God is calling Hispanic Baptists to conquer ‘giants,’ speaker says_22105

Posted: 2/18/05

God is calling Hispanic Baptists
to conquer 'giants,' speaker says

By John Hall

Texas Baptist Communications

HOUSTON–God is calling Hispanic Texas Baptists to overcome their fears and have a great impact in his name, the director of Hispanic church studies at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, Calif., told the Texas Baptist Hispanic Evangelism Conference.

Juan Martinez of Fuller said many Hispanic Baptists feel like the Israelites did just before they entered Canaan. The Israelites saw many challenges to conquer the land and were scared to invade it. Israelites saw the Canaanites as “giants,” while they viewed themselves as “grasshoppers,” Martinez said.

Similarly, contemporary Hispanic Baptists view many “giants” facing their churches and begin doubting they can have a large effect on their communities, he said.

Hispanics see a lack of education, funds and leadership as challenges that prevent growth of ministries.

But like God did with the Israelites, he can deliver Hispanic Baptists through their challenges, Martinez said.

God is calling Hispanic Texas Baptists to “go forward without looking back,” trusting God to lead them to glorify him in mighty ways, he said.

“I believe right now there are people here that will lead big ministries because they followed God,” Martinez told more than 2,500 people during the Baptist General Convention of Texas Hisp-anic Evangelism Conference.

Going “forward” means growing large churches, having trained ministers and sending missionaries around the world, Martinez continued.

He pointed to churches throughout Central and South America with extensive ministries that are reaching their communities and the world as examples of what God would like to see in Texas.

Hamid Zamora, a member of First Baptist Church in Pasadena, plays his alto saxophone during a Hispanic Evangelism Conference concert.

Gus Reyes, consultant in the BGCT Center for Strategic Evangelism, said he already sees Hispanics responding to that call. They are seeing the need for more Hispanic churches in the state and filling that void. Eighty-five of the 176 congregations started through the BGCT Church Multiplication Center in 2004 were Hispanic, he noted.

Young Hispanics are taking an increased interest in leading churches, Reyes added.

Two years ago, a large group attending the Hispanic Youth and Singles Congreso committed to lead congregations and pledged to serve wherever God calls them.

“Our youth are very desirous,” Reyes said. “They're very much like other youth. They want to go.”

This can have a global effect, Reyes continued. Hispanics have much in common with those living in the “10-40 window” along the equator where the least number of evangelical Christian reside.

Hispanics share with them a similar culture, appearance and family values, and they could successfully evangelize the region if mobilized.

“Missiologists tell us the people who are going to reach into that window are Hispanics,” he said.

To continue following this movement, Martinez said Hispanics must look past the challenges and lean on God.

Then ministries will develop, large Hispanic churches will form, communities will be transformed and believers will spread the gospel around the world.

“How much money do we need to send a missionary?” Martinez asked rhetorically. “Don't ask the wrong question. What we need is vision.”