Mexican Baptists hope church-starting goal sparks movement throughout Latin America_12604

Posted: 1/23/04

Mexican Baptists hope church-starting
goal sparks movement throughout Latin America

By John Hall

Texas Baptist Communications

MATAMOROS, Mexico­The National Baptist Convention of Mexico is ushering in a “spiritual revolution” through what appears to be the beginnings of a church-starting movement, missions observers have noted.

And its leaders hope to see the movement spread throughout the Americas.

Mexican Baptists started about 800 churches in the past year. The National Baptist Convention of Mexico goal is to have 10,000 Baptist churches in the country by 2010. About 1,700 congregations, including the new churches, currently comprise the convention.

More encouraging for convention leaders are the 10,000 students enrolled in church- starting discipleship courses designed by Otto Arango, pastor of Iglesia Bautista Getsemani in McAllen and director of the Church Starting Institute.

In churches throughout the nation, laypeople enrolled in the 10 courses are gaining basic knowledge of pastoral skills, church starting, preaching, teaching, theology and church administration.

Not all the students will start churches, but Arango said he believes 60 percent will. Those who do not start congregations will be stronger members of existing churches.

“They are going to reach the goal,” Arango said. “They are going to pass the goal.”

Mexico can be transformed through this snowballing effort, predicted Antonio Villa, vice president of the National Baptist Convention of Mexico. The significant increase in churches will enable Baptists in Mexico to minister more effectively to the 104 million people in the country, 5 percent of whom are evangelicals.

But for Baptists to have a larger impact in Mexico, they must be unified and committed to work under the direction of Christ, Villa said.

“Together we believe we can usher in a spiritual revolution in Mexico,” Villa told more than 300 church starters at a training event Jan. 10 in Matamoros.

Arango and Villa said they hope this model of church planting will spread throughout Central and South America, furthering a church-starting movement.

“This will be the platform that other countries will imitate,” Villa explained.

The duo added they think the project will stir Texas Baptist work as well. Mexican church-starting efforts will encourage increased church starting in Texas.

The Baptist General Convention of Texas is working with the Mexican convention through a partnership between the two entities.

A Texas Baptist donor pays for the printed materials related to the courses, training events and some travel expenses.

Both conventions are encouraging their churches to work with congregations on each side of the border.

Cooperation is key to increasing Mexican Baptist work, BGCT Executive Director Charles Wade noted.

Texan resources help spread Mexican Baptist work, while Mexican faith inspires Texas Baptists to serve faithfully.

“Some plant the seed,” Wade said. “Some water it. Others harvest it. But it is together that God's work is done.”

But more help is needed, according to Villa.

More training is desired in evangelism and missions. Religious education needs to be strengthened. Mission and construction teams are wanted.

“We will take as many as can be sent,” Villa said.

For more information about Mexico missions or the Texas-Mexico partnership, contact the BGCT Texas Partnerships Resource Center at (214) 828-5181.