Church member’s prayers for ethnic inclusiveness answered after 50 years_32204

Posted: 3/19/04

Church member's prayers for ethnic
inclusiveness answered after 50 years

By George Henson

Staff Writer

SAN ANTONIO–Her new pastor calls her Sister Angel. One thing is for sure: Lois Angel has God's ear.

In 1952, Angel was a Vacation Bible School teacher at South San Antonio Baptist Church. More than 700 children attended that year, and Angel and her teaching partner averaged 140 students in their class for every day of the three-week Bible school. She particularly was glad to see about half were Hispanic children from the neighborhood.

Midway through the Bible school, the regularly scheduled church business meeting was held, and Angel raised a question: “If I can have these Hispanic children in my Vacation Bible School class, why can't I have them in my Sunday school class?”

She recalled being told: “South San Antonio Baptist Church is an Anglo church and it is going to stay that way all of its days.”

But a few weeks after Vacation Bible School ended at South San Antonio, a call went out for volunteers to do a Spanish-language Vacation Bible School at the church's Hispanic mission. Angel was one of five women who volunteered.

None of the teachers spoke Spanish, so each had to have an interpreter. Angel's was an 8-year-old boy.

That summer changed Angel's prayer life forever.

“I've been praying for South San Antonio Baptist Church to go Hispanic since 1952,” she said.

Fifty-two years later, Angel's prayers have been answered.

South San Antonio Baptist Church and Iglesia Bautista Filadelfia have merged to become South San Filadelfia Baptist Church. They began meeting together March 7, but the official recognition will come March 28. The two congregations will walk from opposite sides of the street, meeting in the middle, “symbolizing the coming together of an Anglo and Hispanic church into one,” said Victor Rodriguez, pastor of the united congregation.

The official merger will be a day of celebration, but it will be one born out of struggle by both congregations. The South San Antonio congregation had dwindled to about 25 people each week with a facility built to hold many more.

“We had 30 rooms we weren't using for anything,” Angel said.

After the church's pastor resigned, members asked San Antonio Baptist Association Director of Missions Charles Price for guidance. The pastor of Iglesia Bautista Filadelfia came to visit Price about that same time.

“Victor Rodriguez came by because of the challenges he was facing. In essence, his little church wasn't little anymore. They were running more than 250 each week in a tiny little building, but the even larger problem was that they were overflowing their parking lot,” Price said.

“They were having to park all down the streets in the surrounding neighborhood, which drew complaints. The city was telling them they were going to start writing parking tickets.”

Price knew South San Antonio had facilities it wasn't using and received permission for Filadelfia to use its education building. Rodriguez was excited, but upon seeing the facilities realized they were not configured for worship services.

Price met with the transition team at South San Antonio. He mentioned that they might consider merging with the Hispanic congregation, which “drew a mixed response.”

Price left town for a two-week training event, not knowing what either congregation was going to do.

“When I got back, I was surprised to find they had gotten together on their own and had already agreed to a merger,” he said.

The first Sunday meeting in the new facilities drew 500 people to worship.

“I'm really excited about what God might do there,” Price said. “This is a real opportunity for us to show the culture here what a vibrant Hispanic church can be. … I really think we could see them begin to run 700-1,000 in the not too distant future.”

Rodriguez knows there may be some bumps along the way. Not only are there ethnic and cultural differences, but also differences in worship styles–South San Antonio was very traditional in its worship music, while the Hispanic church is very contemporary.

“The congregation that was already there are staying and worshipping with us,” he said. “They are a part of the church. They are a part of our family, and we're a part of their family–we're becoming one family.

“This is really a marriage, and there's going to be adjustments made on both our parts, but I think it's going to work.”

Angel is sure of it. She had gradually seen the church become more welcoming to Hispanics even before the merger. The 8-year-old Hispanic boy who served as her interpreter in 1952 re-entered her life in 1968 as her son-in-law, and he is a deacon at the church.

Seeing the church filled that first Sunday thrilled her soul, she said.

“I've been burdened for this church all these years; now I can relax. God has answered my prayers,” she said.

“Our candle had almost been snuffed out, but God came and took the basket off.

“Now our bell tower needs a bright light in it to tell all the world that this is a place where God is at work.”