As the part-time Director of the BFC’s Hispanic Ministries, I’ve been praying—a lot! Many things are changing for many people around my community and me, even in our home countries. As Director David Gundrum reminds us, these challenges are opportunities to advance the Gospel.
New Church Planting Works
On February 23, Christian Lefko visited La Roca de Reading to share his vision for church planting in Muhlenberg, part of the Reading area in Pennsylvania. There is a 30.7% Hispanic population there, and a Hispanic leader or a group of believers will be a valuable resource to support Christian’s church planting efforts. I encourage everyone around this project to pray to find the right people to help with this church plant.
Church Extension is also exploring the possibility of church planting in Selbyville, DE, implementing the same bilingual/bicultural approach. So far God has not provided for a church planting team, but we continue to pray.
Finding qualified Hispanic leaders and people is a priority in my ministry. I have met with many potential planters who generally fall into two categories. Some are highly qualified in the theological field with limited pastoral experience, and others are pastors who have been serving the Lord for many years but with a limited theological education. Sometimes there are other denominational or practical factors which limit our partnership with them. However, I keep going, pursuing new contacts, and praying to find the right people at the right time to expand God’s work in our denomination.
Church Planting in Mexico
I also support our Director of Church Planting in Mexico, Pastor Marcos Ramírez. Pastor Marcos and I have been working with our two church planters, Freddy Chi in Villa Magna and Daniel Solórzano as an intern in La Roca de Merida.
God has provided a new meeting location for Villa Magna. For over two years, they have been meeting on the Moreno Fraga family’s front porch. Delta and Elías did a great job hosting the church every Sunday. However, the church began to grow; more than 30 people couldn’t fit in that place. They began to look for a new place around eight months ago. It was hard to find a place, and Freddy and the congregation were discouraged and tired of looking for a new place. We all keep praying for a place for them. Suddenly, a bigger house appeared across the street from Freddy and Nury’s house. As I write this letter, Church Extension, Freddy, and the Mission Church are planning to rent the new property. May the Lord help us do it, and thank God for his provision.
Daniel Solórzano from the Tapachula Mission Church has just arrived at La Roca de Merida to start a church-planting internship with Pastor Marcos Ramírez and the elders. Daniel will spend between six months to a year at La Roca de Merida for his training, helping Freddy in Villa Magna and evaluating the possibility of supporting another church plant in Merida, in the “Héroes” (Heros) neighborhood. We all pray for Daniel for his training and for his future. The Tapachula Mission Church is on “standby” for now. Daniel may return to Tapachula or may settle down in Merida.
Another potential church planting project may happen in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. Some years ago, Antonio and Elvia, a couple from La Roca de Reading in Pennsylvania, moved to a little town close to Guadalajara, Tesistán. In God’s providence, they met pastor Moisés Ruvalcaba, an independent church planter related to my home church, la Iglesia Bíblica de Guadalajara (IBG), in Mexico. Pastor Tony Gomez is the current pastor of the IBG and is a friend of mine. He has been instrumental in introducing the BFC to Moisés, the church planter in Tesistán. We are praying about how this friendship may lead to connection and more church planting projects.
I have met and talked to more Hispanic people of God who are interested in the BFC. Many of them are facing changes in their lives and ministries or are facing challenges. We all keep praying. Let’s see how the Lord directs us to work together for the Gospel.
Pastor Carlos Rodriguez is the Hispanic Ministries Director of the Bible Fellowship Church. He is also the pastor of La Roca de Reading in Reading, PA.
