Hispanic Baptist

Jesse Rincones

It’s no secret that the Hispanic population in the United States continues to rise. What does this mean for Baptist? Read this article about how this can be an opportunity for Baptist to reach out to this people group. Jesse Rinconess is the face of the article. Read the article from Associated Baptist Press.

6th President of Buckner

Congratulations to Dr. Albert Reyes, today the Board of Trustees of Buckner International named him the sixth President of Buckner. We are extremely proud of this great honor. We are so glad that you have answered the calling that the Lord has put on your life.

Dr. Reyes is a contributor of rDestino and is author of his own blog (Pan Dulce) where you can read more about this accomplishment from his point of view where he also outlines his call to ministry.

You can read the press release that is coming out on the Baptist Standard as well.

As you can see this is a huge deal and I know that Dr. Albert Reyes is the right man for this position. If anyone can relate to overcoming adversity and helping children, orphans and elders, Albert can. Take a moment and watch the video below. You will see what I mean.

The first half of this post was taken from ChristianityToday.com which posted a thought-provoking article titled, “Is the Era of Age Segmentation Over?” Read the Article here.

Youth Segregation

The statistics are grim. Rainer Research estimates that 70 percent of young people leave the church by age 22. Barna Group argues that the figure increases to 80 percent by age 30. The Southern Baptist Convention, America’s largest denomination, recently observed that growth in their churches is failing to keep up with the birth rate. Taken together, these findings suggest a startling fact: not only are we failing to attract younger worshipers, we’re not holding on to the ones we have.

As executive director of the Fuller Youth Institute at Fuller Theological Seminary and a former youth pastor, Kara Powell has her eyes on the youth drop out trend. She is currently in the midst of a three-year College Transition Project, a study that involves over 400 youth group graduates and is focused on understanding how parents, churches, and youth ministries can set students on a trajectory of lifelong faith and service. Though research is ongoing, it is already revealing a promising pattern: youth involved in intergenerational relationships in church are showing promise for stronger faith in high school and beyond.

Leadership editors Marshall Shelley and Brandon O’Brien spoke with Kara about her research and what it means for the local church.

The following response is from: Pastor Julio Guarneri, Getsemani Baptist Church. (more…)

The summer is just about over and youth are getting ready to go back to school. However Singles are ending the summer late this year with Hispanic Singles Camp.

This year Hispanic Singles along with Young Married couples will gather together in Glen Rose, TX to have what is labled this year as Hispanic Singles Camp & Young Married Retreat. The date for the event is August 28-30, 2009.

Jesse Rincones along with Gabe Salazar will be our keynote speakers for the weekend. Our worship band this year is going to be Centro Worship from Dallas, TX and the worship concert will be led by Jeff Johnson.

The unique piece to this event is the inclusion of young Hispanic married couples. Many young couples have friends that are singles as well and so an event geared toward both groups does not exist. You either have a married retreat or you have an event for single adults. Both combinations are good but this camp is unique since it will include both.

If you are single or a young married adult, join us as we worship the Lord together and fellowship for a whole weekend.

Highlights of the camp at Glen Rose:

• Waterpark on the campgrounds
• Indoor Gymnasium
• Lake in the middle of camp

There will be late night activities such as sand volleyball and basketball tournaments. We will have an area for artistic campers to get creative. There will be so much more….like schmores on Friday night.

For more information visit the Hispanic Singles Camp website.

This year as the Hispanic Baptist Convention of Texas will meet at Park Cities Baptist Church in Dallas, it will be electing a new president.  The election of officers will launch a year of preparation for Convención’s centennial anniversary to be celebrated in San Antonio.

            Hispanic Baptist work in Texas has come a long way in 100 years!  From that small group of faithful and committed Mexican-origin Baptists, we have become a diverse people.  Our congregations include first-generation immigrants, as well as second, third and fourth generation Hispanics.  Our countries of origin include Mexico, Central American countries, South American countries and countries in the Caribbean.  Our ranks include the working class, school teachers, business owners, community leaders, doctors and lawyers.  Our presence is felt in rural areas, small towns, inner-cities and the suburbs.  Our congregations vary in size, worship style and language preference.  At such a time like this, Convención needs a leader who understands and represents the wide diversity of our Hispanic Baptist work in Texas.

            I am nominating pastor Victor Rodriguez of  South San Filadelfia Baptist Church in San Antonio as president of Convención because he represents the best of leadership in our midst.  He is a product of our Hispanic Baptist work in Texas.  The son of a Texas Hispanic Baptist pastor, Manuel Rodriguez, (who also has served as Convención president), Bro. Victor was a leader among our youth as president of the jóvenes in San Antonio, president of youth camp and president of our state singles camp.  He was educated in Baptist institutions, namely Hardin Simmons University and Wayland Baptist University.  He is bilingual.  He relates to first –generation Hispanics, as well as to second and third generation Hispanics.  Pastor Rodriguez has worked well with Anglos and is well-respected in the San Antonio Baptist Association as well as the Asociación Hispana in San Antonio.  He has worked in harmony with BGCT personnel.  He ministers in the barrio and his vision includes reaching all Hispanics with the whole gospel, including salvation, education, family care and economic improvement.  Victor Rodriguez represents the best of what Convención has been about for 100 years.  He is the profile of a Texas Baptist Hispanic leader.   He is one of ours!  As such he can be an inclusive and understanding leader for our Convención, leading us into the next century of Hispanic Baptist work of collaboration with all those who are committed to the advancement of the gospel in Texas and beyond.

            Bro. Victor has demonstrated skill, passion and ability to lead in his 24 years of ministry as a Texas Hispanic Baptist pastor.  He has been a church planter and the church  which he now pastors has grown from 25 members to over 900 under his leadership.  The church has community ministries that impact 1,300 people on a weekly basis and in the last five years has baptized an average of 100 people annually.  Pastor Rodriguez is supported by his wife Olga and his three sons, Victor, Fernando and Manuel.  His vision is to see Convención impacting all Hispanics in Texas in the spiritual, education, family care, ministerial development and church ministries.

Yesterday was the last day of the 2009 Hispanic Senior Adult Summit.  About 170 Hispanic Senior Adults registered and gathered at the First Mexican Baptist Church of San Antonio for 3 days of fellowship, worship, training and fun.  It was a refreshing time!  I enjoyed spending time with this great group of hermanos, so full of life and love for God and each other.  Many of them have known each other since their youth!!!  Our lives were truly blessed as we served them (Isn’t that always the case?).

The theme for the Summit was “A Cheering Cloud” and was based on Hebrews 12:1-2.  Through seminars, music and sermons, seniors were challenged to serve as witnesses to and supporters of those generations that follow them; to live a legacy worthy of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

On Tuesday morning, during the devotional time, participants reflected on the subject of legacy.  The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines legacy as “something transmitted by or received from an ancestor or predecessor.”  What are we transmitting to today’s generation?  What are they receiving from us?  If I died today, what would I like to be remembered for?

When a trainer is teaching youth how to improve and give their best, he may use three main techniques.  First he says, “Others have done, and you can do it too.”  Second he says, “Just think how much it will help you physically to do this.”  And then he says, “Now, look a others - see how they do it.”

The author of Hebrews in chapter 12 verses 1 & 2 uses these same techniques to encourage us in the Christian race. 

First he says, look at the winners (v. 1a).  The great cloud of witnesses was presented in Hebrews.  They are the heroes of the faith.  Now, the idea was not that these men and women are in heaven watching us, like in a stadium, as we run the race.  The word “witness”, in this context, does not mean “spectators”. 

A martyr is “a person who sacrifices something of great value and especially life itself for the sake of principle.”  And the New Testament word for “witness” comes directly from the Greek word for “martyr”.  These people, the cloud of witnesses, the heroes of the faith, are not witnesses of what we are doing; but are giving witness to us that God will help us finish the race.

What a beautiful legacy!  Telling others, “Others have done it, you can do it too.  I have done it, you can do it too.  The Lord is with you!  You are not alone.”  When was the last time you shared these words with a younger Christian?

Secondly, he says look at yourself (v. 1b).  Athletes used to wear training weights to help them prepare for events.  No athlete would compete using the weights since they knew they would only slow them down.  Also, too much weight would affect the runners endurance. 

As part of the legacy that we leave those that follow us, it is necessary that we get to the point of sharing with others where we have failed and encourage them not to make our same mistakes.  For this, we must be honest about our weaknesses, and have a heart full of love and compassion for those younger than us.

Lastly, he says look at Christ (v. 2).  Why must we look at Christ?  Because he is our supreme example, and He is the only one that can make it possible for us to finish the race.  

Some say: “It is not how you finish that matters, but how you live.”  This I heard said of Ray Combs, the host of the show Family Feud from 1988 to 1994, who committed suicide in 1996 after several business failures.  He had done many good works during his life, and somehow they were supposed to eclipse the manner of his death.  Others say: “It is not how you live that matters, but how you finish.”  Have you ever heard someone say this?  “I’ll live my life however I want to.  I’ll make Christ my Lord when I’m old or about to die, and then do the right thing.”

These two ways of thinking are wrong.  It is equally important how we live and how we finish.  Why?  Because how we live and how we finish is part of our legacy to those that come behind us.

We must constantly, every minute of our lives, point others through Christ through our words and our actions.  He is the supreme example and has all the power to help us finish the race victoriously.   

Louis Pasteur, the pioneer of immunology, lived in a time where thousands of people were dying of rabies every year.  Pasteur had worked on a vaccine for years.  When he was about to begin experimenting on himself, a nine year old boy, Joseph Meister, was mauled by a rabid dog.  The boy’s mom asked Pasteur to experiment on her son, but he struggled with the decision.  Experimenting on Joseph involved significant personal risk since he didn’t have a license to practice medicine and he could face criminal charges if something went wrong.  But after seeking counsel from his colleagues, Pasteur proceeded to inject Joseph with the vaccine.  After 10 days, the boy lived.  

Decades later, among all the things that Pasteur could have asked to be put on his headstone, he only asked for three words: Joseph Meister Lived.  All he wanted to be remembered for was that Joseph Meister lived.

Truly, the greatest legacy we can leave behind is those that live eternally, those whose lives are transformed because of us.

I know that most of us are not senior adults, but without a doubt, we are all aging everyday and everyday are getting closer to our death.  With that in mind, what do you want to be remembered for the most?  We will all leave a legacy.  The question is, what kind would it be? 

While Sprint and Verizon have been arguing over who has the largest 3G cellular network, Hispanic Baptists must make serious strides to develop their own “3G  network” – one that will minister to third-generation Hispanics and beyond.

The Numbers

According to the Pew Hispanic Center, second and third-generation Hispanics currently make up 60% of the total Hispanic population.  By the year 2020, they will comprise 66% of the Hispanic population.
For Texas, this means that of the 9 million Hispanics in the state, about 6 million of them are second or third-generation.

The Language

A 2007 report of the Pew Hispanic Center showed that “fewer than one-in-four (23%) Latino immigrants reports being able to speak English very well.”  Among second-generation Hispanics, the number increases to 88%.

A full 71 percent of third-generation Hispanics over age 18 claimed English as their dominant language.  Twenty-seven percent claimed to be bilingual.  By this third generation, only 2 percent spoke primarily Spanish.  This is according to a report from the American Political Science Association.

For Texas Baptists, this means that English can be used to reach out to about 88% of second-generation Hispanics and an astounding 98% of third-generation Hispanics.

The Need

As Hispanic Texas Baptists, we find ourselves facing an amazing paradox.  We are linguistically and culturally poised to make a dramatic impact in the communities that are experiencing an increasing Hispanic influence around our state and the nation.  At the same time, we face a leadership crisis.

Hispanic Baptist leaders can tell you how states like Mississippi, North Carolina, and Tennessee, among many others, are increasingly coming to Texas to seek out Spanish-speaking Baptist pastors and ministers.  This means our 300 or so pastor-less Hispanic churches are competing with higher-paying conventions and associations from other states.  In the face of need at home, we are increasingly exporting ministerial talent.

When it comes to third-generation Hispanics, this leadership vacuum is at exponential levels.  We are told that 66% of Texas Hispanic churches minister primarily in Spanish and 33% minister bilingually from the pulpit.  Only 1% of the approximately 1,400 Hispanic Baptist churches in Texas are ministering in English. 

This means that less than 15 Hispanic Baptist churches in the entire state are working to reach the nearly 6 million second and third-generation Hispanics in the state!

The New 3G Network

Thanks to the Convención officers and Rolando Rodriguez at the BGCT’s Office of Hispanic Ministries, Convención 2009 will serve to initiate this much needed network of churches, pastors, leaders and communicators that minister to third-generation Hispanics.

Your input in the form of ideas and recommendations for this time is greatly appreciated.  To share about your “3G Ministry,” your interest and ideas, post comments here or email them to us using the contact form here.

It’s time to build the largest 3G Network in the United States!

Rev. Jesse Rincones serves as pastor of Alliance Baptist Church in Lubbock. You can also find this article in the March 2009 edition of La Vision.

Perhaps I am getting too nostalgic in my old age and I begin to pay more attention to dates, anniversaries, funerals and the like.  But several events have caused me to reflect recently.  Forgive me if I sound a bit melodramatic, but it feels to me like the passing away of Bro. Rudy Sanchez signals the end of an era.  At the same time our youth and singles CONGRESO celebrates its 45th anniversary.  This is a whole generation!  I am humbled by the reminder that I was called to ministry at the 1982 Congreso (27 years ago) and that I was licensed to the ministry shortly after High School graduation in 1984 (25 years ago).  Interestingly, the same month and year I was licensed to the ministry at the age of 19, my friend Frank Palos began his ministry at the BGCT.  As the longest tenured Hispanic employee of the BGCT, he has recently been recognized for his 25 years of service.  These events bring, for me at least, to the forefront several topics of discussion regarding the legacy or legacies that we have been left and that are passing on.

One of those topics for me is that of mentoring.  Who has mentored us?  Who have we mentored?  How significant has this been?  How important should it remain as we pass the baton to the next generation?

 Another topic is how outward-focused were our churches and events a generation ago?  How was the evangelistic fervor evident 25 to 45 years ago?  (It seems to me that it was a primary focus of our work but I may be mistaken)  How have we grown in that?  Have we become more outward-focused than a generation ago or has the opposite happened?

What about youth?  How important was youth ministry in our Hispanic churches in those years?  How were these youth integrated in the overall fabric of our churches and Baptist work in general?  How many of our current pastors and leaders were produced by the youth ministries of that era?  Was this effective?  If so, in which ways?

What about cross-cultural ministry?  How were the leaders of our Hispanic Baptist work in Texas of a generation ago innovative and effective in cross-cultural ministry or not?  How far have we come in this respect?  

Lastly, how were our leaders of a generation ago visionary in respect to cross-vocational domain networking?  In other words, how were they able to see the impact that their youth could make for the kingdom, not only through being pastors and missionaries but also doctors, lawyers, teachers, counselors, social workers, etc. etc.  I understand that one of the early purposes of Congreso was to encourage our youth and singles to pursue higher education and to be encouraged in their quest for professional careers so that we could multiply the leadership base of the church’s next generation?  Where are we today in this respect?

I would like to invite our writers to post on any of these topics or other related topics in the next few weeks.  The posts may be reflections, memoirs, or suggestions.

Julio Guarneri

Getsemani, Fort Worth

I have enjoyed reading Dr. Albert Reyes’ post about Dr. Rudy Sanchez here and on his pandulce blog. I have also enjoyed the articles published in the Baptist Standard and on the North Dallas Family Church website. (See links to these below).

Bro. Rudy was not my pastor but he was nevertheless an encourager and his ministry has blessed me in so many ways. I first came in contact with Bro. Rudy Sanchez as I attended Convención each year as a young man. I was encouraged by his no-nonsense assertiveness. I watched him as he interacted with people, as he spoke from the platform (whether preaching, speaking as a messenger, or leading as the president) and noticed his enthusiasm for the Lord’s work, his concern for our youth and singles, and his determination to advance the cause of the kingdom. He would often honor those Hispanic leaders who had come a generation or two before him. He referred to them as “Los paladines de la obra bautista en Texas” (a graphic image of a champion knight to refer to the heroic service of those pioneers of the Baptist work among Hispanics in Texas). Though he referred to people of the caliber of Josue Grijalva, Leobardo Estrada, Ignacio Gonzalez, Carlos Paredes, Fortunato Gonzalez and others who came before them, I count Dr. Sanchez as one of those “paladines.” His desire to work across denominations and vocational domains to advance the cause of Christ, his ability to relate cross-culturally in the denomination, and his tireless efforts to see Hispanic work on the same playing field as its Anglo compliment mark him as such. We were all proud the day that Dr. Albert Reyes was elected the first Hispanic president of the BGCT, but it was a few years before that Dr. Rudy Sanchez broke ground by becoming the first Hispanic chairman of the executive board of the same institution!

Bro. Rudy Sanchez encouraged me with affection and words. He would see me at denominational events, spoke words of encouragement to me and hugged me with affection. That was significant to me. I saw him doing that with other young ministers also. He had a deep sense of connection with those who had come before him and those who were coming after him. He made it known that he was confident about the leadership that God has raised among us. May we be encouragers to those God is raising up and will raise up after us!

Though not explicitly stated below, Dr. Sanchez was also pastor of Primera in Fort Worth. This is significant because it is during his pastorate there that he met and married Hna. Ruth. It is significant to me because many of the members of my congregation were members of Primera then and remember him fondly. In fact, because of this connection, I have had the privilege of celebrating wedding anniversaries and officiating funerals for families in my church that loved him and whom he loved also. On one occasion, a family in Fort Worth that had not attended any church for many years asked him to officiate a funeral. Bro. Rudy agreed but asked if I could also officiate. This was his way of lovingly connecting a family with a local church. It was also a way of his communicating to me his trust of my pastoral leadership. It has been about ten years since this incident and that family continues to attend Getsemani faithfully every Sunday. What a lesson in pastoral ministry!

I am grateful to the Lord for the opportunity to have known Bro. Rudy, to have been encouraged by him and to learn from his leadership.

Julio S. Guarneri, pastor

Iglesia Bautista Getsemani

Fort Worth