More than 350 Hispanic pastors and church members from across Oklahoma gathered together at Oklahoma City, Capitol Hill for the annual Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma’s Hispanic State Evangelism Conference Aug. 26-27. There were 25 Hispanic Baptist churches represented, including churches from Guymon, Ponca City, Duncan, Durant, Poteau, Ardmore, and other cities.
The event featured preaching, worship through music, Scripture reading and workshops.
The theme of the Conference was “Tell the Great Story.” Luke 16:19-31 was the conference theme passage and participants from children to adults were trained in how to tell that story evangelistically. Training workshops were conducted for men, women, youth, and children of every age.
Other workshops included the Connect>1 Sunday School Evangelism Strategy and Evangelism in the 21st Century Church, presented by keynote conference speaker Johnny Sangoquiza, pastor/evangelist, author, and professor, who preached Friday night on the Gadarene Demoniac, the transforming power of God, telling others, beginning with your family, the great things God has done, and telling the great story of the Gospel.
Saturday, he preached on the theme text of Lazarus and the rich man and called everyone to a profound commitment to evangelize the lost.
This year, a special youth conference speaker, Jorge Mendoza, teaching pastor of Blueprint Church, a multi-ethnic church in Atlanta, Ga., provided excellent training for youth. Worship was led by Jaime Espinoza and the worship group from Oklahoma City, Rios de Agua Viva.
Certificates were presented to the pastors of the 10 leading Hispanic churches in baptisms this past year. They were in order from number one to number 10, church and pastor: OKC, Northwest in Spanish, Mauricio Mejia; OKC, Rios de Agua Viva, Cesar Garcia; Poteau, Hispanic, Carlos Aguilar; OKC, Southern Hills Hispanic, Jesus Villa; OKC, Capitol Hill Hispanic, Isaias Vargas; OKC, Emmanuel, Juan Luna; OKC, Nueva Vida, Jose Cifuentes; Edmond Hispanic, Alfaro Orozco; Beaver Hispanic, Miguel Facio; and OKC, Iglesia Bautista Central, Felix Cabrera.
Mark McClellan, dean of the Robert Haskins School of Christian Ministry and ethnic evangelism specialist, was encouraged about the spirit of unity and renewed passion for evangelism and reaching the state for Christ.
“This was a wonderful conference and we all left challenged and many were better equipped to carry out the Great Commission,” he said. “The keynote speaker was exceptional, and the workshop leaders did an excellent job.”
Ever Borunda, who serves as the Associate Dean of the Haskins School and pastor of the Rancho Village Hispanic congregation, believes God is going to raise up a new generation of Hispanic pastors and ministry leaders in the state.
Alan Quigley presented greetings from Anthony Jordan and the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma (BGCO). Quigley joined in the conference theme and purpose by exhorting those attending to evangelize their world. He told the participants that the churches of the BGCO supported their ministry. The conference was provided by the generous gifts of Oklahoma Baptists through the Cooperative program.
