Be agents for change, pastor urges_61305

Posted: 6/10/05

Be agents for change pastor urges

By Jocelyn Delgado

Communications Intern

CORPUS CHRISTI–Hispanic Texas Baptists who have been changed by God can become agents of transformation, insisted Julio Guarneri, pastor at Iglesia Bautista Getsemani in Fort Worth.

In the annual message to the Hispanic Baptist Convention of Texas, Guarneri noted the meeting's theme was “Ahora es el tiempo para cambiar”–now is the time to change. He insisted it is time to do exactly that.

Guarneri called for a reformation of churches that would lead them to become transformational. The Baptist General Convention of Texas, which supports the Hispanic Convention, refers to transformational churches in its vision statement as churches joined together to help their communities and the world. The first reformation divided the church, and this second transformational reformation will unite the church, he said.

Transformational churches begin with people who have been transformed by Christ, Guarneri said. People who have experienced the power of God can affect others around them. They see ministry opportunities in the world. They want to make disciples, which is the mission of believers.

“God will not change,” Guarneri said. “He is perfect. The word of God does not change, because it is perfect. … But people are called upon to change, because we are not perfect.”

The notion of being transformed people especially is important because Hispanics are the key to contemporary mission work, Guarneri said. The center of Christendom is moving southward, and Hispanics will need to supply missionaries throughout the world.

“Pastors prepare saints so they can go out and evangelize,” Guarneri said through an interpreter. “We need to return to the future of making disciples.”