Pastor Raul Tovar said a new missions field is emerging in the United States with unlimited opportunities for leading Hispanics to Christ.
And members of his church, Primera Iglesia Bautista Hispana (Hispanic First Baptist Church) — part of First Baptist Church, Athens, in Limestone Baptist Association — recently partnered with a missions group from Woodstock, Ga., to take advantage of some of those opportunities.
An 18-member team from the Hispanic congregation of First Baptist Church, Woodstock, Ga., came Aug. 24–26 to help reach the area’s Hispanic community through door-to-door visitation and a block party.
Robert Fullerton, director of missions for Limestone Association, estimated the population of Limestone County is about 65,000 — 2 percent of whom are Hispanic.
“There’s a large number of Hispanics here that we know need to be in church, and that’s what we’re seeking to do, make them understand that the church is there and that they’re welcome,” he said.
Tovar said it’s important to reach the community’s Hispanic people “because they don’t know Christ and the plan of salvation.”
“The majority of them are parents without the knowledge of God,” he said.
Daniel Santander, pastor of First, Woodstock’s Hispanic ministry, said local families were eager to participate in the weekend’s activities because they offered them something to do as a family, which helped minister to them.
“There are so many things for singles and couples but not a lot of things for families, and the Hispanic community is very family oriented,” he said. “I think the weekend was effective, especially the block party.”
Although Primera Iglesia Bautista averages 15–25 each week, some 20 Hispanics from the area came the night of Aug. 24 to view “Facing the Giants” in Spanish. Seven teams of two or three people had visited homes earlier in the day, witnessing and inviting those they spoke with to the movie presentation.
Teams were out again the next morning, visiting homes and a local supermarket. Again the teams witnessed to Hispanics and invited them to the church that night — this time for a block party featuring food and games and a praise band from Clements Baptist Church, Athens, in Limestone Association.
Santander said 11 decisions for Christ were made during the weekend.
Fullerton said the weekend’s activities were important because they involved an outreach to Hispanics by a team that both spoke their language and knew their culture.
Tovar hopes the weekend encouraged his church’s leadership to keep moving forward.
“My personal hope is that the Hispanic Baptist leadership will look for unity, purposes, goals and a vision through the study of the Word of God (and that they will) pray and share the gospel,” he said.
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