Growing church family finds room for expansion

Posted: 12/15/06

Growing church family
finds room for expansion

By George Henson

Staff Writer

ODESSA—As families grow, the need for a larger home often follows. Primera Iglesia Bautista in Odessa has found what seems to be a perfect fit for its growing family of believers.

More than twice as many people have made professions of faith in Jesus Christ in 2006 than in 2005 at Primera, Pastor Mario Martinez said.

Martinez credits the faithfulness of the congregation to visit area residents using the FAITH evangelism strategy as a key to growth.

While more than 40 have professed faith in Jesus Christ this year, only about 20 have been baptized so far. New believers are discipled in an eight-week course by the same people who led them to their decision, and nobody is baptized until they understand its significance.

“Our teaching about baptism doesn’t come until the seventh week, so some haven’t been taught what baptism means yet,” Martinez explained.

Some people are delaying their baptism until New Year’s Eve, when the church plans a large celebration, he added. Martinez already has a list of about 15 people who will be baptized that night.

The church’s growth has surpassed what its facilities can accommodate. Currently, all four of the church’s education rooms are filled on Sunday mornings. Four more classes meet in borrowed space at an Anglo church across the street.

The growth in the number of Christians also has increased the number of children from when Martinez arrived at the church in 2004.

“When I came here, there were four children. One couple had two boys, and my wife and I had two children. Now, we have 20 children in the nursery and 15 in children’s chapel,” he said.

The children’s chapel meets in another small building because there is not a room large enough in main building.

That space crunch prompted the church to pray about building another structure on its property.

But Martinez said before any concrete plans were made, another church four blocks away decided to sell its property and relocate.

The initial asking price was $450,000; Primera initially offered $385,000. In mid-November, the parties came together, and Primera acknowledged it would only be able to come up with about $350,000. That offer was accepted.

“We will move into our new building in February,” Martinez said. “It has 13 classrooms for Sunday school and will seat 340 people.”

Since attendance has been about 100, that gives the church a good deal of room for growth, he said.

“Right now, we have a lot of people who come, and we are crowded in our pews, and our parking lot is full. Some people don’t like that, so they don’t come back. In our new building, we will have plenty of space for everyone,” Martinez said.