‘Something Great Comes’ to Hispanic Ministries Team

Story by Peter Simpson

This year, the Hispanic Ministries Department has experienced many stories of how God has worked in people’s lives across Ohio: An entire family making the decision to give their lives to Jesus; a lady who resisted her friend’s invitation to church finally attends and decides to be baptized; a daughter who takes a trip to see her mother be baptized ends up being touched by the Holy Spirit and gets baptized too; 10 young people get baptized together; a pastor baptizes his own sister; a man who suffers from addiction and sleeps in a cemetery finds new life and hope by giving his life to Jesus.

Every story reflects the message and mission of a well-known Spanish Christian song—the rallying cry of the Hispanic Ministries team this year. Translated, the refrain calls to:

“Extend your hands to receive what is to come. A strong word burns inside of you, challenging you to widen your place because soon you will grow, you will grow. Something great is coming for you, something great will come.”

Earlier this year, the team set out with seven Spanish-speaking pastors to enact a mission plan reaching the four metropolitan regions of the state: Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton and Toledo. Each church set their own goal for baptisms, totaling 84 people statewide. Through the first half of the year, members united in mission with personal evangelism, small groups and evangelistic weeks of prayer, everyone working under the motto (translated): “My YES is ON.”

This summer, Ohio Conference Hispanic churches gathered to host a one-day baptismal service where baptismal candidates committed their lives to Christ, each congregation holding their own services. That day, 182 people entered the waters of baptism, more than doubling their initial goal of 84.

The Hispanic Ministries team witnessed that “something great has come!” as they continue to move forward in faith, believing that more is to come.