Born in Buffalo, New York, Pat Hatch taught at a mission school in South Korea in the late 1960s. After returning stateside, she spent several years as a church volunteer, helping to resettle several dozen refugee families.

In 1981, Pat founded a local Maryland non-profit organization which annually serves more than 2,000 recent refugees and immigrants from over 80 nations. After 16 years directing that organization, she became Program Manager at the Maryland Office for Refugees and Asylees, until her retirement in 2011.

In 2014 – at age 70 – Pat accepted God’s call to be the first Refugee and Immigrant Ministry (RIM) Director for PCA Mission to North America. In that role, she has helped many churches to discover unique ways of responding to the Great Commission opportunities in their own communities.

A decade later, with gratitude to God and to the ministry search team, Pat has enthusiastically passed the leadership reins to Angela Pacey. “I am so thankful that God has graciously chosen and prepared Angela to motivate and equip our churches to demonstrate the love of Christ, both in word and in practical action, toward each image bearer, regardless of country of origin, ethnicity, religious background or status,” she reports.

It is Pat’s joy to continue to serve the ministry in an Emeritus role, as a resource to Angela, RIM staff, PCA churches, pastors and lay leaders, to encourage and support them as they welcome and engage with refugees and other immigrants, and all those from the nations whom the Lord has brought near.