Missionary, Keegan Cullen, who has been collecting winter-themed LEGO village sets since 2009, was enthused to share his collection with others while in the states to rest and rejuvenate before returning to the mission field in 2026. 

“Having an open house for church members was a great opportunity to talk with them and share what we have been doing overseas,” said Cullen. Keegan and his wife, Karmen, shared prayer cards with those who stopped by and had a fun contest for children to search for 10 Star Wars minifigures hidden in the display. The prize for finding all 10 characters being a Christmas-time favorite, a candy cane. 

Also on display was ceramic pottery made by Karmen, something she learned to do in high school and developed a passion for later in college. Her pottery items were works of art with practicality, and included toothbrush holders, spoon rests and travel cups for hot tea or coffee. 

Having been back in the states for six months, the Cullens have enjoyed spending time with family and friends, a welcome opportunity to recover from the homesickness and loneliness that can result from serving in long-term international missions. They have also engaged with the local community by volunteering weekly in the Baptist Collegiate Ministries at the University of West Florida and Pensacola State College. 

As they prepare to return to the mission field, they look forward to “starting fresh with a new set of people who have never heard the gospel,” said Cullen. Going to a city in Spain where around 30,000 unreached college students reside, the Cullens are excited to serve alongside a church plant, where students will have access to a local congregation where they can grow in faith and be discipled. 

Hillcrest Baptist Church already has plans to send summer interns and a mission team to help launch the new college ministry in 2026. “While we expect language barriers and other challenges along the way, we are looking forward to having a great church partnership while we serve on mission in Spain,” said Cullen. 

Since then, Duncan has gone on mission to Cuba several more times and was excited to go with her home church this year. The nine-member mission team partnered with the Baptist Seminary of Havana where Mike Orr, pastor, First Baptist Church Chipley, gave an encouraging talk to students during the convocation to begin the new semester.

Training next generation of pastors

Earlier this year, as Orr celebrated 25 years at First Baptist Church Chipley, the church honored his name and service with the Mike Orr Scholarship to provide tuition for students at the Baptist Seminary in Cuba.

“Our pastor has a heart for training up the next generation of pastors,” Duncan said.

While in Cuba, the mission team presented the scholarship to its first recipient. “He was so grateful, and it was very humbling,” Duncan said. The recipient, a man saved out of the practice of Santeria and addiction, burned his idols when he began to follow Jesus and is now attending seminary to become a pastor.

‘Door is open for gospel’

The team also led vacation Bible school and worship services at Iglesia Bautista Salem de Arroyo Apolo. After hearing Orr preach about “renewing your first love” from Revelation 2, several people came to the altar.

“It is exciting to see how God is using the Church in Cuba. The door is open for the gospel there, and He is showing Cubans that true hope is found in a relationship with Christ,” Duncan said.

Orr also preached at Star of Bethlehem Church. There, the mission team provided and served meals for the local community.

The team served with a house church led by a husband and wife who open their home as a place of worship. There are more than 800 house churches in Cuba’s Western Baptist Convention. In this particular home, the wife prayed for 20 years for her husband to know the Lord. When he came to a saving faith, they both were baptized and saw the need for a place to worship in their neighborhood.

As the team shared the gospel of Jesus Christ in the community surrounding the house church, they saw idols from the practice of Santeria and received resistance from families who refused to forsake the idols. The team continues to pray for these Cubans.

First Baptist Church Chipley will continue to invest in spreading the gospel in Cuba through seminary scholarships and future mission trips. Dane Caldwell, missions pastor, Grace Church Bonifay, also joined the team. “I had heard that the church was growing in Cuba, and I couldn’t wait to see it. The leadership structure and plan for sending out the gospel amazed me. God has stirred a revival in Cuba, and Grace Church wants to be a part of it,” said Caldwell. Grace Church Bonifay is currently making plans to establish a long-term partnership with the Church in Cuba.

As a team, we came away spiritually renewed and encouraged by our Cuban brothers and sisters in Christ,” Orr said. “Spending time with them and sharing the gospel with others rekindled our fire for evangelism and gospel conversations.”

“I was walking the line between the world and Jesus,” Soph said. “But God used UM to grow my faith in ways I never expected.”

At a Christian campus event early in her first semester, she heard a student leader say, “College isn’t just about not losing your faith; it’s about growing it.” That insight shifted her perspective, and soon she was fully engaged with Baptist Campus Ministries and CRU.

Andrew Fernandez, director of the Baptist Collegiate Ministry at the University of Miami, explained, “Part of the mission statement at the Miami BCM is that it exists for college students to know Jesus and be known by His people. One of the ways we do this is through intentional relational discipleship in the campus ministry and at our local churches.”

Shulse’s story reflects that approach. “When Soph arrived as a freshman, she immediately connected with some of the ladies at the BCM who began to pour into her life,” Fernandez said. “She also got connected to Reality Church where they share the passion to reach and care for college students.”

As her involvement deepened, so did her conviction. In December, Shulse took a bold step and was baptized alongside her best friend. “I’d been baptized as a Catholic,” she said, “but this was different. It was about letting my old self die. It was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.”

Fernandez added, “The Lord worked in Soph’s heart to bring her to the place of publicly professing her faith in Christ through believer’s baptism. Since then, Soph has had the opportunity to serve in the church, go on missions trips, and join the Miami BCM student leadership team.”

The baptism was more than symbolic. It marked a turning point—one that led her directly onto the mission field.

Over the spring semester, Shulse said “yes” to two mission trips: one to Panama with CRU’s Filter of Hope program, installing water filters and sharing the gospel; the other to the Dominican Republic with her church, Reality Miami, to support missionaries working across a variety of ministries, including women’s outreach, education and sports.

Despite being a new believer and a full-time pre-health student, she pressed forward. “I felt like a baby Christian,” she admitted. “But being in those environments showed me that obedience is more important than feeling ready. Just saying ‘yes’ to God—He shows up.”

The mission work wasn’t easy. It stretched her spiritually, emotionally and physically. “Serving while burned out from school wasn’t ideal,” she said. “But God used that time to refresh my soul in ways I didn’t expect.”

Back in South Carolina for summer break, Shulse continues living on mission. She shares her testimony to challenge cultural Christianity, telling friends that following Christ isn’t a Sunday routine—it’s a surrendered life.

Her encouragement to other students is simple: be available. “You don’t have to have it all figured out. Just say ‘yes.’ Like my pastor said, you’ll either look back and say, ‘I wish I had,’ or ‘I’m glad I did.’ And I want to live a life full of ‘glad I dids.’”

With prior experience working with the International Mission Board, Martinez knew the effectiveness of the Board’s commitment to the Great Commission. His vision was clear—connect Miami Baptists with global missions in a tangible and impactful way.

“Our churches in Miami are already involved in mission work in Cuba and beyond, but I saw the need to create more strategic partnerships, particularly in places where access to the gospel is limited,” Martinez said. This passion led to a growing relationship between the association and Southern Baptist missionaries in Senegal, a country with a predominantly Muslim population.

Connecting pastors with the nations

The journey began with conversations among local pastors who already had a heart for missions. Jorge Valdez of Iglesia Bautista Ebenezer had a deep desire to reach those in the 10/40 Window—the region of the world with the least access to the gospel. As a church planter, Valdez is deeply committed to missions. However, when he first arrived at his church, he discovered that the church was in decline, with only eight elders attending meetings. It seemed the church would not be around much longer. Determined to instill a vision for missions, he began preaching about the church’s responsibility to engage in the Great Commission, emphasizing that mission work has no age limit. To his joy, the elders responded to the call.

In 2020, Valdez attended a missions meeting and sensed a clear call from God to go to Senegal. His church affirmed this call and sent him on a vision trip to the country. “We don’t have to wait to reach everyone at home before going to those further away. We can do it at the same time,” Valdez shared. This perspective aligned with the growing mission effort within the association.

Similarly, Howard Harden, another Miami pastor, joined the effort in 2023 when he also sensed a call to Senegal. “We hope to have other churches join us in this mission,” Valdez added, reflecting on the expansion of this partnership.

With these connections, a vision trip was planned. In 2023, a team from Miami traveled throughout Senegal, meeting with both IMB and non-IMB missionaries. What they found was a country open to hearing the message of Christ. Encouraged by this, the group returned in November 2024 for a second trip, reinforcing their commitment to long-term engagement.

Supporting local pastors and planting seeds

The mission team partnered with a local Baptist pastor who works closely with IMB missionary Charles Michelson. Their goal was not only to evangelize but also to encourage and strengthen the work already happening in Senegal.

“We joined them in visiting nearby villages, held medical missions in three locations, and prayed with people. The majority of those who came to the medical clinics were Muslim, yet none refused prayer in the name of Jesus,” Martinez shared.

Despite the openness to hearing the gospel, the team understands that transformation takes time. “Just because they hear it doesn’t mean they believe it. Our mission is to plant the seeds of the gospel, knowing that in a country like Senegal, we may not see the harvest in our lifetime,” Martinez said.

Impactful moments and lasting connections

One of the most significant moments from the trip occurred during an evangelism visit to a nearby island. A group of young men listened as a missionary shared the gospel. Out of the group, one young man made a profession of faith. His commitment didn’t end there; he later sought out the missionaries to get a Bible and spend more time with them, eager to learn more about Christ.

Pastor Harden also has been building a relationship with a Senegalese village chief. While the chief has not yet made a profession of faith in Christ, their growing connection has opened doors for deeper conversations about faith.

A call to other Baptist associations

Martinez believes this type of partnership is possible for other Baptist associations looking to expand their mission efforts. He encourages associations to prayerfully consider their unique strengths and calling.

“Every church and association need to ask, ‘What people groups are already among us that we can reach? What language barriers exist, and who in our churches can help break them? What resources do we have to invest in missions?’” Martinez said.

Looking ahead, Miami Baptist Association remains committed to its work in Senegal, continuing to send teams and invest in relationships. Through strategic partnerships, prayer and a willingness to go, leaders in Miami Baptist Association are living out the Great Commission—mobilizing churches, reaching the lost and strengthening those already on the mission field.

Their ministry service in the United States was followed by seven weeks in international missions training, then immersing themselves in the Spanish culture and language studies abroad.

They currently serve as missionaries in Spain with a local church plant, focusing on university ministry. To the Spanish people, tradition and relationships are very important. While battling a sense of homesickness and desire for their family and friends, Keegan and Karmen work to build relationships with students and create open doors for sharing the gospel.

Each week, they host in-home gatherings, called Tapas y Temas, where they take a close look at what the Bible says about real world topics. They also host game nights and meet-ups at local parks.

International mission work has brought a feeling of loneliness due to rejection and hostility to the gospel. In working with college students, they have seen a more open heart to the gospel than with older generations, and they rely heavily on God’s faithfulness while celebrating the wins.

They have witnessed college students coming to know Christ as Savior. The college ministry that began with zero students now has a number of students meeting regularly with excitement about what the Bible says, eager to know God’s plan for everyday life. The church plant they work with has grown in both attendance and maturity.

Through the support of Hillcrest Baptist Church in Pensacola, they receive monthly counseling with a certified biblical counselor, a stipend and, most importantly, prayer. Hillcrest members have traveled twice on mission to their area of Spain.

“Our team is small, but growing. A few Mexican pastors are coming to help our church plant, and we have a few very involved couples. God is doing some great things!” emphasized Keegan.

“The Great Commission [Matthew 28:18-20] is in our conversations, teaching, small groups. … Everywhere we go, the gospel goes; and everywhere we go, we are on mission. We are striving to be a church that spends less on ourselves and gives more to missions,” said David Gold, senior pastor of Crossroads. He explained that 17% of the church’s annual budget is earmarked for missions, in addition to the church’s emphasis on special offerings such as the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions and the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering for North American Missions.

Along with committing to increase its missions giving by one percentage point annually and “giving more and more toward kingdom ministries,” with the ultimate goal of the church giving 30% or more to missions, Crossroads also is committed to praying vigorously for its community, other local churches, and its national and international church partners.

“We pray for missions, our city, other local churches, and our partners consistently in our services,” Gold said.

Generous giving and vigorous prayer ultimately lead to the church being directly involved with missions and working with full-time missionaries, which further fuels the church’s outward focus. When church members return from mission trips, Gold said, “We celebrate what God has done before our people.”

Engaging in missions and keeping evangelistic fervor before the people takes intentionality and constant celebration, Gold said. “By sharing their experiences, creating videos, developing partnerships, we have learned that whatever gets celebrated, gets repeated.”

Local community

Crossroads Baptist Church’s missions commitment is lived out with various outreach and layperson-led ministries throughout its local community.

“We encourage our people to live out personal ministry. We want to equip the saints and encourage them to catch the power and vision of the gospel,” said Michael Caro, youth pastor at Crossroads.

Equipping the saints to do the work of ministry has evolved into a food pantry distribution that feeds more than 275 families a month, a juvenile prison ministry, One More Child volunteer team, an active and thriving Good News Club and more.

The southwest Florida church also has adopted five public schools in Lee County to offer support and encouragement, partners with Iglesia Real Fort Myers Church, and ministers through Ride Nature—a ministry that seeks to serve extreme sports enthusiasts, one of the largest unreached people groups in the world.

“We seek to be a church that if we ceased to exist, we would be deeply missed by our community,” said Gold.

National

The reach of the Florida Baptist church moves far beyond its ZIP code. Desiring to champion the partnership between the Florida Baptist Convention and the State Convention of Baptists in Ohio, Crossroads recently partnered with Lakeview Baptist Church in Vermilion, Ohio. Taking a team of adults and students, Crossroads was able to encourage and join the church in how it is already serving its community.

The team of students led a children’s sports camp that taught the fundamentals of basketball, soccer and cheerleading. The students also had opportunities to share the gospel.

“We’re committed to equipping our people to do ministry, even our students,” said Caro. “We want to train our students and model before them how to be on mission.”

International

By cultivating church-to-church relationships throughout the Sunshine State—specifically with pastor Martin Vargas of Iglesia Real Miami—Crossroads went on a vision tour to Cuba in January and returned home with a love for the area of Las Martinas, Provincia de Pinar del Rio, Cuba.

In July, a Crossroads team of seven traveled to the region to begin developing relationships with the locals, participate in a food ministry for the elderly, facilitate construction projects, serve at a night of worship event, and more.

The recent trip provided a foundational understanding of the type of two-tiered ministry that Crossroads can be part of—traditional mission trips and theological training for local church pastors in Las Martinas.

Along with its newly established ministry relationship in Cuba, the church is heavily involved in other international ministries, which include being involved with Mission of Hope in Haiti and the Dominican Republic, supporting an International Mission Board missionary serving in Malaysia, establishing a partnership in the predominantly Muslim nation of Kosovo, sending mission teams to Guatemala, and planting healthy local churches in the Caribbean.

With a laser mission focus, the heartbeat of Crossroads is always before the people—”less of themselves and more for the kingdom,” Gold said.

For more than 150 years, the people of Long Branch Baptist Church, located about 15 miles outside of Middleburg, have been steadfast in loving and serving their community.

“A genuine love for each other and reliance on God” are the distinguishing marks of the church, said Pastor Harry Conaway.

Recently that steadfast spirit of love and service has stirred a generosity in church members’ hearts for giving to missions and supporting missionaries.

 In 2022 an enthusiastic 81-year-old woman, Helen Fife, began attending Long Branch Baptist Church. Shortly after arriving at the Florida Baptist church, Fife said the Lord began to cultivate her heart for missions. Wanting to act on what the Lord had stirred in her heart, Fife volunteered to carry the baton of missions and missions’ education by reinvigorating the church’s Woman’s Missionary Union involvement.

“The more she read about missions and missionaries around the world, it became a bigger fire within her heart,” Conaway said.

“Missionaries don’t make it without us,” Fife said.

‘God can do big things’

Over the past two years, the church has raised awareness for the annual North American Mission Board’s Annie Armstrong Easter Offering and the International Mission Board’s Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. By using prayer prompts, videos and other missions and WMU resources and materials, the faithful church of about 75 members has exceeded its goals for the missions’ offerings.

Convinced that “God can do big things,” and wanting to carry out the Great Commission in Matthew 28:18-20, Fife encouraged those in the church to set a goal for the 2023 Lottie Moon Christmas Offering at $3,000. After giving several hundred dollars in previous years, this goal for Long Branch Baptist Church would be a stretch, setting a record. After the Christmas season ended, the church gave $300 more than its goal. The church set another goal of $3,000 for this year’s Annie Armstrong Easter Offering and recently exceeded that goal as well.

Between these two seasonal offerings, the church has championed mission-giving by sending more than $6,000 over the past four months.

The church has also increased its mission involvement and giving to include donating Bibles for The Gideons International, taking part in the Samaritan’s Purse Operation Christmas Child shoebox ministry, financially supporting missionaries serving in Haiti and Romania, and donating items to its community Angel Tree drive.

“Where we were donating 82 shoeboxes to Operation Christmas Child, we’re now donating 262,” said Conaway. “This type of giving just proves that when you have a heart to serve, God will allow you to make an impact.”

Despite this all, there is one thing Conaway and Fife wanted to make clear—for the spotlight to shine upon the One who is deserving.

“We don’t want the spotlight,” he said. “We’re not bragging about our church or our people. We’re bragging about God and what He has done.”

The missions-minded emphasis and giving has not only served mission organizations and missionaries but also strengthened the local church, Conaway believes.

“This has greatly enriched our church,” he said. “We love being with each other, laughing together, growing spiritually, and desiring to care and reach lost souls for Jesus Christ.”

As you leave Long Branch Baptist Church on a given Sunday, a sign outside the door reminds members that they “are now entering their mission field.” And that’s exactly what these church members are doing due to their love for the Lord and the urging of Fife—reaching their neighbor and the nations.

The newly built 22,000-square-foot, multipurpose Mission First facility recently opened its doors, providing space and flexibility to be an equipping center for several of the church’s mission partners. In March, the church had a special time of responsive reading and prayer to celebrate completion of the mission and ministry facility.

Ongoing mission projects include Church2Church food ministry, in which the church partners with more than 40 local churches to provide food for about 1,200 families monthly. Also, the building provides ample space for other mission projects, including Operation Christmas Child box packing, Sewing for Jesus and a foster family ministry closet housing clothes, backpacks, shoes and other items a family may need when caring for a foster child.

The church middle-school group helped BackPack Buddies move into the new building and held a packing party with a group of students on mission from Joplin, Missouri. “Young people work hard and fast,” said Craig Bonelli, associate pastor of missions at the church. The youth group will continue to use the facilities with “serve days” where they pack food for Church2Church and BackPack Buddies.

Bonelli added, “We hope to take these ministries to the next level. Having a ministry center dedicated to missions and ministry will open doors we don’t see yet. We are excited to see how God will use this center for His glory in years to come.”

The church partners in mission work with other churches around the community, including Beach Haven Baptist, and churches from other states as well.

An initial goal was to complete the building debt-free. Although construction prices increased the cost from initial estimates, the church celebrates having 100% of the cost being pledged and 80% of the cost already paid.

ST. JOHNS­–With its recent mission trip to Australia, Fruit Cove Baptist Church in North Florida has reached its goal of extending its missions footprint to all seven continents.

While it’s something the church has celebrated, Jonathan Wilson, the church’s families and missions pastor, will tell you the church still has more to do.

“That’s the one thing about ministry – you never get to the point where you are done,” he said. “You have wins. You have some things to celebrate. But it’s about helping people get discipled and get mobilized so they can see how God can use them now to make a difference.”

Through a combination of short-term mission trips and partnerships over the past seven and a half years that Wilson has been on staff, the church was able to reach this goal, including the mobilization of 160 people to six continents on 17 trips in 2023 alone. Wilson said he was initially inspired by Tim Maynard, now pastor emeritus at the church, who shared his desire for reaching all the continents.

“It’s all about relationships,” Wilson said in describing how he got started on this initiative after coming on church staff. He began with some existing partnerships the church had in Central and South America, and then expanded on that. He also looked to the North American Mission Board and International Mission Board to establish connections with missionaries and ministries already in place.

“NAMB and IMB are both very supportive and great resources for us to find people on the ground who are getting it done, people we can trust and come alongside with prayer, support and resources,” he said.

Fruit Cove Baptist currently partners with about 32 church plants throughout North America. Here is a look at the church’s missions work on the other six continents.

EUROPE: In London the church partners with an IMB church planter who has started the first evangelical church in his hometown of Wroughton, just outside of London. “We partner with the work there and will be sending a team to the UK over spring break,” Wilson said. “We also have several families who’ve adopted specific Wroughton streets to pray for on a regular basis.”

ASIA: Kuala Lumpur, the capital city of Malaysia, has been designated as a key global city by the IMB, and Fruit Cove wanted to be part of that emphasis. Fruit Cove partners with a church plant there. A family from Fruit Cove helps lead the church plant. The church is planning to send a team next fall.

AFRICA: To adopt an unreached people group, the church has partnered with an IMB unit that is working hard to reach a nomadic group located in the Horn of Africa. Two church members traveled to the Horn to establish connections and were introduced to Christ followers among the people group, including one young man who uses a radio program to broadcast the gospel in the area. The church helped fund that ministry and is now sending four people there in February.

CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA: Guatemala was one of the first mission trips for the church in 2015. It’s a compassion-type ministry where teams build one or two houses and do food distribution and children’s ministries. The church now sends three teams annually to Guatemala and have expanded to include components of medical and dental ministries. Now the church has expanded into South America with church planting and children’s Bible clubs in Ecuador.

ANTARCTICA: Here, Fruit Cove established a connection and sent support to a NAMB- endorsed chaplain who serves at the McMurdo Station, an American research station. The church bought a new sound system for the chapel there and new DVDs and books for the library. Church members had applied for some of the 800 civilian seasonal jobs so they could be part of the mission work there, but the COVID outbreak prevented that. He said the church plans to revisit this effort at some point.

AUSTRALIA: It took a while, but eventually the church connected with the only IMB missionary couple in all of Australia and New Zealand. A 13-member mission team just returned from Sydney, Australia, in January after helping lead the first holiday Bible club, similar to a vacation Bible school.

Fruit Cove member Katrin Lindo, who was part of the mission team, said she enjoyed getting to know the children and forming relationships with their parents as well as other members of Mosaic Community Church.

“Going on the mission trip, we always want to impact the lives of those we come in contact with, but also to be able to encourage those we serve on the field,” she said. “It was a great blessing for me to come alongside the local church and the missionaries who serve in Australia.”

Fresh on the heels of that group’s return from Australia, the church just commissioned a young intern who will begin the process of training as an IMB Journeyman in Australia. Because of the church’s ongoing missions focus, that type of commissioning of mission groups and individuals has become a regular part of its Sunday services.

“It’s really cool how the Lord has orchestrated and provided some great opportunities for us,” Wilson said. “We’ve already partnered with two church plants in Sydney and some other ministry opportunities. I’m excited about what Fruit Cove can potentially do to help advance the gospel in Australia in the years to come.”

For churches looking to expand their missions outreach, Wilson recommends a missions partnership framework known as the four Ps:

• Prayer: “Pray for our partners, and they pray for us.”
• Provision: “Sometimes that provision is a one-time gift, such as a church that needs a sound system or extra chairs, or it could ongoing, such as monthly support.”
• Participate: “We want to participate in their ministry. They’re also invited to participate in our ministry.”
• Party: “We want to celebrate the wins that our partners have. We want to celebrate with each other when certain milestones occur.”

“This is something any church can do,” he said. “Any church can come alongside a church plant or a church in need of revitalization to say, ‘We see you, and we know you; we love you and we’re with you.’ That’s what this is about. I would encourage everyone reading this article – if your church is not engaged in church planting or mission partnerships, start here in Florida. We have more than 100 church plants that would love another church to come alongside and pray with them.”

The UFMB, which was a formidable force following World War II, united women in a shared mission, emphasizing the importance of mission contributions and missionary ministries. The group was instrumental in publishing magazines and other materials to aid churches in their missionary endeavors. Over time, however, its prominence waned in Florida.

The UFMB is essentially the Hispanic arm of the Woman’s Missionary Union. The UFMB operates with similar goals and principles but is tailored to engage and support Spanish-speaking and Hispanic communities. Both organizations share the broader mission of educating and involving women and children in missions.

“I was delighted when Claudia asked me about offering a training event for leaders to begin Union Femenil Bautista groups in their churches,” said Cindy Bradley, Women’s Missions and Ministries/Mission Education catalyst for the Florida Baptist Convention.

“The UFMB seeks to help our churches provide missions discipleship for the whole church that helps our church members, young and old, to grow in their faith as they learn about the work of our International Mission Board and North American Mission Board missionaries, pray for missions and missionaries, support missions financially, and be involved in missions locally and globally.”

Rojas, recognizing the gap and the potential, organized a gathering at Iglesia Bautista Peters Road with 21 women in attendance. “The sisters are committed to working toward the pledges they’ve made. They are keen to work toward education and raising of missionary offerings and ministries,” she expressed with hope. The women represented Iglesia Bautista Canaan, Iglesia Estrella de Belen Broward, Iglesia Bautista Peters Road, Iglesia Real, and Iglesia Bautista Lake Saunders.

At the event, participants were provided with Spanish materials designed for their churches to reignite this ministry. A notable focus was on involving children in prayer for missionaries and encouraging contributions to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering® to support international missionaries and the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering to support missionaries in North America. “This way, children learn to donate and understand why missionaries need these offerings,” Rojas emphasized.

Despite the Union’s diminished activity in Florida, Rojas mentioned that many who migrate from other Latin American countries are familiar with the UFMB and often seek it out. “My aim is for our Hispanic churches to gain a deeper understanding of missionary work, to open their eyes to the needs in the missionary field, and to encourage them to support the cooperative program,” she stated.

The UFMB was founded in Mexico in the early 20th century during a time when there was a strong push for evangelism and the establishment of Baptist institutions in the country. It was established to empower Baptist women in the region to play an active role in evangelism, missions and community service. Over the years, it has spread to other Latin American countries and to Hispanic communities in the United States. The organization has been instrumental in fostering spiritual growth and promoting the Baptist mission among women in these communities.

The broader goal, as Rojas envisions, is not just about occasional retreats or sporadic Bible studies. “My heart yearns for women to work as a missionary woman’s union in their churches,” she expressed passionately.

“I am praying for more and more of our churches to become involved in missions discipleship with the focus of reaching our state, nation, and world for Christ,” said Bradley.

With the mission to “Establish, Strengthen, Fulfill” in place, and with the unwavering commitment of the attendees at the recent gathering, the UFMB in Florida, she hopes, is on a promising path to revival.

If you would like someone to come to your church and train leaders in UFMB or WMU, contact Claudia or Cindy at Cindy.Bradley@flbaptist.org.