“We pray that all of these chaplains will be serving in churches, hospitals, jails and other agencies,” said Misael Castillo, Florida Baptists’ migrant ministries catalyst.

Some of the graduates also are trained as Florida Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers and are looking forward to sharing the hope of the gospel with individuals in times of crisis.

The dream of training Hispanic Florida Baptists as chaplains began more than 15 years ago when Castillo and Marc Johnston, Florida Baptists’ community ministries catalyst, began to pray about equipping Hispanic chaplains to reach migrant workers throughout the Sunshine State.

The answer to the prayers began when Johnston’s chaplaincy program was translated into Spanish by Angelica and Moises Bermudez, members of Iglesia Bautista Dios es Bueno in Daytona Beach, and then as a syllabus was developed by their father, Pastor Angel Bermudez.

Johnston described the importance of equipping those who are called by God to serve as chaplains. The role of chaplains is multifaceted, he said, as they serve in varying contexts. The training focuses on the many skills needed by chaplains, with perhaps the most important skill being a good listener.

The Florida Baptist Convention’s chaplaincy certification program, in both English and Spanish, is available online at no cost.

The graduation marked the fulfillment of a vision shared by Misael Castillo, migrant ministries catalyst for the FBC, and Marc Johnston, community ministries catalyst.

“Today we witness the result of something that began a long time ago,” said Castillo during the commencement ceremony.

Fifteen years ago, Johnston and Castillo envisioned a force of Hispanic chaplains capable of reaching migrant workers in areas where churches have limited access, while also serving as mediators between police and migrant communities.

This dream began to take shape when Johnston’s chaplaincy program was translated into Spanish by Angelica and Moises Bermudez, members of Iglesia Bautista Dios es Bueno in Daytona Beach. Their father, church pastor Angel Bermudez, created a syllabus which was then taught at various Hispanic churches across Florida in two-day or five-day formats, depending on the church’s needs.

Yoenis Leindens, from Dios es Bueno, is one of the newly graduated chaplains. “This is an achievement for me, and I am looking forward to serving and sharing the gospel in this capacity,” he said. Originally from Venezuela, Leindens and his wife host a life group in their home and serve on their church’s worship team. As a chaplain, he looks forward to bringing the gospel to places like jails, prisons, detention centers, his workplace, and communities affected by disaster.

Some of the graduates also trained as Florida Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers and proudly wore badges identifying them as such. Rich Rigdon, Florida Baptist Disaster Relief operations manager, told graduates, “Being a chaplain changed my life. It is wonderful to be able to share the gospel.”

“The greatest characteristic a chaplain can have is compassion,” Johnston told the new chaplains. “As a chaplain, you will have the opportunity to help restore a person to the Kingdom.”

The Florida Baptist Convention’s chaplaincy certification program is available online at no cost. To apply for the Spanish or English courses, visit https://flbaptist.org/chaplaincy/.

The gathering focused on camaraderie, relaxation, and physical and spiritual nourishment. It also zeroed in on building a Hispanic fellowship in the East Central Baptist Network that will encourage healthy relationships and increase the visibility of language churches among Florida Baptists.

“We wanted pastors to relax in an atmosphere where they can be themselves,” said Misael Castillo, Florida Baptists’ migrant ministries catalyst. “We recognize their hard labor and want them to know they are not alone in the field.”

Castillo added, “The men were helping cook and could be seen serving each other in the spirit of camaraderie and eating together.” Pastors and wives had opportunities to network with fellow ministers and participate in an ice cream social and challenging games.

Carlos Mendez, lead pastor of Iglesia Nuevo Comienzo in Sanford, spearheaded the pastors/wives retreat, and he explained the vision for the East Central Baptist Hispanic Network began to take shape in September 2023 with Hispanic pastors coming together in a roundtable event to discuss launching the network.

“Everyone was on board with the idea of building the fellowship from the ground up and being able to participate in the process,” he said.

Retreat guest speaker Samuel Otero, from San Antonio, Texas, spoke on spiritual leadership based on 1 Timothy 6:3-5. He reminded the pastors and wives of the importance of God’s leaders remaining subject to the Lord, His Word and sound doctrine.

Catalyst Castillo read from 2 Timothy 4:1-8 and challenged pastors and their wives to “be faithful to what God has called us to be and do.” His wife, Silvia Tamez, ministered to pastors’ wives.

The feedback from the retreat was encouraging.  “Some told me it was too short. Others asked me when are we doing this again,” reported Castillo.

Mendez added, “Pastor William Garay of Iglesia Cristiana Nueva Creación in Deltona exclaimed that the retreat was fantastic! Pastor Carlos Mendez of Iglesia Bautista Anastasis in Deltona said he has never gone to a pastor’s retreat, but he loved this and was truly blessed. His wife, Elsie Mendez, called our director of missions and expressed her gratitude for the retreat; she is ready for next year’s.”

Patrick Coats, Florida Baptists’ East region catalyst, said he is “excited to partner with the East Central Baptist Hispanic Network and delighted and honored to have met the pastors and wives and fellowship with their families.”

Coats added, “It is great to see how we support one another in the Florida Baptist Convention and see our language churches working together.”

Castillo agreed, “There is no reason for Hispanic pastors and their wives to feel alone anymore.”

El encuentro se enfocó en el compañerismo, el descanso y la nutrición física y espiritual. También se enfatizó el construir una comunidad hispana en la Red Bautista Central Este que fomentará relaciones saludables y aumentará la visibilidad de las iglesias lingüísticas entre los bautistas de Florida.

“Queríamos que los pastores se relajaran en una atmósfera en la que pudieran ser ellos mismos”, dijo Misael Castillo, catalizador del ministerio a migrantes de los bautistas de Florida. “Reconocemos su arduo trabajo y queremos que sepan que no están solos en el campo”.

Castillo agregó: “Los hombres estaban ayudando a cocinar y se los podía ver sirviéndose unos a otros en un espíritu de camaradería y comiendo juntos”.

Los pastores y esposas tuvieron oportunidades de establecer contactos con compañeros ministros y participar en juegos desafiantes y sociales con helado.

Carlos Méndez, pastor principal de la Iglesia Nuevo Comienzo en Sanford, encabezó el retiro de pastores y esposas y explicó que la visión de la Red Hispana Bautista del Este Central comenzó a tomar forma en septiembre de 2023 cuando los pastores hispanos se reunieron en una mesa redonda para discutir el lanzamiento la red.

“Todos estaban de acuerdo con la idea de construir la confraternidad desde cero y poder participar en el proceso”, dijo.

El orador invitado al retiro Samuel Otero, de San Antonio, Texas, habló sobre el liderazgo espiritual basado en 1 Timoteo 6:3-5. Recordó a los pastores y esposas la importancia de que los líderes de Dios permanezcan sujetos al Señor, Su Palabra y sana doctrina.

El catalizador Castillo leyó 2 Timoteo 4:1-8 y desafió a los pastores y sus esposas a “ser fieles a lo que Dios nos ha llamado a ser y hacer”. Su esposa, Silvia Tamez, ministraba a las esposas de los pastores.

Los comentarios del retiro fueron alentadores. “Algunos me dijeron que era demasiado corto. Otros me preguntaban cuándo volveremos a hacer esto”, informó Castillo.

Méndez agregó: “¡El pastor William Garay de la Iglesia Cristiana Nueva Creación en Deltona exclamó que el retiro fue fantástico! El pastor Carlos Méndez de la Iglesia Bautista Anastasis en Deltona dijo que nunca había asistido a un retiro de pastores, pero le encantó y fue verdaderamente bendecido. Su esposa, Elsie Méndez, llamó a nuestro director de misiones y le expresó su gratitud por el retiro; ella está lista para el año que viene”.

Patrick Coats, catalizador de la región Este de los Bautistas de Florida, dijo que está “emocionado de asociarse con la Red Hispana Bautista Central del Este y encantado y honrado de haber conocido a los pastores y esposas y haber tenido compañerismo con sus familias”.

Coats agregó: “Es fantástico ver cómo nos apoyamos unos a otros en la Convención Bautista de Florida y ver a nuestras iglesias lingüísticas trabajando juntas”.

Castillo estuvo de acuerdo: “Ya no hay razón para que los pastores hispanos y sus esposas se sientan solos”.

Migrant workers are on the move, going from state to state looking for work and often eventually returning to their home countries, Misael Castillo, Florida Baptists’ migrant ministries catalyst, explained.

Life for migrant workers is often not easy.

“We must lend an ear to the needs of the migrants,” Castillo said.

As migrants work hard to put food on tables throughout the country, Florida Baptists are working hard to provide migrants with spiritual food.

Through the years Florida Baptists have ministered and witnessed to migrant workers, finding opportunities to share the message of salvation through mobile dental units, food pantries and English classes. Many migrants have become Christians and have grown in their newfound faith through discipleship programs at Florida Baptist churches.

Now, through an innovative chaplaincy program, these mobile field workers are equipped to be Christian witnesses “in season and out of season,” as 2 Timothy 4:2 teaches.

Requirements for members of the migrant community to receive chaplaincy training include having professed Jesus as Lord and Savior, being a baptized member of a Florida Baptist church, and being recommended by a pastor of a migrant church.

“For the first-timer, there is a 20-hour certification program,” said Pastor Angel Bermudez of Iglesia Bautista Dios es Bueno in Daytona Beach. At the end of the course, students receive a “shield that allows them to assist chaplains in places such as jails, airports, hotels and law enforcement,” said Bermudez, who also serves as one of the chaplaincy instructors in the migrant community. These chaplain assistants help in road emergencies and civil rights cases and even share the gospel on cruise ships with the workers who cannot leave the ships when in port. In Disaster Relief, trained migrant workers help chaplains with “the gift of compassion.”

Currently Bermudez is training 12 migrant workers, and he said that other pastors throughout Florida are also providing chaplaincy training to migrant workers, including Pastor Oscar Rojas of Iglesia Bautista Lake Saunders in Mt. Dora and Pastor Robert Mireles of Iglesia Bautista La Gracias in Eustis as well as others in Leesburg, Daytona Beach and Ft. Myers.

So far, 450 migrant workers have graduated from the chaplaincy program, Castillo said.

One migrant worker, Genaro Hernandez, graduated with the first group trained in chaplaincy. After returning to his home country, Hernandez sent Castillo a letter, thanking him for the training.

“It is the only training that gave me the foundation to start a ministry in Veracruz, Mexico,” Hernandez wrote.

“We must remember that migrants take the gospel wherever they go,” Castillo said.

How is God moving through the Sunshine State? Here’s your answer. Planting and revitalizing churches, reaching unreached people groups, baptizing new believers, ministering and witnessing during times of crisis–these are just a few of the Florida Baptist Convention’s 20 most-read stories in 2023.

1. Pastor Brings Churches Together to Revitalize First Baptist Fort Lauderdale

By David Moore, Oct. 13. 

FORT LAUDERDALE–Pastor David Hughes helped turn things around for what is now Church by the Glades decades ago, and now he and members of that church are working together to help revitalize First Baptist Fort Lauderdale.

2. Brazilian Church Plant in Delray Beach Reaches Haitians with Gospel

By Keila Diaz, June 2.

DELRAY BEACH— One-year-old church plant Brazilian Baptist Church is reaching not only Brazilians in the Delray Beach community, but also Portuguese-speaking Haitian families.

3. Baptist College of Florida Partners with Local Church to Launch Extension Campus

By Jessica Pigg, Aug. 9. 

CLEARWATER– The Baptist College of Florida recently has announced a partnership with Calvary Church in Clearwater to launch a new extension campus slated to open in August 2024.

4. Southwest Florida Church Witnesses Unprecedented Number of Baptisms/Life Change

By Jessica Pigg, May 18.

NAPLES—April found herself searching for purpose and struggling to find direction. She had grown up attending church with her family, so she did an online search for Baptist churches near her and found First Naples. On January 23, after years of searching for purpose, April found life change.

5. Pastors to Be Nominated to Lead 2024 Florida Baptist Pastors’ Conference

By Margaret Colson, Oct. 2.

LUTZ­–Aaron Burgner will be nominated by fellow Florida Baptist pastor Alan Brumback to serve as president of the 2024 Florida Baptist Pastors’ Conference.

6. Church Replant Breathes New Life into Historic Community/Unites Local Churches

By Brooke Mannion, March 8.

PENSACOLA­–A new God story is unfolding in West Pensacola’s rich historic religious landscape. The Point Church Jackson Campus, a replant of West Pensacola Baptist Church, is breathing new life into the historic 12-acre campus, which had been “a foothold for the gospel” in the community for more than half a century.

7. Florida Baptists to Celebrate/Conduct Business at 2023 Annual Meeting

By Margaret Colson, Oct. 30.

LUTZ–Florida Baptists will gather to conduct business and celebrate churches working together to expand God’s kingdom when the 2023 Florida Baptist State Convention convenes at Idlewild Baptist Church in Lutz Nov. 13-14.

8. Horseshoe Beach Church Serves ss ‘Lighthouse’ for Community Amid Hurricane Devastation

By Jessica Pigg, Sept. 5.

HORSESHOE BEACH—Known as a laid-back, friendly fishing village, the quaint community of Horseshoe Beach found itself directly in the path of Hurricane Idalia’s 125 mph winds and 10-foot storm surge. The catastrophic devastation has left the fishing and boating community in pieces.

Picking up some of those pieces is Robin Hoffman. Hoffman’s family has owned a home in Horseshoe Beach since the early 1970s and is a longtime member of First Baptist Church Horseshoe Beach—the only local church within 20 miles.

9. ‘Incredibly Gracious and Big God’ Fuels Partnerships Between Churches/Regions

By Jessica Pigg, June 28.

FT. LAUDERDALE–The long, scenic miles across Alligator Alley could not hinder southwest Florida Baptist pastors from coming “right beside” Larry Brister, a pastor serving in Ft. Lauderdale.

10. Calvary Church Reaches Deaf Community for Christ

By Jessica Pigg, July 18.

CLEARWATER—For Ron Cooney, a specific church ministry originally brought his family through the doors of Calvary Church when he was 14 years old. As a child of a deaf adult (CODA), Cooney and his family were able to find a home at the Central Florida church. Now, years later, Cooney still calls Calvary Church home—as its executive pastor.

11. ‘God Has Showed Up and Showed Out’ for Worship/Youth Pastor

By Brooke Mannion, Oct. 15.

CRAWFORDVILLE–An excruciating cry of pain rang out through the worship center as Pastor Wayne Baker presented the altar call at First Baptist Church of Wakulla Station on Sunday, April 23. Baker quickly realized that Pastor Daniel Lloyd, worship and youth pastor, had fallen to the ground in debilitating back pain.

12. ‘I’ve Always Had a Love for Pastors’ Says Retiring Catalyst Gary Townsend

By David Moore, July 16.

Helping pastors and their churches was one of the things Gary Townsend enjoyed most about his role as north regional catalyst for the Florida Baptist Convention.

13. Monticello Church Marks 192nd Anniversary with Heritage Day Celebration

By David Moore, July 6.

MONTICELLO­–When Elizabeth Baptist Church in Monticello held its heritage day celebration recently, members and guests gathered to commemorate 192 years of history in various ways, which included:

Dedicating its new bronze plaque containing a handwritten replica of the church’s original constitution, now attached to the front of the church.
Honoring its historian and a couple of longtime, dedicated members.
Thanking its members for its status as one of the most generous Baptist churches in Florida.
Rejoicing in the baptism of a new believer.

14. UF Students Spend Spring Break on Mission in South Sudan

By David Moore, May 11.

GAINESVILLE–South Sudan in East Africa is not your typical spring break destination for today’s college students, but when the opportunity arose to go there on a mission trip, Emma Formet was all in.

15. Diverse Populations Unified in Christ at Crestview Baptist Church

By Teodosia Rivera, Oct. 10.

LAKELAND­–As David Renfroe celebrates his 20th anniversary as senior pastor of Crestview Baptist Church in Lakeland, the true celebration focuses on the more than 1,500 individuals­–representing dramatically diverse walks of life­–who have made professions of faith and been baptized over the past two decades at the Central Florida church.

16. Florida Baptists Come Together to Celebrate Victories, Look to Future During Challenge 2025 Gathering

By Margaret Colson and Keila Diaz, March 3.

ORLANDO­–Close to 1,000 Florida Baptists came together to celebrate victories and look to the future in reaching Florida’s 22 million residents with the gospel during the Challenge 2025 Gathering held Feb. 28 at First Baptist Church in Orlando.

17. Cloer Inaugurated as Seventh President of Baptist College of Florida

By Margaret Colson, April 26.

GRACEVILLE–The Baptist College of Florida inaugurated Clayton Cloer as it seventh president in a ceremony April 25 on the school’s main campus in Graceville.

18. Culbreth Retires, Credits God with Ministry Opportunities/Impact

By Margaret Colson, March 24.

JACKSONVILLE–After serving the Florida Baptist Convention, where he has “invested his life in the church,” for 25 years, Craig Culbreth, is retiring March 31, 2023.

19. Cooking up a Community that Glorifies God

By Brooke Mannion, June 1.

PENSACOLA­–Working late nights and serving the Sunday brunch crowd, restaurant workers can find it difficult to draw near to God, consistently fellowship with believers and receive encouragement to walk with Christ.

20. Chipola Churches Share Christ, Give Generously and Celebrate Milestone

By Brooke Mannion, Sept. 21.

MARIANNA–Smiles, singing, crafts, praising Jesus and learning about His love and sacrifice fueled the summer for churches in Chipola Baptist Association.

“My mission is to give our volunteers the opportunity to serve instead of sitting idly by until a disaster happens,” said Rich Rigdon, FLDR operations manager.

One of those opportunities came unexpectedly when a gift of plywood resources was given to FLDR by the state. “We were blessed with this unexpected load of plywood, and we wanted to share that blessing,” said Rigdon.

Through a working partnership with Misael Castillo, migrant ministry catalyst for the Florida Baptist Convention, FLDR was able to find a migrant church in Jennings that needed plywood.

“FLDR called me and told me that they had plywood in the Lake Yale (Baptist Conference Center) warehouse and asked me if I knew of any churches that needed it, and I thought immediately of the church in Jennings,” Castillo said.

“The church received plywood planks, ice machines, and children’s ministry equipment from FLDR that really helped them serve the migrant families in their church better,” he said.

The church in Jennings, Tabernaculo del Amor de Dios, was meeting in a space with no classroom or office divisions. The plywood donation helped them create those spaces, and the ministry equipment has elevated their children’s ministry.

In addition to providing those resources, FLDR supported the church’s back-to-school event in August, giving away 180 backpacks filled with school supplies to the migrant children in the community.

In Ocala, Iglesia Bautista Nueva Vida serves the migrant community that resides in the Little Mexico mobile home park. On July 30 the church hosted a back-to-school event for children and gave away 150 backpacks. This time, FLDR came in with a feeding unit and provided a free meal for 300 families. A full team of volunteers who cook for DR brought generators, ovens, coolers, and everything needed to support the event.

“It was a great collaboration,” said Castillo. “The DR volunteers got to practice, and at the same time they gave the church staff a break allowing them to mingle and talk to people.”

FLDR volunteers are passionate about serving, and serving in events like these refreshes and encourages their ministry. Their desire to serve is so strong that some volunteers showed up without being asked; they simply heard it was happening and they went. As a former volunteer coordinator with Cuba Missions, Rigdon knows that volunteers want to do as much as they can, and he wants to provide these opportunities for them.

He also encourages churches to tell their members about volunteer opportunities with FLDR.

“I want to bring young families in as well as culturally diverse groups of volunteers… This ministry will not pull people away from your church; it will strengthen your church because volunteer experience locks these people into missions,” he said.

For more information on how to volunteer with FLDR, visit flbaptist.org/disasterrelief/.

In 2005, after watching her nine children and countless grandchildren rip through gifts, long-time Immokalee resident Delma Gallegos shared with her family a desire to shift their focus during the Christmas season. Having relied on the kindness of others to provide family gifts years before, the grandmother shared her wish to provide hundreds of gifts to children less fortunate as her own family.

Wendy Gallegos recalled the December afternoon when her mother-in-law Delma shared a plan on how their family could serve community children.

With a median household income of $30,800 and home to some of the largest migrant farmworker camps, the town relies heavily on non-profit organizations and local churches to make it through the holidays.

“She shared with us that while she could not leave her grandchildren a financial inheritance, she wanted to help us instill in our children a godly inheritance and teach them how to give and serve others,” the younger Gallegos said.

With a desire to bring this God-sized vision to fruition, the family began collecting gifts throughout the year for various age groups. Since launching the tradition in 2006, they have not missed one year of distributing gifts on Christmas evening – though they have come close.

In 2013, Delma was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Realizing her time on this earth was limited, she encouraged family members to continue ministering to the needs in their community long after she was gone. That Christmas, though Delma was unresponsive under hospice care, the family livestreamed their Christmas stops for her to hear.

“She had been praying that God would allow her to stay on earth just beyond Christmas as she knew that if she passed away prior to Christmas, her family might not be able to bless the children,” Gallegos said. “She had me promise that regardless of the circumstances, we would continue blessing migrant children in Immokalee with Christmas gifts.”

Now a tradition for more than 15 years, the Gallegos family has continued what is now called “Delma’s Seeds of Love” as they plant seeds of compassion throughout the community and share their matriarch’s love for Jesus and serving others.

“Our purpose is to bless and share the love of God with migrant children and continue to instill in our children, and now grandchildren, how to give and serve,” said Gallegos. “We desire to remind our children how much their grandmother loved God and how she spent most of her life serving others.”

To keep Jesus at the center of Christmas each year, Delma’s son shares Luke 2 at one of the largest migrant camps. While Christmas music is played, more than 150 children gather at each of the five locations in great eagerness for the annual tradition that delivers joy throughout southwest Florida.

As word of the ministry has grown over the years local churches, family friends and hometown residents have pitched in to gather and distribute as many gifts as possible. What started out as 60 gifts in 2006 has quickly grown into a need for a trailer and multiple trucks to transport more than 500 gifts throughout five migrant camps.

In 2017, the Gallegos’ home church–Fellowship Church–began partnering with the family in purchasing, collecting and wrapping gifts in time for a Christmas delivery. The church quickly launched their annual “Wrap and Snack” event, complete with gift wrapping stations, Christmas carols and sweet treats.

“We believe God will use this partnership for His glory, as while we have our individual church homes; we are coming together as one body to share God’s love throughout our community,” said Gallegos. “We hope that other local churches will continue to join us in this ministry.

“God calls us to serve and give as He did,” she said. “Our desire is to display God’s love.”

If you would like more information on how to serve alongside Delma’s Seeds of Love, please contact info@fellowshipchurch.co.

“It is clear God has blessed Florida Baptist churches by allowing them to serve in an ever-expanding mission field with endless opportunities,” said Tommy Green, executive director-treasurer of the Florida Baptist Convention.

According to the American Immigration Council, more than one in five Florida residents is an immigrant, while one in eight residents is a native-born U.S. citizen with at least one immigrant parent.

The latest data also shows that each year the state hosts more than 500,000 immigrants, 150,000 migrants, and 14.5 million international travelers. Florida Baptist churches are committed to the nations within as they share the salvation of Jesus Christ with as many of these individuals as possible.

Florida Baptist churches are actively engaged with focused ministries in English as Second Language classes, citizen classes, tutoring, food health and clothing resources, legal resources, skill development, financial classes, and refugee asylum.

The convention is coming alongside local churches to equip them with resources and training to reach internationals and immigrants within their communities. And the resources are just a click away!

To help churches actively ministering to the immigrants, and those who have a desire to develop ministries, the convention has placed dozens of resources on its website.

The site offers churches the context, biblical mandate and available resources when determining how to begin immigrant and international ministries. Additional resources are designed to aid churches’ ministry to internationals in the areas of immigrants, migrants, international travelers, and human trafficking.

In the section highlighting immigrant ministries, materials offer information on teaching English as a Second Language and citizenship classes, tutoring, and providing food, health, and clothing assistance.

The migrant ministries section explores opportunities in theological education, conferences for legal and financial advice, and developing children and family events.

Ministry to international travelers is focused on seaport ministries, offering a history of Florida Baptist work in port ministries, as well as a list of locations and chaplains.

Last, human trafficking resources answer commonly asked questions, provides a directory of ministries to survivors, as well as mini-course, informational links, printable flyers, and organizations involved in fighting human trafficking.

Within each ministry area, dozens of resources have been compiled including information, how-to suggestions, PowerPoint presentations, videos, downloadable forms and references. Contacts of convention staff who can come right beside local churches with their specific ministries are also provided.

The compilation of the resources on the site began when the State Board of Missions—the convention’s governing body– authorized the study and development of a program of ministry support for churches engaged in ministry to immigrants and internationals.

Over the months, convention staff met on multiple occasions and engaged with church and ministry experts. It became evident an abundant amount of focus and highly effective ministry was taking place within churches across the state. The team decided then to shift from the development of a ministry approach to providing established practices and resources.

Beyond the resources made available through the website, convention staff will be working to develop and expand other training, conferencing, and networking opportunities to further encourage and equip ministry leaders in the development of immigrant and international ministry.

“Our Kingdom commitment and concern is to reach our neighbors for Christ,” said Green. “God continues to bring the nations to us, and we can impact the world through ministries that touch lives in Jesus’ name.”

That statistic based on 100 post-Christian cities as reported by the Barna Group, hits home for Hector Gomez, pastor of Primera Iglesia Bautista de Lehigh and director of Seminario Bautista de Estudios Teologicos de Florida in Lehigh Acres.

He believes he is called to partner with the local church in training leaders to combat this darkness in southwest Florida. “We have to do this hard work,” said Gomez. “It’s crucial.”

Burdened to better equip the local church with faithful and educated leaders, Gomez started a Spanish-speaking seminary on the campus of First Baptist Church in Lehigh Acres in 2014 in cooperation with the Florida Baptist Convention’s migrant ministries team.

Since then, the seminary has prepared 16 graduates for ministry.

“It doesn’t matter if we have many or few [students], the quality of the work is the same,” said Gomez.

Partnering with New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary (NOBTS), the Seminario Bautista offers a three-year certificate program in Spanish. Students are required to take eight core classes in Old and New Testament and other NOBTS required curriculum. The remaining four classes are in subjects including leadership, which are original to the Spanish speaking seminary.

“It is our main mission to train and equip students to go back into their local church,” said Gomez. “We want qualified students leaving our seminary.”

Gomez is excited that the seminary is able to train local church leaders, knowing that they will be strategically placed around southwest Florida to share the gospel message.

With graduates serving at First Baptist Church in Bonita Springs; First Baptist Church in Palm Island, and First Baptist Church in Labelle, Gomez hopes that these theologically trained students will drive back the darkness in a “post-Christian” area of Florida.

Seminario Bautista is among a network of 10 schools placed across the state and Cuba, said Miseal Castillo, Florida Baptists’ migrant ministries catalyst. Although originally geared for pastors serving migrant churches, the churches are now composed of Hispanics who have put down roots in their communities and “need to know the Lord,” Castillo said. Soon a seminary will be strategically placed in Mexico, he reported.

According to Emanuel Roque, Florida Baptist Hispanic ministry catalyst,  Gomez “has led faithfully as a pastor in the Lehigh Acres area for many years.”

The pastor brings light to the southwest region in other capacities, he said, including serving in a volunteer capacity leading the local Hispanic pastors fellowship in that area. “This year we held a Hispanic Bible study summit at his church for all area churches and he served well getting local pastors to bring people as they hosted it.

“His work in the seminary is just one example of pastor serving and leading well to dispel the darkness over time.”

Gomez plans to grow the seminary into a viable resource to equip those called into ministry to serve in the local church. For more information on the seminary or to schedule a tour, contact Hector Gomez at 239-369-6141.