March 15, 2000
Hispanic Texans plan revivals in Mexico
___By Ken Camp
___Texas Baptist Communications
___Simultaneous revivals scheduled this spring in Mexico's Yucatan peninsula have drawn the support of Hispanic Baptist leaders spanning the denominational spectrum in two countries.
___More than 20 Hispanic Texas Baptists plan to participate in the April 6-11 evangelistic effort. They include Rudy Sanchez of Dallas, chairman of the Baptist General Convention of Texas Executive Board; Rudy Camacho of Fort Worth, president of the Hispanic Baptist Convention of Texas; Jimmy Garcia, BGCT ethnic missions coordinator; and Noe Vella of Corpus Christi, recording secretary for Texas Baptist Men.
___"People need to hear the message," Sanchez said, pledging his personal involvement. "This is a crucial time for spreading the gospel through the whole state of Yucatan."
___The group also includes Grand Prairie evangelist Rudy Hernandez, who serves on the executive board of the new Southern Baptists of Texas Convention, and David Galvan, pastor of Primera Iglesia Bautista Nueva Vida in Garland and a former officer of the Southern Baptist Convention.
___Other evangelists enlisted for the simultaneous revivals include Ruben Guerrero from Mesquite, Carlos Montano from Fort Worth, Pablo Salcedo from Gainesville and Ricardo Garres from Round Rock.
___Other pastors slated to take part in the revivals include Rene Luevano of Duncanville; Felipe Garcia of Taylor; Sergio Rios of Houston; Roberto Cuellar of San Angelo; Ricardo Garzon of Borger; Martin Ortega of Midland; Rene Lizcano of Mission; Meliton Ramirez of McAllen; and Eliseo Garcia, Roberto Rodriguez and George Zapata of Harlingen. Retired Southern Baptist home missionary Epifanio Salazar of San Antonio also is slated to participate.
___"This is an opportunity for us to be cooperative and work together," said Sanchez, pastor of Primera Iglesia Bautista Mexicana of Dallas.
___It is the same spirit that birthed the planned simultaneous revivals. Last August, presidents of five splintered regional Mexican Baptist conventions met for a prayer meeting with Harlan Capps of Baptist Faith Mission, a Merida, Mexico-based organization that operates three theological schools in that area. Bob Ross, pastor of Prairie Creek Baptist Church in Plano, is chairman of the board for Baptist Faith Mission.
___Out of the prayer meeting, plans developed for a series of simultaneous revivals throughout the Yucatan peninsula.
___Dennis Harris, founder of Lifeline World Mission in Fredericksburg, arranged for eight Yucatan Baptist leaders to share their vision in several Hispanic Texas Baptist churches. The group also spent two days at Hispanic Baptist Theological School in San Antonio and met with representatives of the BGCT State Missions Commission in Dallas.
___Initially, the plan was to enlist 10 Hispanic Texas Baptists to lead an equal number of crusades. By the time the group returned to Mexico, the number had risen to more than 20. Lifeline World Mission agreed to finance the basic travel expenses for the visiting preachers.
___Camacho said he sees the simultaneous revivals as an "open door" for the Hispanic Baptist Convention of Texas.
___"The pastors in Mexico have issued a call to Macedonia, saying, 'Come and help us,'" Camacho said, comparing it to the Apostle Paul's missionary vision in the New Testament book of Acts.
___"It is way beyond time for us to extend our efforts beyond Texas. This is an opportunity to embrace Mexico."
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