U.S. Church Region Celebrates 100 Years of Hispanic Ministry in Its Territory

The North American Division (NAD), in conjunction with the Rocky Mountain Conference (RMC), celebrated 100 years of Hispanic ministry in Colorado, September 13. More than 1,500 people gathered at Campion Academy in Loveland, Colorado, United States, for a day filled with worship, fellowship, and gratitude for how God has led through the years.

The day began with welcoming remarks from David VandeVere, RMC president, and Hubert Morel, executive secretary of the Mid-America Union Conference (MAUC). Both leaders expressed joy at celebrating the ways God has guided Hispanic ministries throughout the decades. “We are also here to celebrate what He will do in the future,” VandeVere reminded attendees.

Roberto Correa, MAUC Multilingual director, and Hugo Guillén, RMC Ministerial associate director and lead for Multicultural Ministries, served as hosts for the event. “To celebrate 100 years does not mean to stop but to renew our mission. The best way to honor the pioneers is to continue preaching, serving, and loving our community until the second coming of Jesus,” Correa said.

He continued: “All the union vice presidents looked at me and said, ‘Why don’t we all go so that we can join them that weekend?’ So last year it was voted to come here to Denver to celebrate the 100 years of the Hispanic work in this territory,” recalled Minervino Labrador, NAD vice president for Multilingual Ministries. Hispanic coordinators from every territory took the stage, greeting attendees and sharing words of encouragement from their regions.

Labrador shared the history of Hispanic ministry in Colorado. He reminded the audience that the beginnings were humble, but the growth clearly has been led by God. He acknowledged Marcial Serna, the first Hispanic Seventh-day Adventist pastor in North America, and noted the challenges early pioneers faced when most of the Hispanic community belonged to another Christian denomination. “We must continue to grow His kingdom,” Labrador said. “You and I are here today thanks to Hispanic ministries.”

The event featured a variety of evangelistic resources for members. Esperanza TV led worship and introduced its new mobile app for streaming faith-based content. Elvis Diaz, director of sales and marketing for El Centinela and Spanish-language books, encouraged members to continue spreading the gospel through literature evangelism.

The speaker, international evangelist and pastor Alejandro Bullón, spoke about the ways God equips His people to do amazing things for His kingdom.

The celebration also included recognition of pioneers within local congregations who faithfully carried the mission forward, as well as a showcase of Hispanic churches across the state. “Today’s event is a wonderful celebration of the pioneers and those that accepted the everlasting gospel and became members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church years ago,” Labrador said. “And it was great to see actual pioneers of the work sitting here with us and receive special recognition. Every bit [of ministry done] in our territory adds up to massive blessings in the North American Division. Everything matters. Everyone matters.”

Tomas DeGyves, director of Multilingual Ministries for the Central States Conference, joined Guillén in acknowledging these leaders and congregations, a moment that highlighted the unity between both conferences in ministering to Colorado’s Hispanic community. Guillén reflected, “I was blessed to see the churches come together . . . emphasizing that even though we are two different conferences, we’re all preaching the gospel and getting to know Jesus more.” Looking ahead, Guillén shared his hope of seeing a congregation established in Wyoming.

The event concluded with 13 baptisms officiated by RMC pastors Santo Valdez, Daniel Escalante, Daniele Fantoni, Leonardo Jimenez, and Guillén. This was followed by a concert by Felipe Garibo, internationally renowned music evangelist.

“What an honor to be a part of this anniversary. God has helped us for 100 years, and Hispanic ministries has grown,” Guillén said. “God will continue to do His good work, and we will continue to grow in the future.”

When asked what his hope is for the future of multilingual ministries and, in this context, Hispanic ministries, Labrador remarked, “[It] is for our [migrant communities] to continue to share the gospel through their small-group Bible studies, to work together to build up the kingdom of God, and to continue their growth.”

The original version of this story was posted on the Rocky Mountain Conference news site.