 and was ordained as a minister of the Gospel in 2001. The Mavar family, sent out by Grace Church of Mentor and Gospel Fellowship Association Mission, arrived in the Republic of Panama January 23, 2002, to serve as missionary church planters. 
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Pastor Mark Mavar and his wife, Carol

Our Beginning

After studying the language and working under the direction of another missionary couple, early in 2003, Pastor Mavar began a visitation program in la Chorrera, Panama. There he encountered spiritual interest in the neighborhood of Valle Dorado and started a Bible study. The study grew and Pastor Mavar introduced the idea of planting a church with the nucleus of people attending. The enthusiastic response of the people led to the search for a place to hold weekly Sunday services. Iglesia de la Gracia was born February 29, 2004, in a rented house in Valle Dorado. 


Our Growth
Over the course of three years Iglesia de la Gracia experienced some growing pains and trials that led to the need for relocating three times before arriving at a permanent home. 




Our Building

In May of 2006 the congregation of 15 people agreed to take a leap of faith and purchase land to build a church. The congregation bought two lots in the Industrial Area of la Chorrera and on August 28, 2006, the construction project began. Praise the Lord, on December 17, 2006, the church held its first service in the new building! It only had a roof and partial walls, but everything was ours. 
Our Vision
Over the years construction work has progressed providing the congregation with a beautiful building for worshiping God and edifying the saints. We thank the Lord for His unchanging faithfulness as we continue seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. We trust Him to lead and guide us through the years to come toward our ultimate goal, a biblically sound, independent church with national (Panamanian) leadership that is fully dedicated to the proclamation of the whole counsel of God, the evangelization of the lost, the edification and discipleship of the saints, and the personal transformation of each individual member to the likeness of Christ. It is a privilege to minister to the neighborhoods of Valle Dorado, Villas del Bosque, the Industrial Area, and the other communities of la Chorrera, Panama!