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Soldier4Christ
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« on: August 20, 2007, 02:56:08 PM » |
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Evangelical churches reach out to Hispanics in the South
Southern Baptist churches throughout the Southeast are looking for ways to reach out to a growing number of Hispanics in their communities. One of those churches, located in Mississippi, is making a difference.
On a recent Friday evening, Primeria Iglesia Bautista -- or First Baptist Church -- held a worship service, in Spanish, at a park in Tupelo. The outreach, which is a ministry of Tupelo's Calvary Baptist Church and the local Baptist Association, is overseen by Marcelino Quiej, a bi-vocational pastor.
While Marcelino is the pastor for the Spanish outreach, other family members are also involved in the ministry. His wife teaches Sunday school and his son plays drums. Marcelino explains there are many challenges when it comes to reaching out to Hispanics in the South.
"Most people, when they come, they are seeking God's will," the pastos says, "but in a way, money comes across and they become very, very materialistic."
He estimates that 80 percent of Hispanics in the area do not have a personal relationship with Christ. "Most people think that just attending church, that's all they need to do," he says. "It's very hard for most of them to understand that it's not about religion; it's about a relationship with God."
Each Sunday afternoon, about 40 people come to Primeria Iglesia Bautista. Marcelino says despite the challenges and frustrations, he knows God called him from Guatemala to reach Hispanics in northeast Mississippi with the gospel of Christ.
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