Author: Russell Lightner

What’s your story? Not defective, but effective!

I have been the bivocational pastor of First Baptist Church of Christine (about an hour outside San Antonio) for almost seven years now. This is my first church to pastor, and it was unexpected. I never expected to pastor. I just wanted to tell people about the Lord. When they lost their pastor, First Baptist said, “Can you come and just fill in for a few weeks?” I said, “I can fill in. That’s no problem.” Well, one of the deacons came up to me and said, “You know what? You are staying here until I say you can leave.” Next thing you know, I’m voted in and ordained, and I’m still there. Some church members say they can hardly tell I’m blind.

When I was a young man, I felt a calling on my life. I stood up in the third grade on career day and told everyone I was going to be a preacher. One young man in the back said, “How can you be a preacher? They can’t understand you.” I had a speech impediment because of hearing loss. But I never let that discourage me because I knew who my Lord and Savior was, and my outlet was going to church. We went four times a week back in the ’70s, and I just loved the Lord.

In May of 1984, I made a sincere dedication to serve the Lord. I said, “Lord, I’m not going to fail you. I’m going to serve you 110%.” Not long after that, they told me that I could go blind. The diagnosis was retinitis pigmentosa. I’d never heard of that before, but I had made my commitment and said, “Well, Lord, I’m going to walk with you. I’m going to serve you all of my days.” God told me when I was 16 that He wanted me to preach, so I preached my first sermon at church at 16 years old.

A few years later, I was thinking, “Who’d want to marry a blind man?” and the Lord sent me
a wonderful lady from Mexico who came back with
a missionary we had sent there. I still had my eyesight, and I was looking at the church and said, “Wow, who is that?” A beautiful Latin American woman. I introduced myself and it wasn’t nine months later Yazmina and I married; we’ve been together now for 31 years. Later, God gave us a precious daughter, Priscilla, who is now 20.

"I had begun to teach and lead in my church when my vision started to deteriorate. I couldn’t drive anymore. Things were just different in my life. And I thought, 'Man, Lord, what am I going to do?'"

Whick Turner Tweet

I had begun to teach and lead in my church when my vision started to deteriorate. I couldn’t drive anymore. Things were just different in my life. And I thought, “Man, Lord, what am I going to do?” Couldn’t read the Bible like I once could, and I had to change my whole life around. I had to let go of the job that I worked very hard to get—I was an accountant, the controller for a law firm. That was a big step in our life. We moved to Colorado for a year and my wife worked up there … then the Lord brought us from Colorado to Texas and I finished up my book, On Top of My Mountain, just to tell people my testimony.

My vision has gone from blurry to shadows, and now all I see is light. Thank God for the light! Sometimes I hear the enemy saying, “You’re defective. You can’t see. You can’t hear. Now you have high blood pressure.” And the words out of my mouth are, “No, I’m not defective, but effective for the kingdom.”

That response has become my motto in my life. This is how I encourage people. Don’t let the enemy tell you anything, because Philippians 4:13 says, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” I took that and began to share that message. Even today when I go to men’s events or people invite me to speak, I say, “I’m not defective, but effective. You’re not defective, but effective. God has a plan for your life.”

People are just amazed at what God can do with someone who has a disability like mine. You see, God doesn’t see disability. He sees ability. God sees me—not blind, but able to see. That’s the way the people are seeing me at my church. Sometimes they’ll forget that I’ll need a hand to get from the sanctuary to the fellowship hall, and then somebody will walk back and say, “Oh, pastor, we forgot you couldn’t see.” God has been so good to me, and the people are just receptive to what God has to say through me. And He does it. He really does it.

I’ve looked at the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, and I tell people there’s no quit in the Bible. So don’t quit. You have to keep moving forward like Paul says: “… one thing that I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Jesus Christ” (Philippians 3:13-14). A lot of times, we can get discouraged. I get discouraged, and the first thing we want to do when we get discouraged—we want to quit. In Galatians 6:9, it says don’t grow weary in well doing. Don’t grow weary, don’t get tired, don’t get frustrated. You’re doing well.

What’s my story? I’m a blind pastor who’s partially deaf, but not defective—I’m effective for my Lord!

Want to share a story of what God is doing in your life or your church?

Share your story here

Leading a resilient life and ministry

My primary vision for the first 20 years of pastoring was to build a Great Commission church. That vision fueled two decades of uninterrupted church growth at three churches that prioritized baptisms, buildings, and budgets.

Fifteen years ago, I came to realize I was not growing internally at the same rate as my ministry was growing externally. I continued to preach sermons, lead staff, and build buildings while simultaneously burning out and burning bridges. Although I did not have any moral meltdowns in that dark season, a doctor and therapist helped me understand I was pastoring in a fog of depression and needed help.

That began a grace-filled journey back to personal and pastoral health—which led to my most fulfilling years of pastoring. In the five years that followed my diagnosis, our church finished a historic relocation to a 50-acre campus while simultaneously launching a regional ministry center.

Is it realistic to expect an unhealthy pastor to lead a healthy church?

The apostle Paul says this in 1 Timothy 4:16: “Pay close attention to your life and your teaching; persevere in these things, for in doing this you will save both yourself and your hearers.”

"I believe every Great Commandment Christian will be a Great Commission Christian because our love for God fuels our love for our neighbors, as well as ourselves."

Mark Dance Tweet

When pastors win, our families and ministries win. When we lose, the collateral damage is exponential. I wrote a book called Start to Finish to help pastors, missionaries, and deacons win by leading their lives, families, and ministries well (1 Timothy 3; Titus 1). It is my prayer this book will help them start well, serve well, and finish well.

I believe every Great Commandment Christian will be a Great Commission Christian because our love for God fuels our love for our neighbors, as well as ourselves. While many church growth books focus on the Great Commission, Start to Finish focuses on the Great Commandments which precede, supersede, and fuel the Great Commission.

These commands remind us of God’s relational priorities for our lives: love God, love our neighbors, and love ourselves. They serve as guideposts for healthy, resilient pastors who are serious about leading their lives and ministries well. The book is divided into two sections based on each part of the Great Commandment, the second of which is a prequel to the Great Commission.

I have no secrets or shortcuts for pastors. As the Bible hangs on these two basic commands, so does this book. I wrote it to help pastors deal with the reality that our personal and professional relationships are intrinsically connected. Each day we attempt to navigate relational landmines without a clear compass, we are putting our families and ministries at risk.

The apostle Paul modeled a strong finish for us. On his last ministry lap, he shared his intentions with Timothy and the Ephesian ministry team, saying, “My purpose is to finish my course and the ministry I received from the Lord Jesus” (Acts 20:24).

I cannot promise you a strong start or finish to your life and ministry, but I can promise you the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention staff and GuideStone are committed to helping you in any way we can until your race is over.

25 years of answered prayer with Juan Sanchez

In November, the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention will mark 25 years of answered prayer at its Annual Meeting at Cross City Church in Euless. Each month until then, the Texan will feature a brief conversation with past SBTC presidents about how they have seen God answer their prayers for the convention over the past quarter century and how they are praying God will bless the convention moving forward. This month, we feature past SBTC president Juan Sanchez (2017-2019).

What were some of your earliest prayers for the SBTC?

When I came to pastor in Texas in 2005, I was greeted by a mailout from the SBTC warning that the two greatest dangers facing us and our gospel reach were universalism and Calvinism. Frankly, it made me not want to be a part of the convention. My first prayers were asking God for wisdom if we should even be a part. But that prompted me to begin praying that the Lord would open the eyes of SBTC leaders that we have one mission together—to see unbelieving people come to faith in Jesus Christ and become true worshipers of the Father. My earliest prayers were for unity around the mission of the church, knowing we can do more together than we can apart and that our convention would realize that all of us who believe the same gospel have a lot more in common that we realize. So, rather than leave the SBTC, I decided we would lean in.

“We are in a war against the enemy for the souls of men, women, and children. As we fight this war together, we will bring glory to God.”

—Juan Sanchez Tweet

How have you seen God answer some of your prayers regarding the convention?

The Lord answered our prayers in clear ways very quickly. He allowed us to establish relationships with SBTC leaders and pastors who do not share our [church’s] Calvinism but share our passion to reach unbelievers. Those relationships allowed us to build trust. That trust led to increased participation in the convention. We no longer felt like we were a threat, but we genuinely felt like a part of the convention. Over the years, it has been a joy to see how the Lord has knit our hearts together as Southern Baptists in Texas pursuing the glory of Christ by fulfilling the Great Commission together.

During your service as president, how were you praying for the convention?

My prayers as president were not that different. I prayed that SBTC pastors and churches would realize we can do more together than we can in isolation; that we don’t need to be suspicious of one another; that so long as we ground our ministry in the sufficiency of Scripture, we can honor the Lord and fulfill our ministry.

What is your prayer for the next 25 years of the SBTC?

Now, more than ever, I pray that the Lord would remind Southern Baptists in Texas that we who believe the gospel and trust in the sufficiency of the inerrant Word of God are in a war, not with each other but against the principalities and powers in the heavenly places. We are in a war against the enemy for the souls of men, women, and children. As we fight this war together, we will bring glory to God.

Spreading the flame of revival

Over the past few months, we have seen God do some amazing things in churches all over our state. I have heard story after story from pastors who have experienced a fresh move of the Holy Spirit because they are leading their congregations to pray. Many of these churches are experiencing congregational repentance and reconciliation. Some are seeing record salvations and baptisms, while others are seeing marriages restored and miraculous healing. All these pastors have confessed that the only thing they have changed in their ministry is that they are intentionally leading their people to pray.

My singular desire as the president of this great convention is to lead our churches to pray. I am begging the Lord to send revival and spiritual awakening to our churches and communities. You see, revival is what happens to believers when God brings us to a place of brokenness. This leads us to repentance, resulting in a fresh outpouring of His Spirit in us.

Pastor Bill Elliff says, “To ‘revive’ literally means to ‘bring to life again.’ It is a word for the church, for you cannot ‘revive’ what has not once been ‘vived!’” Revival is the byproduct of the Holy Spirit bringing back spiritual vitality to the church. J.I. Packer said it like this: “Revival is the visitation of God which brings to life Christians who have been sleeping and restores a deep sense of God’s near presence and holiness.”

Without a revived church, we will not see a spiritual awakening in our culture.

Todd Kaunitz Tweet

Revival in the church will lead to a spiritual awakening in our communities. Spiritual awakening is what happens to unbelievers when the Holy Spirit moves in power through His church. It’s when He moves with such a manifestation of His presence that unbelievers are supernaturally and powerfully awakened to the saving power of Jesus and their need for Him. When a spiritual awakening occurs, you see lost people in a geographical region come to saving faith in Jesus in exponential numbers, resulting in a rapid expansion of God’s kingdom. It should be the heart cry of every follower of Jesus to see God move in power like this. Without a revived church, we will not see a spiritual awakening in our culture. Andrew Murray, a great prayer warrior, said, “A revived church is the only hope of a dying world.”

We must become a praying convention. Many churches have replaced prayer with programs and many pastors are leading by the systems of man and not the Spirit of God. We need a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit that comes by prayer and prayer alone. We are told that when we call upon His name, He hears us and will answer us. Jeremiah 29:13 says, “You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart.” If this is true (and we know that God’s Word is always true), then let’s seek Him, let’s pursue Him, and let’s call on His name with all our hearts!

I want to encourage you to share your prayer stories with other pastors and church leaders. Keep telling the stories of God’s movement to fan the flame of revival. As Elliff says, “Spread the fame of revival to spread the flame of revival.”

Barber reflects on his first year as SBC president and the work that lies ahead

‘I’ve really learned about the faithfulness of God and his people’

What are a few things you feel Southern Baptists can celebrate as we prepare for this year’s annual meeting?

Bart Barber: We’ve had very high giving to Lottie Moon and Annie Armstrong. Cooperative Program receipts are strong. That may seem mundane because we take these offerings every year, but there’s nothing mundane about the cooperation of Southern Baptists to fund missionary work around the world. I think we can also celebrate the fact our churches have led a lot of people to Christ. The reports I get from around the convention are of a lot of churches that are experiencing some renewed vitality. I know we’ve seen that at First Baptist Farmersville. I’ve been to all six of our seminary campuses, and when you meet those people who are studying and preparing to go into ministry, it gets you excited for the future. Our ministries are doing the things we’ve tasked them to do, and that’s worth celebrating.

What are some of the key areas you feel we, as Southern
Baptists, still have work to do that can begin in New Orleans?

BB: One of the things I think we’ve seen over the course of this year is that there’s a good bit of uncertainty and a lack of clarity in the way our Bylaw 8 procedure works with regard to doctrinal objections to churches and [their affiliation with] the SBC. Our governing documents, in an effort to keep the peace in our cooperative, deliberately have been worded in such a way that they [vaguely] talk about close identification with the Baptist Faith and Message. I affirm the efforts that were made in that to try to build as good a base for cooperation as could be built, but I do think nobody really knows what that means. The challenge of that is, now we have a process that has a credentials committee and they have to know what it means in order to do their work.

Everybody has a different idea about what they think our governing documents call for. So I think we’re going to have an opportunity to do work to make those procedures and the ideas behind them clear, understandable, and consistent so everybody knows we’re operating fairly, that we’re operating in a way that preserves the core theological distinctions that hold us together as Southern Baptists, while also preserving the latitude for cooperation that makes us able to harness and use the resources and energy of a broad coalition of churches for the work of the Great Commission.

"Though the culture seems to be sliding further away from biblical truth, I think that’s also opening opportunities for the gospel.

—Bart Barber, SBC President Tweet

What has the past year taught you personally
and in your role as SBC president?

BB: One thing I have learned is how much work it is to be president of the SBC. The people who’ve served in this role before … I appreciated them, but I didn’t appreciate them enough. It’s a job that requires a lot of attention and effort. I’d say another thing I have learned is the excellence and dedication with which the staff at the SBC Executive Committee works to help the ministries of the SBC operate and work well. I have leaned hard on them for so much of the work I’ve done.

Personally, this has been a year with a lot of struggle and difficulty in terms of health things in my extended family. Also, I’ve got a 20-year-old and a 16-year-old, and I have learned how important it is for me to hang up the phone and ignore the SBC for a little bit and pay attention to them. I’ve had to sort out some priorities and make sure to tend to those things.

I’ve also really learned about the faithfulness of God and His people. There have been so many times I’ve been scared about things. That interview with 60 Minutes—I was terrified about that. I’ve never done anything like that before. That put me in front of a whole lot of different people. What if I mess up? That would’ve been easy to do. But there was an army of people who prayed for me about that. My church prayed for me. Friends prayed for me. People who didn’t know me but who care about the SBC prayed about that, and I saw God respond to those prayers and carry me through that. It’s so reassuring to see that it never really was about what I was able to do. It was about what God could do to carry me through it.

How can we amplify the voice of the SBC to speak into a culture that seems to be sliding further away from biblical truth?

BB: I think ultimately, the headquarters of SBC work is the local church, and the best work we can do is help Southern Baptists to speak—not to speak for Southern Baptists. Our seminaries are doing excellent work to equip people to be able to address the issues that are before us in the world. We amplify our voice through the work done by institutions like the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission as questions come up before the Supreme Court to advocate for traditional gender roles, traditional marriage, pro-life concerns, and religious liberty. The Texas Ethics and Religious Liberty Committee does a great job with this also.

Though the culture seems to be sliding further away from biblical truth, I think that’s also opening opportunities for the gospel. We are seeing how many people are harmed by the movement of culture, the family, education, and law and society away from biblical truth. We believe those things because God gave them to us, but we also believe those things lead to healthy societies, healthy families, healthy people. That’s been the story of spiritual awakening over and over in the United States. It was in times of great darkness and indifference to the gospel that people had a hunger and a yearning for something more. I think the best way we amplify our voice is to share the gospel with people in our community who are lost and to help them see Jesus is the answer.

"For us to be stronger than ever before, we’re going to have to become people who are more excited about and more interested in the things we achieve when we cooperate than we are about things that divide us."

—Bart Barber Tweet

In 10 years, if Southern Baptists are able to say they are stronger at that point in history than ever before, what would have had to have happened between now and then?

BB: One, I think we’re going to have to help our local churches address sexual abuse in ways that are more effective than we’ve done in the past. We’re incurring expenses that are not related to [fulfilling the Great Commission] to address sexual abuse now. [Those expenses] arise out of failures to address sexual abuse in an effective way, either in prevention or in ministering to those who have been affected. So it protects the financial future of the SBC for us to address this in a way that’s strong and effective.

Secondly, I think we’re going to have to embrace a clear and shared vision for cooperation in the SBC. We’re going to need to develop an appetite in which the most interesting personalities and the most interesting statements—however they come, from the pulpit or from social media or whatever else—are not the things that are the harshest and most severe, but instead that … excite us to look and see what we’re able to do when we cooperate. I’m not saying we can’t ever have a difference of opinion and I’m not saying we can’t address real issues whenever they arise. But I think for us to be stronger than ever before, we’re going to have to become people who are more excited about and more interested in the things we achieve when we cooperate than we are about things that divide us.

Southern Baptists of Texas

Reception

Monday, June 12 (after evening session)

Ernest N. Morial Convention Center
Rooms 206-207

Maximizing your life

Years ago, I read a poem by missionary C.T. Studd that includes a line that has always stayed with me: “Only one life, ‘twill soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last.”

Life is super busy for our family right now. On top of living out our calling in our jobs, we have four children we are constantly chauffeuring to this event or that meeting. There rarely seems to be any margin for down time. However, if we are to maximize our lives, we must keep things in the right perspective and order our priorities.

I recently preached the funeral of a 35-year-old man. As I ministered to the family and watched the heartbreak they were experiencing, I was reminded that all of us have only one life to live. As Studd reminds us, the only things that matter are the things done for Christ. If I want my life to truly be maximized, I must be diligent to stay faithful to the things that matter. Allow me to remind us all of several things in our lives that should be priorities:

Spend time with the Lord

If I am not disciplined and diligent, the demands and commitments of the day can rob me of my time with the Lord. Nothing should take a higher priority than meeting with our Lord each day in His Word and in prayer. I am a better man, husband, father, leader, and friend when I am consistently spending time with the Lord. Maximizing my life for the things that really matter must begin here.

Invest in your family

The scope of your ministry will always pale in comparison to the investment you make in your family. Outside of your personal time with the Lord, there is nothing greater you can invest in than your family. One day we will retire from our jobs or ministry positions and be quickly replaced. However, no one can ever be my kids’ dad again. It is imperative that I invest time discipling my family, teaching them to walk in the ways of God.

Serve with gratefulness

A few weeks ago during my time with the Lord, I was reminded in Paul’s letter to the Colossians that we work for the Lord, not the approval of men. Whatever your calling from the Lord is, serve with joy and gratitude. He has blessed you with the specific opportunity you are in. Give it all you have for His glory and remember that you are living on mission.

Leave it all on the field

My boys are athletes. We always tell them that no matter the results, they should leave it all on the field. Simply put, give all you have while you have the opportunity. In our lives, we should leave it all on the field for the Lord. When we come to the end of our days, we should be able to feel confident we gave our very best to the Lord.

“Only one life, ‘twill soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last.” Let this sink in and impact your life. Allow this truth to help you navigate priorities in the busyness of life. I want to make my life count for Him. I know you do as well. Let’s do it! I am honored to serve you!

5 minutes with Nathan Lino

Nathan Lino, a fourth-generation South African, founded Northeast Houston Baptist Church in 2002 and served as its senior pastor until June 1, 2022, when he began his tenure as senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Forney. He has served as president of the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention, first vice president of the Southern Baptist Convention, and as a trustee of the International Mission Board. He currently serves as an evangelism consultant for the SBTC. Lino and his wife, Nicole, have been married since 1999 and have four children: Colton, Campbell, Cassidy, and Chloe.

What is something you’ve been able to celebrate at your church recently?

We have seen Jesus Christ do two really big things in the life of our church family over the past few months. First, Christ put it in our hearts to make seeking His manifest presence together the activity of first importance in the life of our church. Second, we’ve seen a significant surge in the number of non-Christians that Jesus is saving.

What have been some of the biggest challenges in your ministry lately?

Nicole and I only joined this 160-year-old congregation last June. We are a bit of a culture shock for the church and vice versa. But I can honestly say that both the Lord and the congregation have been incredibly gracious and welcoming to Nicole and me—none more so than my longtime, beloved predecessor’s wife, Jeannette Pritchard. She has been amazing. (Editor’s note: Jeanette Pritchard shared the story of the death of her husband, Jimmy, in the December 2022 issue of the Texan.)

What’s one lesson you’ve learned to this point of your ministry that you know you’ll never forget?

Almost every leadership decision I regret I made in isolation. On the other hand, I’ve rarely made a bad decision after sincerely seeking and taking to heart the wisdom and counsel of leaders who have earned my trust through their godliness. The Lord is not wrong on either account: every church needs a senior leader willing to make hard decisions, and wisdom truly is in the counsel of many minds.

What’s one thing you want to see God do specifically in your church this year?

What I want more than anything else for our church family is for our hearts, homes, and church to be filled with more of the manifest presence of Jesus Christ. If we have the Lord, we have everything we need.

How can the other churches of the SBTC be praying for you?

I’d appreciate prayer for two things: wisdom and holiness. I need understanding from the Lord as to how to lead this new flock to which He has assigned me, as well as my personal family because our children have begun transitioning out of our home and into their next stages of life. I also want the Lord to transform me into a more advanced state of personal godliness.

5 minutes with Carlos Hinojos

Carlos Hinojos recently completed his seventh year as pastor of Redbud Baptist Church in Lubbock. He has previously served congregations in the Rio Grande Valley, working as an associate pastor and church planter affiliated with First Baptist Church in McAllen. After a stint as a high school program coordinator in Plainview, Hinojos came to Redbud in 2016. He and his wife, Sylvia, have been married 37 years and have four adult children, three grandchildren, and two foster grandchildren. Hinojos is a member of the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention Executive Board.

What is something you’ve been able to celebrate at your church recently?

On a personal level, I would say my seven-year anniversary, which is exciting for us. … But [regarding] the church, our prayer ministry that we launched right before COVID … it’s something the church had not done before. The church had a regular Wednesday night prayer service, but corporate prayer—just praying for our community, praying for the lost, praying for each other, and all kinds of things at the corporate level—had not been done here. We launched that in January 2019. We started out with a group of about six men and there was already a group of about six women who had been praying. … That developed into the prayer ministry. … Then COVID hit in 2020. That’s been really helpful to the church, even after COVID.

What have been some of the biggest challenges in your ministry lately?

Keeping the church focused on the mission. For us, our vision is very simple: we are a going church, growing disciples. We focus on making disciples, training, and equipping our people to make disciples and to lead people to Christ. The challenge is to keep focused on that when so many things come our way, even good things.

What’s one lesson you’ve learned to this point of your ministry that you know you’ll never forget?

One of my biggest lessons I’ve learned in my years of ministry has been to wait on God—waiting on Him, yet walking with Him at the same time. … My tendency is to get out ahead of God and to do things and to orchestrate things, because I’m a doer. I’m a make-things-happen kind of person. I’ve learned that anytime I get out ahead of God, I literally mess things up.

What’s one thing you want to see God do specifically in your church this year?

We are really praying for an awakening and a revival at Redbud. That is what the groups who are praying are asking God—awaken us. Awaken our church and bring revival. Bring us to the place where you do something so supernatural in us that it can only be explained by the hand of God in our midst. Let that spill over into our community of Lubbock, Texas.

How can other SBTC churches be praying for you?

Pray for that awakening and revival. There are great churches in Lubbock, but there’s always room for another church to do more. There’s not enough of us to do it all.

Iglesia de Brownsville inicia servicios en inglés y español para conectar brecha generacional

Amedida que crece la población hispana en los Estados Unidos, surgen nuevos retos. Por ejemplo, cada vez más niños y adolescentes de hogares hispanos mejoran sus conocimientos de inglés, pero no desarrollan o incluso pierden sus conocimientos nativos de español.

Como resultado, en muchos hogares hispanos de EE.UU., los padres hablan poco inglés y sus hijos hablan poco o nada de español. Esta realidad ha creado un entorno en dónde muchos padres—y la iglesia—luchan por conectar con la generación más joven.

Estos retos son los que impulsaron a Manuel Martínez, pastor de la Iglesia Bautista Logos en Brownsville, a iniciar un ministerio hispano en inglés.

“A los jóvenes hispanos de segunda y tercera generación les cuesta conectar con las iglesias de habla hispana porque no dominan el español. Por eso muchos abandonan la iglesia justo después de la Escuela Superior,” dice Martínez, quien ha sido formado por la subcultura hispanoamericana.

Nacido en Matamoros (México), Martínez se trasladó a Carolina del Norte cuando tenía 6 años. Cuando empezó a ir a la escuela, el inglés se convirtió en su lengua materna, pero mantuvo su capacidad para hablar español porque era el idioma que se hablaba en casa. Comenzó a trabajar a los 15 años para ayudar a mantener a su familia, que incluía a su madre y dos hermanas pequeñas. Su padre llegó a Estados Unidos para vivir con la familia, pero los padres de Martínez se separaron cuando él tenía 17 años.

Siguieron años de dificultades. Tras la separación, su padre fue deportado y su madre se volvió a casar y regresó a México, dejando a Martínez con sus dos hermanas, que ahora dependían de él. El abandono, la presión económica, problemas en pasadas relaciones y su situación migratoria le llevaron a una época muy oscura en dónde sufrió con una depresión y pensamientos suicidas.

Durante esta temporada de la vida de Martínez, un hombre llamado Carlos, quien es el encargado del mantenimiento de la iglesia de su abuela, Iglesia Bautista West Brownsville, vino a visitarlo. Él compartió el evangelio con Martínez, de 18 años, quien entregó su vida a Cristo. En West Brownsville, Martínez fue discipulado por el pastor Carlos Navarro y comenzó a sentir que el Señor lo llamaba al ministerio.

“Sentí en mi corazón que Dios me iba a usar como pastor, aunque no sabía lo que eso significaba,” dijo Martínez.

“A los jóvenes hispanos de segunda y tercera generación les cuesta conectar con las iglesias de habla hispana porque no dominan el español."

—Manuel Martinez Tweet

Con el tiempo, Martínez comenzó a servir en el ministerio juvenil, donde conoció a su esposa y ayuda idónea, Karla. Participó activamente en la evangelización de su comunidad y dirigió la adoración en la iglesia. También sirvió como maestro de Biblia para jóvenes y evangelista de jóvenes, predicando en varios eventos.

Debido a que estuvo muy involucrado con los jóvenes, Martínez vio repetidamente que las generaciones más jóvenes de hispanos se desconectaban de la iglesia después de dejar el grupo de jóvenes. Parte del problema, reconoció, era que las generaciones más jóvenes se encontraban en medio de dos culturas, sin pertenecer plenamente a ninguna de ellas. No podían identificarse con la cultura estadounidense y, al mismo tiempo, les resultaba difícil conectar con la cultura hispana porque no hablaban el idioma con fluidez.

“Vi a muchas familias rotas como la mía y a muchos jóvenes sufriendo como yo,” afirma Martínez.

Con la inquietud de cerrar esa brecha que vio entre los hispanos más jóvenes creciendo alrededor de él, Martínez pasó cinco años apoyando los comienzos de plantación de la Iglesia Bautista Jericó, ayudando en el área evangelismo, adoración y discipulado mientras continuaba trabajando con los jóvenes de West Brownsville. En el 2018, Navarro bendijo el deseo de Martínez de comenzar un nuevo ministerio para alcanzar a las generaciones hispanas más jóvenes. Martínez y su esposa comenzaron abriendo su casa para estudios bíblicos a los que asistían estudiantes de secundaria y universitarios. También comenzaron una práctica que continúan hoy: evangelizar a la gente en parques públicos cada semana. Después de un año, el grupo comenzó a celebrar servicios de adoración una vez al mes en un área proporcionada por West Brownsville.

A medida que el grupo continuaba creciendo, comenzaron a orar por un lugar permanente para reunirse. En el 2020, Dios proveyó ese lugar a través de una generosa mujer que les dio las llaves de un pequeño edificio con capacidad para unas 40 personas. Los preparativos para utilizar el edificio estaban en marcha cuando COVID golpeó, reduciendo el número de personas que se estaban preparando para poner en marcha lo que se convertiría en la Iglesia Bautista Logos de 20 personas a seis. Los que quedaban estaban decididos a continuar con el lanzamiento y, tras la cuarentena, reanudaron las reuniones en persona.

Una vez se reanudaron, Martínez y la iglesia descubrieron que algunos de los jóvenes que estaban llegando traían a sus padres y a otros miembros de la familia. Aunque acogieron este hecho con entusiasmo, esto trajo un reto con el que Martínez se había familiarizado: ahora tenían una generación mayor de hispanos a los que les costaba conectar porque los servicios eran en inglés. Eso llevó a Logos a iniciar un servicio adicional en español. Martínez dijo que alrededor de 45 personas asisten regularmente a los servicios.

“La historia de Logos ha sido una de Dios haciendo abundantemente más de lo que pedimos o esperamos.”

—Manuel Martinez Tweet

Logos es una iglesia apasionada por las misiones. El año pasado destinó el 18% de su presupuesto anual a las misiones, lo que incluyó el apoyo a dos misioneros en España y el envío de estudiantes universitarios a viajes misioneros. Uno de esos viajes fue a Dallas, donde atendieron a una comunidad de inmigrantes de Afganistán. Como resultado, varios inmigrantes renunciaron al islam y entregaron sus vidas a Cristo. La iglesia también ministra en el campus de la Universidad de Texas Rio Grande Valley en Brownsville, donde los miembros llevan a cabo estudios bíblicos que han llevado a tres estudiantes a aceptar a Cristo y ser bautizados.

También se han unido a Navarro para ministrar a los inmigrantes que llegan al centro de Brownsville, alimentándoles, dándoles mantas y predicando el Evangelio.

Martínez, que sirve y trabaja bivocacionalmente, sigue orando por más obreros que ayuden a discipular a las personas que están alcanzando. La iglesia también está pidiendo en oración a Dios que provea un nuevo edificio que pueda sostener el crecimiento que está experimentando. Aunque Logos está situada en uno de los condados más pobres de Texas, y con una ofrenda semanal media de 130 dólares, la iglesia sigue confiando en que Dios proveerá a sus necesidades para que puedan expandir Su reino.

“La historia de Logos ha sido una de Dios haciendo abundantemente más de lo que pedimos o esperamos,” dijo Martínez. “Su bondad derramada sobre nuestras vidas nos impulsa hacia adelante mientras buscamos conocer a Jesús y darlo a conocer. Por la gracia de Dios, continuaremos haciendo eso en el Valle del Río Grande, en Texas y en el mundo.”

Brownsville church plant starts services in English, Spanish to bridge generation gap

As the Hispanic population in the U.S. grows, new challenges are emerging. For example, more children and teenagers from Hispanic households are improving their English language skills but not developing or even losing their native Spanish language skills.

As a result, in many Hispanic households in the U.S., parents speak little English and their children speak little or no Spanish. This reality has created an environment where many parents—and churches—struggle to connect with the younger generation.

These challenges are what prompted Manuel Martinez, pastor of Logos Baptist Church in Brownsville, to start an English-language Hispanic ministry.

“Second- and third-generation Hispanic youth have a hard time connecting with Spanish-speaking churches because they are not fluent in Spanish. That’s why many drop out of church right after high school,” said Martinez, who himself has been shaped by a Hispanic-American subculture.

Born in Matamoros, Mexico, Martinez moved to North Carolina when he was 6 years old. Once he started school, English became his primary language, but he maintained his ability to speak Spanish because it was the language spoken at home. He began working at age 15 to help support his household, which included his mother and two young sisters. His father eventually came to the U.S. to live with the family, but Martinez’s parents separated when he was 17.

Years of difficulty followed. After his parents separated, his father was deported and his mother remarried and went back to Mexico, leaving Martinez with two sisters who were now dependent on him. Abandonment, financial pressure, relationship struggles, and his immigration status led him into a very dark season where he suffered from depression and suicidal thoughts.

During this time of Martinez’s life, a man named Carlos—a handyman from his grandmother’s church, West Brownsville Baptist Church—came to visit. Carlos shared the gospel with the 18-year-old Martinez, who gave his life to Christ. At West Brownsville, Martinez was discipled by Pastor Carlos Navarro and began to sense the Lord calling him into ministry.

“I felt in my heart that God was going to use me as a pastor even though I didn’t know what that meant,” Martinez said.

“Second- and third-generation Hispanic youth have a hard time connecting with Spanish-speaking churches because they are not fluent in Spanish.”

—Manuel Martinez Tweet

Martinez eventually began serving in youth ministry, where he met his wife, Karla. He became active in evangelizing his community and leading worship at church. He also served as a youth Bible teacher and youth evangelist, preaching at various events.

Because of his involvement with young people, Martinez repeatedly saw younger generations of Hispanics disconnecting from the church after they left the youth group. Part of the problem, he recognized, was that the younger generations found themselves in the middle of two cultures, not fully belonging to either. They could not identify with American culture and, at the same time, found it difficult to connect with Hispanic culture because they could not speak the language fluently.

“I saw many broken families like mine and many young people suffering like me,” Martinez said.

With a growing hunger to bridge the gap he saw among younger Hispanics, Martinez spent five years helping Jericho Baptist Church, a church plant, with evangelism, worship, and discipleship while continuing to work with the youth at West Brownsville. In 2018, Navarro blessed Martinez’s desire to start a new ministry to reach younger Hispanic generations. Martinez and his wife began by opening their home for Bible studies attended by high school and college students. They also began a practice they continue today—evangelizing people in public parks every week. After a year, the group began worshiping once a month in a room provided by West Brownsville.

As the group continued to grow, they began to pray for a permanent place to meet. In 2020, God provided that place through a generous woman who gave them the keys to a small building that could accommodate about 40 people. Preparations to use the building were underway when COVID hit, reducing the number of people who were preparing to launch what would become Logos Baptist Church from 20 people to six. Those remaining were determined to continue with the launch and, after the quarantine, resumed in-person meetings.

Once they resumed, Martinez and the church found that some of the young people they were reaching were bringing their parents and other family members. While welcoming this fact with excitement, it brought the challenge with which Martinez had become familiar—an older generation of Hispanics who struggled to connect because services were in English. That led Logos to start an additional service in Spanish. Martinez said about 45 people are regularly attending the services.

Logos is a church with a passion for missions. Last year, it gave 18% of its annual budget to missions, which included supporting two missionaries in Spain and sending college students on mission trips. One of those trips was to Dallas, where they ministered to a migrant community from Afghanistan. As a result, several migrants renounced Islam and gave their lives to Christ. The church ministers on the campus of the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley in Brownsville, where members conduct Bible studies that have led three students to accept Christ and be baptized.

“The story of Logos has been one of God doing abundantly more than we ask or expect.”

—Manuel Martinez Tweet

It also teamed up with Navarro to minister to migrants arriving in downtown Brownsville, feeding them, giving them blankets, and preaching the gospel.

Martinez, who works bivo-cationally, continues to pray for more workers to help disciple the people they are reaching. The church is also prayerfully asking God to provide a new building that will support the growth it is experiencing. Though Logos is located in one of the poorest counties in Texas, and with an average weekly offering of $130, the church continues to trust that God will provide for its needs so it can expand His kingdom.

“The story of Logos has been one of God doing abundantly more than we ask or expect,” Martinez said. “His outpouring of goodness over our lives propels us forward as we seek to know Jesus and make Him known. By God’s grace, we will continue to do that in the Rio Grande Valley, in Texas, and the world.”