HIALEAH— During this year’s Thanksgiving celebration at Iglesia Bautista Northside, 23 individuals publicly expressed their faith in Christ through baptism, making it one of the church’s most memorable holiday events. Among these were seven young members from Northside English, the church’s English-language congregation led by Pastor Noel Morera.

One of the men baptized came to Northside English after Pastor Morera met him in the church parking lot. Initially a devout Jehovah’s Witness, he started meeting with Morera weekly to study the Gospel of John. Through these discussions and his increasing understanding of Jesus, he put his faith in Christ and publicly expressed his new life through baptism on Thanksgiving morning.

The day started early with church members assembling at Miami Beach’s South Pointe for their beloved annual sunrise service. With the sky gradually brightening over the Atlantic, the congregation came together to worship, express thanks for God’s faithfulness, and contemplate His influence in their lives.

Once the sun was fully risen, the church family came back to the Hialeah campus for a hearty breakfast and fellowship. The morning was alive with laughter, testimonies, and conversations before everyone assembled in the sanctuary for worship and a short message from Pastor Alberto Ocaña.

The 23 baptisms stood as a strong reminder of God’s continuous work through Iglesia Bautista Northside and its ministries. At the end of the service, Pastor Ocaña urged the congregation to enter the Christmas season with hearts filled with gratitude and obedience. His message was straightforward: “Be thankful, follow Christ, and serve Christ.”

Photo Caption: Aramis Rodriguez Coutin (second from left), president of the Eastern Cuba Baptist Convention, shares with Hispanic Florida Baptists how God is moving through the Cuban Baptist Church during a Hispanic Fellowship Lunch at the Florida Baptist State Convention in Orlando.

ORLANDO–When life becomes difficult, even overwhelming, Cubans are turning in faith by the thousands to the only One who can offer hope amid the despair.

In the past 13 months, the island nation has been wracked by natural disasters, with earthquakes and hurricanes unleashing terror on the disaster-weary Cuban people. In the final quarter of 2024, two back-to-back earthquakes rocked Eastern Cuba Nov. 10, creating widespread damage and power disruptions in areas still recovering from Category 1 Hurricane Oscar, which struck Eastern Cuba Oct. 20, and Category 3 Hurricane Rafael, which made landfall in Western Cuba Nov. 6, 2024. More recently, Hurricane Melissa hit Eastern Cuba, in the Santiago de Cuba province, as a Category 3 storm in late October 2025, causing devastation and power outages due to 120 mph winds, flooding and landslides. 

Disaster relief from the natural disasters has become almost a way of life for Cubans in the storms’ paths. Although, Florida Baptist churches’ generous giving over the years allow resources to be positioned before storms occur. 

As if natural disasters were not enough for the Cubans to experience, a heartbreaking apparent-gas explosion in May 2022 devastated the historic Saratoga Hotel in Old Havana, Cuba, and also rained destruction on nearby Calvary Baptist Church, the first and largest Evangelical church in the country. Originally, the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering was the key fundraiser for the purchase of the building, which was also home to offices of the Western Cuba Baptist Convention, organized in 1905. The Western Cuba Baptist seminary was founded in the building. Annual meetings for the convention were held in the spacious historic church, with a membership of about 1,200. 

Although it’s been more than three years since the explosion, the building is still unusable; repair is ongoing, slow and painstaking. Demolition and clean-up are complete; now the rebuild is getting underway.

“These three years (since the explosion) have been really difficult,” expressed Barbaro Marrero, president of the Western Cuba Baptist Convention. “I have this hope that the whole nation will see the rebuilding. And it’s going to be a testimony of the power of God for the whole nation.”

“I can only imagine the celebration when we can go back to that building again with many people, many churches, even unbelievers, to go and see God’s work. I think (the rebuild) is going to be an opportunity for the gospel. Buildings can collapse, but the Church moves on.”

Running to Jesus

In a recent in-person interview in Orlando, Aramis Rodriguez Coutin, president of the Eastern Cuba Baptist Convention, said, “In Cuba, we have the experience that every crisis results in people coming to the feet of Christ. It’s like those people we’ve preached to for so many years, until they face a difficult situation, it’s as if they’re just not interested. But when they realize that the only solution and the only way out is in Jesus Christ, they have to run to Him.”

Marrero agrees, “God is working; He is touching many people. Many people are realizing the need for God. Many people are finding hope in Jesus Christ.”

He continued, “I think when we are in trouble as human beings, we recognize how fragile we are, which is good because sometimes we think we are immortal, that we have superpower, which of course we don’t have. But when we are in trouble, in trials, in tribulation, it’s easy to realize that we need God, we need to depend on Him desperately.”

Thinking back to the 2024 earthquakes, Marrero said, “When the earth trembles, we have the good tendency to put our eyes on heaven. And I think that’s what is happening in Cuba and in other places as well.”

Marrero stated that the Western Cuba Baptist Convention is reporting “the highest numbers of baptisms in the history of the convention. Most of our churches are packed with people.” Havana Baptist Seminary, which Marrero also serves as president, “has the highest enrollment in the history of the seminary. The Lord is raising a new generation of leaders.”

With the large enrollment, the seminary experiences growing pains, always needing more space and resources.

In Eastern Cuba, “The Baptist work in Cuba grows every year. We have the joy of planting more than 25 churches every year over the past 25 years. It is a work that enjoys the presence of the Lord. I can confidently declare that the hand of God is with us because He works every day and surprises us in a difficult context where there are many problems and many needs, but the hand of the Lord works in favor of His people, His Church and our convention,” Coutin said.

Many of the new churches are launched and continue to meet in homes, even as churchgoers find themselves squeezing into limited space. Some of these homes damaged heavily by Hurricane Melissa still offer a physical and spiritual refuge for Cubans.

Not alone

In facing these crises and the gospel opportunities, Cuban Baptists are not alone. 

Florida Baptists have partnered with the Western Cuba Baptist Convention since 1997 and the Eastern Cuba Baptist Convention since 2013. Through the partnerships, Florida Baptists provide resources, send mission teams and pray in an effort to undergird Cuban Baptist efforts at meeting needs while proclaiming the gospel.

“We thank the Lord for the Florida Convention,” Coutin said.

Marrero is grateful for the partnership; he describes the partnership as an encouragement and blessing. “You’ve been an encouragement for us for many years. We don’t feel alone because you are with us. We have been able to continue. Our request will be to please continue by our side. We are blessed with this partnership.”

During the recent 2025 Florida Baptist State Convention annual meeting in Orlando, the Western Cuba Baptist Convention welcomed a pledge of financial resources from the convention to help in the rebuild of a new convention building. Also, Mike Orr, pastor of First Baptist Church in Chipley and outgoing president of the Florida Baptist State Convention, pledged financial resources from his church to undergird Havana Baptist Seminary in its mission to educate Cuban church leaders. A team from First Baptist Church in Chipley recently returned from a mission trip to Cuba, with Orr stating, “As a team, we came away spiritually renewed and encouraged by our Cuban brothers and sisters in Christ. Spending time with them and sharing the gospel with others rekindled our fire for evangelism and gospel conversations.”

Prayer ‘gives strength … encourages us to keep going’

Coutin and Marrero know that prayer is the foundation of all that God is doing through His people in Cuba. They urge Florida Baptists to pray for their Cuban “brothers and sisters” as the gospel changes lives.

“Knowing that the Florida Convention, our brothers and sisters in Florida, are praying for us is something that gives us a lot of strength and encourages us to keep going. Pray for strength; pray that God’s grace will continue to be poured out over our lives.

“Pray that we can continue doing the work that God has entrusted to us. Pray that we remain faithful in the midst of the difficult times we are living through. Pray that we do not give into anything or anyone, and pray that we can keep bringing the gospel to people with or without resources, with or without opposition, but that we do not stop because there are so many people who need Christ Jesus,” Coutin said.

Marrero added, “Pray for the Lord to raise new leaders. Pray to the Lord of the harvest to send workers to his harvest We can see the need of leaders when Jesus said, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.’” 

He requested prayer also for “the rebuilding of Calvary Church and the convention headquarters. Pray for the pastors and their families–that they may have a boldness in a time like this (and that) the Lord would continue providing for their needs.”

Looking ahead

Both Coutin and Marrero remain hopeful for the future of Cuban Baptists.

“We believe that the future of the church is in God’s hands; we can understand that the church stands firm. The church keeps moving forward. The church continues to grow, and the Lord continues to plant churches in other places because nothing, no one, can stop the Church of Christ, and circumstances will never be able to overshadow the love of the church,” Coutin said.

“I think that the best day for Baptists in Cuba is in the future,” Marrero said.

To contribute financial gifts to the Western Cuba Baptist Convention or the Eastern Cuba Baptist Convention–please send checks payable to the Florida Baptist Convention, 6850 Belfort Oaks Place, Jacksonville, FL 32216. In the memo line on the check, designate either Eastern Cuba Baptist Convention or Western Cuba Baptist Convention. Further designating funds to specifics ministry may also be written.  Please email communications@flbaptist.org with any questions. 

Down a hallway, behind a closed door, Helen Doimeadios, a wife and mom of two, sits alone with a headset, a microphone, and a small screen showing what’s happening in the sanctuary. As the pastor preaches in English, Doimeadios quietly carries the message into Spanish for those listening through wireless receivers.

She doesn’t consider herself just a translator.

“I don’t translate word for word,” she explained. “I listen to the pastor and review the notes he shares, and then I interpret what he has said. Sometimes that can sound like a literal translation and other times it’s not literal, but the words carry the same meaning.”

Often, she translates with her eyes closed, concentrating fully on the pastor’s voice and the message he’s delivering.

“In that little room, my goal is to take Sunday’s message to everyone who came to hear it,” she said.

Doimeadios is one of three volunteers who provide simultaneous Spanish translation during Reality’s English service, a ministry that emerged as multigenerational Hispanic families began attending together. Children and grandchildren were fluent in English; parents and grandparents were not.

Translation became the bridge that allowed the entire family to sit under the same sermon while hearing it in the language of their hearts.

“Abuelita Sitting There, Not Understanding Anything”

At Elevate Church in Miami Lakes, the story started in a similar way.

Pastor Dan Rodríguez, executive pastor at Elevate, remembers sitting in the chapel years ago and watching families arrive together—parents, children, and abuelita in tow. The services were in English, the worship vibrant, the room full. But something didn’t sit right.

“We started noticing that a family would come to church, and they would have abuelita with them,” Rodríguez recalled. “We saw people who were not singing or not worshiping. They had that lost look. When we asked, we’d hear, ‘Oh, I brought my aunt, my grandmother, but they don’t speak English.’ And we thought, ‘You’re willing to sit here for an hour and not understand anything?’”

That burden led to action. Around 2015–2016, Elevate ordered translation equipment and began offering live Spanish translation during the English service, even before launching a Spanish-language service.

What began as a simple solution to serve a handful of families soon became the seed of something bigger.

“That translation ministry grew organically,” Rodríguez said. “It was really the heart behind launching the Spanish service.”

Today, Elevate holds a full Spanish service at 8:30 a.m. that now averages around 300 people in attendance, alongside larger English services later in the morning and early afternoon. Many who use the translation in the English services also know they have the option of worshiping entirely in Spanish at 8:30 if their schedule allows.

Rodríguez says the goal has always been clear: one church, one message, multiple languages, so that families can share the same spiritual conversation after church.

“Our vision is for the entire family to be able to worship together and then go to lunch and talk about what they heard,” he said. “Kids, adults, abuelitos; everyone on the same page.”

Translation as Teaching, Not Just Words

At Elevate, the translation team is intentionally small and selective. Right now, only two people regularly translate.

“That’s not accidental,” Rodríguez explained. “We’re very selective. You’re not just translating, you’re teaching. You’re basically preaching.”

Translators are often identified from within the church’s existing leaders. They are typically life group leaders or seasoned believers whose spiritual maturity and teaching gifts are already evident.

“We choose people who are already walking with the Lord and bearing fruit,” he said. “They’re not brand-new believers. We’ve seen them teaching. We’ve seen their faithfulness.”

Preparation is also key. Elevate’s internal goal is to have the sermon manuscript complete by Thursday each week. That allows the worship and tech teams to load slides and Scriptures and run full rehearsals, and the translation team to receive the message in advance.

“They get to read it, digest it, internalize it,” Rodríguez said. “If it’s a more complicated message, we’ll even schedule a one-on-one call to walk through it together.”

Rodríguez and other leaders will occasionally sit in and listen to the translation live to offer coaching.

“I’ll tell them, ‘You did a phenomenal job. Make sure to use inflection, make it your own content,” he said. “We want them to continue growing as teachers, not just translators.”

The church is also careful to care for the translators themselves. For now, Elevate offers translation only at specific services, ensuring translators serve one service and sit in another so they can also be fed spiritually.

“We Have to Reach Them Where They Are”

For Rodríguez, the translation ministry is deeply personal and profoundly missional.

He grew up bilingual, worked nearly 20 years in the corporate world (most of that with Apple), and learned early the importance of knowing the people you serve.

“One of the things ingrained in us was that you have to know your customer,” he said. “These are not customers. These are our people. You have to know where God has placed you.”

And God has placed Elevate in Miami, a city he calls a “melting pot.”

“We’ll always have a migrant community here,” he said. “People coming from other countries who are learning English but don’t fully understand it yet.”

That reality has shaped how Elevate thinks about ministry and how they’ll respond if future language needs arise.

“I’ve even thought, what if we started getting more Haitian families who need Creole?” he said. “We’re not here to entertain. We’re not charging people at the door. The whole purpose is to share the gospel and show people who Jesus is. If that means we have to show it to them in their language, then yes; translation is essential.”

“Our vision is to see Christ elevated, to connect people to Christ, help them grow in Christ, and serve Christ,” he added. “To do that, they must understand. We must reach them where they are.”

A Statewide Step: Simultaneous Spanish at the Florida Baptist Convention

This growing commitment to translation ministry isn’t limited to local churches. At this year’s Florida Baptist State Convention gathering, a new simultaneous transcription service of preachers and speakers was offered for the first time.

“As a convention staff we are continually trying to think of new ways to be ‘right beside you’ in your context of ministry life,” said Tanner Cade, communications and events manager for the Florida Baptist Convention. “The opportunity of expanding our translation services for gatherings reflects the wonderful multicultural family we have here in Florida, and we want to make sure as many as possible can actively participate in our meetings.”

Attendees were able to follow along by choosing from 10 different languages in real time as sermons, reports, and business sessions unfolded.

Just as Reality Church, Elevate Church, and others are making sure abuelita can understand the sermon on Sunday, the Convention is taking steps to ensure that language is no barrier to participation and partnership across the statewide family of churches.

Haitian, Hispanic, Black/Multicultural, and Asian-American Baptists each gathered to share a meal, connect in fellowship, and testify to how God is moving in their churches and communities.

Below are scenes from these gatherings.

The event, organized by the North American Mission Board in partnership with the Florida Baptist Convention, was part of Send South Florida, a church planting initiative focused on reaching one of the most diverse and rapidly growing regions in the United States with the hope of Christ by helping churches plant churches.

Equipping leaders for kingdom impact

Participants attended breakout sessions focused on discipleship, leadership development, evangelism and outreach, and church planting, along with a special track designed for women in ministry. Each session provided practical training and biblical encouragement aimed at strengthening local churches and advancing the gospel.

“We want to see a movement of Hispanic churches multiplying disciples and leaders who will reach South Florida and beyond,” organizers said. “This gathering is about unity, collaboration, and equipping the local church to live on mission ‘Por Su Reino’ which translates to ‘For His Kingdom.’”

Keeping the gospel central

The conference featured keynote messages from José Abella, pastor of Providence Road Church in Miami, and Raudel Hernández, pastor of Summit en Español, the Spanish-language campus of The Summit Church in Raleigh, North Carolina, where J.D. Greear serves as lead pastor.

Abella encouraged leaders to remain faithful to their callings and to continue building strong, gospel-centered churches that reflect the diversity and vitality of South Florida’s communities.

Hernández reminded attendees that above every ministry program or leadership role, believers are called first and foremost to share the gospel with the lost. “Before we are called to anything else,” he emphasized, “we are called to proclaim Christ.”

United for the kingdom

Por Su Reino served as a visible reminder of the growing unity among Hispanic pastors and churches in South Florida, all sharing the same vision to see lives transformed by the gospel.

“Every time leaders come together with one heart and one mission, the kingdom advances,” one participant shared. “We leave encouraged, renewed and reminded that we are not alone in this work.”

JACKSONVILLE–When Pastor David Uribe planted the new church Iglesia Local in Jacksonville, he wanted to reach the Hispanic community with a bilingual ministry that would have both multigenerational and multicultural impact.

This bilingual approach of reaching speakers of Spanish and/or English with the gospel has enabled the church plant to grow from the 10 to 15 people who started meeting at a park in 2022 to the current 130 to 150 who now meet weekly in the church plant’s own building.

Each week, Uribe preaches in Spanish, and his wife, Estefania, translates in English. This process enables them to reach the multiple generations that comprise the church’s bilingual membership, especially the younger generation.

The reality for many Hispanic churches in America, he said, is that the younger generation – the future leaders of the church – are leaving because they no longer feel they belong.

“They can speak Spanish, but their heart language is English. They comprehend in English and relate better to English. But at church they never speak the language of their heart. They are Hispanic, and they feel Hispanic, and they want to be with Hispanic people. But if the Hispanic church does not build a culture to reach them, they will leave,” Uribe said.

For churches to grow, they need to have this multigenerational and multicultural approach, he believes.

“You want to build space for all of the immigrants coming to our country who have to be reached and build space for kids growing up in this country in Latino households. As a pastor, you want them to belong in your church because those are the future of your church,” the 27-year-old church planter said.

‘A burden for my community’

At the age of 17, Uribe came to America and began working in student ministry. While in college, Uribe worked as a youth pastor and began ministry for youth events for Hispanic churches. He organized larger youth events in Florida that pulled students from smaller Hispanic churches that enabled them to have community together.

Uribe came from a large church in Mexico that was “ambitious, relevant and influential” in the community, but he noticed those qualities lacking in America’s Hispanic churches.

“God put a burden on my heart for the Latino church and the next generation, a burden for my community,” he said. “I felt the Lord telling me to go and do something about it. I felt God was calling me to ministry.”

He first felt God’s call to plant a church after he got married and was attending the church his wife grew up in. That’s when many of her friends, who were young adults like the Uribes, told them they were leaving that church because they felt they no longer belonged there, that there was no place for them.

“We were hurt by that, and that sparked a burden in me and a need in our hearts. That’s when I felt like the Lord was telling us to plant a church.”

 With approval from their church and the North American Mission Board, they started a year of prelaunch in 2022 with a group of about 10 people meeting together in a park. Most of the group was the couple’s family. But soon the group grew to almost 40 people, just inviting people from their own networks.

“We were a legitimate church plant,” he said.

‘In agreement in asking God for a building’

The young church plant started renting an event space but soon outgrew the space as it began offering ministry to children. The church plant then began renting space from a local church and holding its worship service at 2 p.m. on Sundays with small groups meeting on other days at the church.  The church has baptized 35 people in the past three years and continues to grow.

In January of this year church leaders and members began praying for the church plant to have its own building. “If two or more come to agreement and we ask, He will provide,” Uribe said in quoting Matthew 18:20. “We should be in agreement in asking God for a building. We are growing. Our vision is to seek God’s kingdom first in our local community and to bring transformation and joy to our city.”

In March, they learned their prayers had been answered with the offer of a church building from First Coast Churches, the local Baptist association. Another local church was disbanding and offered its building and property back to the association, which then offered it to Iglesia Local.

Bob Bumgarner, lead missional strategist for First Coach Churches, said Uribe is a good leader and a hard worker. He has been impressed with how quickly the church has grown and how young it is.

“If a church grows, it’s God’s favor of course,” he said. “Humanly speaking, God has brought a young man with energy and a great network and an ability to connect God’s Word to shepherd a specific people group.”

Renovations on the church building began in the spring and continued all summer, thanks to support from Florida Baptists’ Maguire State Mission Offering, First Coast Churches, other local Baptist churches and local businesses.

The church held its first services in its new building on Sunday, Sept. 7, with 230 in attendance, and Uribe said, “God has blessed us in many ways! We are expecting a really exciting season in our church and we love it!” He added that Iglesia Local leaders are already planning and praying about adding a second service.

“We are trying to keep that spirit of expectation. We don’t want people to get comfortable. We pray that God will use and help us to do more.”

“Despite challenges, we continued to keep our eyes on Jesus and did all things He would call us to do,” he said.

After a flourishing ministry in West Virginia, Anderson sensed God leading him to move and serve in south Florida, where seven years of praying and serving in interim pastoring, revival speaking and church planting ultimately led Anderson and his wife to just where God wanted them to be. Anderson became the lead pastor at First Baptist Church Lehigh Acres in November 2021.

Preaching the uncompromised Word 

One thing that Anderson has learned through the years is that biblical illiteracy is a threat to today’s church, and he took that lesson with him to Lehigh Acres.

“I believe the greatest threat to the church is biblical illiteracy–people not knowing what the Word says and being easily swayed by the world and their feelings. The greatest aid to the church is men standing for the truth and preaching an uncompromised Word,” he said.

“When we came to the church, we wanted to focus on loving God, loving His people, and preaching the uncompromised Word,” he said. “We just wanted to bring the church back into order from the time of COVID.”

Anderson believes it is for this reason—being committed to staying anchored to the Word—that God has blessed the church with multiplication and great spiritual growth.

Since 2021, the church has seen a growth from 20 members to an average of 200 in weekly church attendance.

“A healthy church is one that is growing spiritually,” he said. “It’s not enough to just talk about what the Word says–but allowing it to have authority in our lives and to transform us by the renewing of our mind, to be the hands and feet to this community and beyond.”

And being the “hands and feet to this community and beyond” is exactly what First Baptist Lehigh Acres is known for.

One church, two languages

The southwest Florida church is not only prioritizing the preaching of the Word, but also loving God, loving people and evangelizing the lost.

“Our mission is to love God, love His people, preach the Word and evangelize the lost,” said Anderson.

Seeking to reach the highly diverse community with the gospel, Anderson partnered alongside its thriving Spanish congregation and Spanish pastor, Osvaldo R. Morales del Castillo, to serve the community in more tangible ways.

“We have one church with two languages,” said Anderson, speaking of Castillo. “God brought us together from two very different backgrounds and lives, but once again, He has united us in the Word and the overall desire for this ministry. I am very blessed to collaborate with him.”

Together, the two pastors have prioritized going beyond their four walls and differing languages into the community with a renewed vigor to reach the lost and serve their neighbors.

“Our church is special due to the multicultural and multilingual congregations that gather here,” said Anderson. “We have people from all over the world that gather at our church. Although we have many diverse backgrounds, we find unity in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

The church has intentionally hosted strategic outreach events, partnered with local public schools in Lee County, cultivated a ministry to serve local nursing homes, launched a homeless outreach, conducted a regular evangelism blitz, served in frontline hurricane relief, and more. In prioritizing building a healthy local church and multi-language partnership with the purpose of reaching all people with the gospel—First Baptist Lehigh Acres’ obedience is making ripple effects across the region, resulting in county appreciation and local news coverage.

“First Baptist Church Lehigh Acres is a good example of how a church can impact its community with the gospel,” said Wayne Briant, regional catalyst for the Southwest region.

“We just continue to be faithful to the task God has called us to, praying for His vision and His hands to be in all we do that we may glorify Him for this ministry,” said Anderson. “I have a heart that our churches in Lehigh Acres might work together and have a revival in southwest Florida.”

El día comenzó con una vibrante adoración en español e inglés, proclamando la libertad que se encuentra en Cristo y la esperanza del evangelio. El pastor Luis Egipciaco, pastor anfitrión de Elevate Church, dio la bienvenida a los asistentes a su iglesia con sincera gratitud y los animó a sentirse como en casa, enfatizando que Elevate existe para servir a otros con amor.

A lo largo del evento, los oradores desafiaron e inspiraron a los asistentes a buscar la unidad, el servicio y la evangelización como expresiones de fidelidad al evangelio. Eloy Rodríguez, pastor de Idlewild Español en Lutz, recordó al grupo que la evangelización no es opcional para el creyente, sino un llamado diario arraigado en la intencionalidad. “La misión de Dios no es solo para viajes especiales”, dijo. “Es un estilo de vida. Y debemos dejar de vivir como si estuviéramos de vacaciones de la Gran Comisión.”

El pastor de habla hispana de Elevate, Héctor Torres, compartió cómo simples actos de compasión de su iglesia transformaron vidas en su comunidad de Miami, incluyendo salvar a una mujer del suicidio. Su desafío fue claro: “¿Qué pasaría si nuestras iglesias hispanas dejaran de trabajar como islas aisladas y comenzaran a servir juntas como un solo cuerpo? ¿Qué podría hacer Dios a través de nosotros?”

Rick Martínez, estratega de misiones asociacionales de la Asociación Bautista de Miami, extendió una invitación a las iglesias de todo el estado para participar en el Serve Tour Miami del 6 al 7 de febrero de 2026, un esfuerzo masivo de alcance comunitario en colaboración con Send Relief y la Junta de Misiones de América del Norte. La iniciativa unirá a iglesias de distintos idiomas y culturas para servir a escuelas con recursos limitados, bendecir a pastores bivocacionales y suplir necesidades tangibles en toda la ciudad, todo para la gloria de Cristo.

Noel Morera, de Northside Baptist Church en Hialeah, compartió un apasionado mensaje sobre la inclusión y el discipulado de la próxima generación, enfatizando la centralidad de la predicación de la Palabra. “Los programas y el entretenimiento son secundarios”, dijo. “Lo que más necesita esta generación es escuchar y conocer la Palabra de Dios.”

El programa también incluyó el conmovedor testimonio de Angélica Bermúdez, voluntaria de verano con Send Relief, quien relató cómo servir en Puerto Rico cambió su vida. “La misión no se trata del lugar”, dijo. “Se trata de cómo vivimos.”

El día concluyó con un llamado colectivo a la oración, en el que los asistentes se tomaron de las manos y alzaron sus voces en unidad, pidiendo a Dios que derribe barreras, levante obreros para la cosecha y dé a conocer Su nombre desde Pensacola hasta Key West… y más allá.

“Unidos en Cristo para impactar nuestro mundo” no fue solo un lema; fue un grito de batalla. Y al salir del encuentro, las iglesias lo hicieron con una visión renovada y un compromiso compartido de vivir ese llamado… juntos.

The day began with vibrant worship in both Spanish and English, declaring the freedom found in Christ and the hope of the gospel. Pastor Luis Egipciaco, host pastor of Elevate Church, welcomed attendees to his home church with heartfelt gratitude and encouraged them to feel at home, emphasizing that Elevate exists to serve others in love.

Throughout the event, speakers challenged and inspired attendees to pursue unity, service and evangelism as expressions of gospel faithfulness. Eloy Rodríguez, pastor of Idlewild Espanol in Lutz, reminded the group that evangelism is not optional for the believer but a daily calling rooted in intentionality. “The mission of God is not just for special trips,” he said. “It’s a lifestyle. And we must stop living as if we are on vacation from the Great Commission.”

Elevate’s Spanish language pastor Héctor Torres shared how simple acts of compassion from his church transformed lives in their Miami community, including saving one woman from suicide. His challenge was clear: “What if our Hispanic churches stopped working as isolated islands and started serving together as one body? What could God do through us?”

Rick Martinez, associational mission strategist of Miami Baptist Association, extended an invitation to churches statewide to participate in the Feb. 6-7, 2026, Serve Tour Miami, a large-scale outreach effort in collaboration with Send Relief and the North American Mission Board. The initiative will unite churches across languages and cultures to serve under-resourced schools, bless bi-vocational pastors and meet tangible needs across the city—all for the glory of Christ.

Noel Morera, from Northside Baptist Church in Hialeah, delivered a passionate message on including and discipling the next generation, emphasizing the centrality of preaching the Word. “Programs and entertainment are secondary,” he said. “What this generation needs most is to hear and know the Word of God.”

The program also included a moving testimony from Angélica Bermúdez, a summer volunteer with Send Relief, who shared how serving in Puerto Rico changed her life. “The mission isn’t about the location,” she said. “It’s about how we live.”

The day concluded with a corporate call to prayer, where attendees joined hands and lifted their voices in unity, asking God to break down barriers, raise up workers for the harvest, and make His name known from Pensacola to Key West—and beyond.

“Unidos en Cristo para impactar nuestro mundo” wasn’t just a theme; it was a rallying cry. And as churches left the gathering, they did so with renewed vision and a shared commitment to live out that calling—together.

Eloy Rodríguez, pastor de Idlewild Baptist Church Español, sirvió en su segundo y último año como presidente de la Red.

Richard Aguilar, director financiero de la Red, lanzó una nueva campaña de recaudación de fondos titulada “Para que todos sepan”, con el objetivo de reunir $450,000 en los próximos dos años para apoyar el alcance evangelístico entre los Bautistas Hispanos del Sur.

“Les pedimos que oren, den y participen, no solo que asistan,” dijo Aguilar, quien también se desempeña como director-tesorero de la junta de la Red. La misión de la Red es: “Unidos para la gloria de Dios, existimos para conectarnos en misión, contribuir con recursos y celebrar lo que Dios está haciendo entre nosotros en colaboración con el cuerpo de Cristo.”

Enmanuel Roque, catalizador del ministerio hispano de la Convención Bautista de Florida y líder de los representantes hispanos estatales, cerró la noche en oración, pidiendo a Dios unidad, protección y avivamiento en las iglesias y comunidades de todo el país. La oración de Roque enmarcó una noche de adoración dirigida por First Baptist Dallas Español y palabras de aliento de líderes nacionales de la SBC.

El presidente de la Convención Bautista del Sur, Clint Pressley, saludó a los asistentes y elogió su fidelidad, mientras que el presidente del Comité Ejecutivo de la SBC, Jeff Iorg, y el vicepresidente asociado Charles Grant enfatizaron la necesidad de representación hispana en el liderazgo de la SBC y la cooperación continua entre líneas étnicas y estatales.

Jonathan Santiago, de Send Relief, recordó a los presentes que el ministerio del evangelio también implica satisfacer necesidades tangibles. “Nuestra misión es alimentar al hambriento, cuidar del inmigrante y apoyar a las viudas y huérfanos, todo en asociación con la iglesia local,” dijo.

Clara Molina anunció talleres para mujeres hispanas y compartió sobre la colaboración del ministerio con Mission:Dignity, una iniciativa de GuideStone para apoyar a ministros jubilados. Mientras tanto, Gus Reyes, de Dallas Baptist University, destacó una donación de $10,000 que otorgó becas a 10 estudiantes hispanos.

Bruno Molina rindió homenaje a Rudy González de DBU con una ovación de pie y cerró con un mensaje de Hebreos 10, recordando a los asistentes: “Dios nos llama a la colaboración, no a la competencia. Ser hispano y cristiano en este tiempo no es una coincidencia. Es un llamado.”

Los líderes de Florida estuvieron junto a otros de todo el país, todos unidos bajo el lema del evento, ¡Unidos para su Gloria!, ofreciendo un poderoso testimonio del espíritu colaborativo y la creciente influencia de los Bautistas Hispanos dentro de la Convención Bautista del Sur.