The first Hispanic pastors orientation came about out of our love and concern for the South Carolina Baptist Hispanic pastors and churches.
When I came as associate director in the church multiplication group, Dino Senesi and Marshall Fagg gave me the freedom and support I needed for a time like this. As soon as I met with Samuel Rodriguez, church-starting strategist and evangelist, and Cynthia Cabezas, Hispanic assistant, we came to the conclusion that we needed to get to know the pastors and churches we were called to serve.
For four to six months, we strategized. We came back with a strong sense of where we were and what we needed to do. On Nov. 15-16, 34 Hispanic pastors from South Carolina came to the convention for our first South Carolina Baptist pastors orientation.
Our pastors and churches needed a new sense of direction and purpose. Each one of them came to South Carolina because they felt God’s call, but along the way some of them got busy and forgot their foundational calling and purpose for being here. Also, there was a strong need for pastors to come and work together as God’s army. Prior to this meeting, there was a sense each Hispanic pastor was fighting on his own. Time after time, the Bible tells us that divided we cannot stand and to be victorious over the enemy. In part, our Hispanic pastors were divided because they did not know who they could count on.
The purpose of this meeting was to bring all Hispanic pastors together in one place so that they may receive training on how to get back to the basics of Christianity. We used Dr. Adrian Rogers’ book on “Returning to the Basics,” taking us to the very foundation. It is a book of nine lessons, from how to have the certainty that the Bible is the word of God to the last chapter on the chemistry of the cross.
We knew that they wanted to be effective pastors in their churches and communities, and with that in our hearts we gave them the training with everything we had. We asked four pastors to help us with the teaching. Juan HernЗndez, RubОn Navarrete, Garry Morrison and Tony Hancock formed the team of teachers with Samuel RodrТguez and myself.
From the beginning, we noticed that pastors were in great need of fellowship among themselves and also with convention staff to visit with them. Hispanic pastors are open to fellowship with anyone. I had been in many meetings with our Hispanic pastors, but in none of them had I seen in their faces the joy, confidence, and sense of knowing that someone cares for them.
Friday, along with our welcoming and opening orientation, to help break the ice we gave them a tour of the building with the idea that they may know all the resources available to them and to get to know our staff.
On Saturday, we gave the pastors a chronological outline with the ministries we are focusing on in 2008. We shared with them the need for all the pastors to collaborate in these events by using their gifts in their churches and regions. They can help us in regional evangelistic crusades, Sunday school conferences or church planting.
Where do we go from here? We are trusting God will open new doors for us in evangelism, discipleship, new seminary extensions, and new churches. We need to evaluate and look for new ways that God wants to bring new partners to us from within the Hispanic Christian community, our fellowships, associations and our own Baptist convention.
Elizondo is a Hispanic strategist for the South Carolina Baptist Convention.