Hispanic Camp Meeting in Ohio Focuses on Church Planting

Story by Francis Tuffour

The Hispanic Ministries recently held its regional camp meeting at Spring Valley Academy in Centerville, Ohio. This year’s Hispanic Camp Meeting was organized regionally, unlike past years, where all Hispanic churches met at one place. Ruth Sandoval, a musician from Dominican Republic along with a praise team, led the attendees in a series of songs.

The camp meeting, themed “Planting Churches, Harvesting Salvation,” focused on starting new congregations within the Ohio Conference. The Hispanic Ministries Department recognized three new church plants from Cincinnati, Vandalia and Middletown, as well as a Spanishspeaking Haitian community in Springfield.

Peter Simpson, Ohio Conference’s Hispanic Ministries director, thanked God for what He is doing in soul winning. He emphasized the mission of the church: “The church is to reach out to those who have not been reached.”

Oswaldo and Roy M. Simpson, executive secretary and treasurer, respectively, presented certificates of recognition to the new churches. Magaña also disclosed that the conference had reconfigured the department, now calling it the Multilingual Ministries Department—a move to reach other non-English speaking communities.

Peter Simpson reported on what God has done for the past five years through the Hispanic Ministries Department. Some 1,675 were baptized, Hispanic church membership grew from 1,313 to 2,718, and 34 new churches were installed. Tithe saw an increase of 126 percent. Concerning media ministry, Simpson reported that Stereo Adventista, the Hispanic Ministries online radio station, with four locations in Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton and Toledo, now reaches more than 100,000 people in 20 states and more than 100 countries.

José D. Espósito, Columbia Union’s assistant to the president for Evangelism, delivered the sermon centered on Joshua 2, the story of when Rahab hid the spies. He pointed out that Rahab wanted salvation, not only for herself, but for her entire family.

Espósito explained Rahab was the black sheep of her family but brought salvation to her mother, father and the entire family. “Jesus comes from the lineage of a harlot—Rahab,” he added. “Because God forgives, don’t stick to the past; there will be no sinners in heaven, but forgiven sinners.”

Following his appeal, several people made a decision to give their lives to Jesus.