About
Deve Persad
Short-term mission trips are often questioned for their long-term impact. Are they merely fleeting experiences, or can they create meaningful, lasting change? In a recent podcast interview, Canadian pastor, author, and humanitarian Deve Persad explores this question through the lens of his new pocketbook, A Table Before Me. Drawing on more than 30 years of ministry and over 16 years of global mission engagement in El Salvador, Persad offers a deeply reflective and practical perspective on faith, service, and mutual transformation.
Deve Persad has served as a pastor in the same Canadian community for nearly 25 years. Alongside his pastoral work, he coaches church leaders, supports community development initiatives, and runs a nonprofit organisation focused on combating human trafficking. His approach to leadership and ministry has always been rooted in one core conviction: faith is meant to be lived out in relationship with others, particularly those on the margins.
This conviction shaped his first book, Down to Earth Leadership, which focuses on community engagement and embodying the virtues of Jesus in practical ways. His second book, A Table Before Me, acts as a prequel — telling the stories that shaped those leadership principles long before they were formalised into a framework.
The title of Persad’s book is drawn from Psalm 23: “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.” For Persad, this verse came alive during years of mission work in El Salvador — a country long associated with civil war, gang violence, and poverty.
Since 2009, Persad has led mission teams to El Salvador, often twice a year. Although he has never lived there permanently, he has visited the country more than 40 times. These trips were never intended to be one-off charity efforts. From the beginning, the focus was on long-term relationship, mutual learning, and dignity-centred community development.
Rather than approaching mission work as “helpers” with solutions, Persad and his teams sought to listen first — to learn from local families, walk alongside them, and recognise the ways God was already present and active in those communities.
One of the most powerful themes to emerge from A Table Before Me is the challenge it presents to fear-based narratives. El Salvador has often been portrayed as unsafe and unapproachable, yet Persad describes moments of profound beauty, generosity, and hope within communities shaped by hardship.
He recalls a moment when a makeshift table was set up during a house-building project. Families ate together. Children played nearby. Others cooked, talked, and laughed. Despite the surrounding realities of poverty and violence, there was joy, dignity, and connection. In that moment, Persad realised that God had already prepared the space — the table — where people could meet as equals.
This insight reshaped his understanding of mission. Instead of entering communities with control or fear, teams were invited to arrive with openness, humility, and expectancy — trusting that God was already at work.
A Table Before Me challenges the idea that global mission is a one-sided act of giving. Persad emphasises that true mission is relational. It changes not only the communities being served, but also those who come to serve.
Over the years, the work in El Salvador evolved from emergency relief following a devastating earthquake into sustainable community development. One of the most impactful outcomes has been the creation of year-round employment for around 50 Salvadorans, ensuring continuity, dignity, and long-term impact — even during the pandemic years when international travel was impossible.
These experiences deeply influenced Persad’s leadership philosophy, reinforcing values such as compassion, humility, discernment, devotion, and perseverance — virtues that underpin both of his books.
In a world marked by division, fear, and uncertainty, A Table Before Me offers a gentle yet challenging invitation. It speaks to readers who feel hesitant about engaging beyond their comfort zones — whether locally or globally. Persad does not present polished success stories. Instead, he shares honest reflections about learning, listening, and being changed through proximity to others.
The book encourages readers to recognise that God’s presence is often found in unexpected places — not after everything is “safe” or “sorted,” but right in the middle of complexity. It calls people to move beyond transactional charity toward relationship-driven engagement that honours shared humanity.
Ultimately, A Table Before Me is not just about El Salvador or mission trips. It is about posture — how we show up in the world, how we see others, and how we respond when God invites us into uncomfortable but transformative spaces.
For readers seeking a thoughtful, faith-centred reflection on global mission, leadership, and compassion, this pocketbook offers both inspiration and grounding. It reminds us that when we are willing to sit at the table with others — even in the presence of fear, difference, or uncertainty — we may discover that God has already been there, waiting.
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