By Grace Thornton
The Alabama Baptist
There are a lot of lines being crossed down in Elmore and Autauga Baptist associations but everyone seems to think that’s a really good thing, according to Mel Johnson.
It’s bringing everyone together.
Johnson has been director of missions for Autauga Association now for about a year. His counterpart in Elmore Association, Ray McKenzie, has been in the director of missions’ chair for about four months.
It’s all still new, but two things both men say they are glad they inherited are these — a Hispanic strategist like Carlos Lemus and a thriving Hispanic ministry partnership.
“It’s really exciting to be a part of what is happening,” McKenzie said. “I’m an observer and an encourager — Carlos is the guy who does the real work.”
‘An incredible thing’
Through the associations’ partnership, which employs Lemus to work for both associations, Hispanic mission churches are cropping up in both associations and members of churches are driving over the county line to help with ministry at other churches.
“It’s an incredible thing,” McKenzie said. “They just all work together.”
That can mean anything from Vacation Bible School to special outreach events, or it can mean joining together to mobilize new leaders like they did Sept. 10. Both associations got together that day at Coosada Baptist Church to celebrate the ordination of six new leaders.
Three men from Thelma Baptist Hispanic Mission, Wetumpka, of Elmore Association and one from First Hispanic Baptist Church of Autauga Association were ordained as deacons. Two men from Pueblo de Dios also were licensed to preach the gospel as leaders of the Hispanic Mission at Coosada Baptist Church.
Working together
“It’s been really good for our associations to work together,” Johnson said. “We praise God for these men and their commitment to expand God’s kingdom.”
Lemus said the two men who were ordained to preach — Giovany Cano and Delfino Romero — have both had training at the Spanish-language Bible Institute held at First Baptist Church, Indian Springs, on Saturdays.
“This Hispanic work is growing, and it’s growing really fast,” Lemus said. “It is to the point that we need more specialized training for new leaders in order to have people taking care of the missions we are opening.”
And as Hispanic believers serve others and continue to be trained at the institute, they are crossing even more lines into other counties and spreading Christ there.
“It’s a historic time in this area,” he said. “It’s a wonderful thing to watch.”
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