EDITOR’S NOTE: This brief history of a Primera Iglesia Bautista is in commemoration of Hispanic Heritage Month.
Hispanic Baptist churches understand challenges. We lived through many of them. My church, Primera Iglesia Bautista Mexicana Dallas, was born in challenge. God carried us through hard times, and God carries us still.
Hispanic Baptists in Texas
The work of Hispanic Texas Baptists began in 1910, due to the migration of Hispanics—the majority being Mexican—to California and Texas. This created an environment of church planting for Hispanics.
According to Joshua Grijalva in A History of Mexican Baptists in Texas: 1888–1981, six Hispanic churches were formed in large cities from 1888 to 1918: Primera Iglesia Bautista Mexicana Laredo (1880), Primera Iglesia Bautista Mexicana San Antonio (1888), Primera Iglesia Bautista Mexicana El Paso (1892), Primera Iglesia Bautista Mexicana Beeville (1900), Primera Iglesia Bautista Mexicana Brownsville (1909) and Primera Iglesia Bautista Mexicana Dallas (1918).
Primera Iglesia Bautista Mexicana Dallas was formed during the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918. The Spanish flu infected 9,000 people in November in Dallas and caused the death of 400 people. Through the commitment and courage of believers, Primera Iglesia Bautista Mexicana Dallas was established during the worst times possible.
Founding of PIB Dallas
First Mexican Baptist Church of Dallas is our legal name, but we do business as Primera Iglesia Bautista Mexicana Dallas. The term “Mexican” was used colloquially in 1918 to refer to Hispanics and Latinos.
On Nov. 18, 1918, under the direction of Rev. Andres Moye—the past president of the Mexican Baptist Convention of Texas—Deacons Mateo Barron, Simon Herrera, Catarino Calderon, Dario Herrera, Adan Aldape and Natividad Pachecano formally organized First Mexican Baptist Church of Dallas. The first official pastor of the church was Rev, Ernesto Sepulveda.
Under the guidance and direction of the Dallas Baptist Association and Highland Park Baptist Church, First Mexican Baptist Church of Dallas purchased and occupied a vacant church building located at 2211 Alamo Street, centrally located in the Mexican community.
Growth of PIB Dallas
According to church documents, in 1984 the church built a new sanctuary that could seat 400 people and a 24,000-square-foot building that included an education wing with two stories and 18 classrooms. The beauty and size of the building was something not seen or experienced by Hispanic churches of that time.
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These glorious times were under the leadership of Baptist Hispanic pastors Dr. Bobby S. Sena (1970-1980), Dr. Alfonso Flores (1980-1990), Dr. Rudy Gonzalez (1994-1995), Rudy Sanchez (1964-1974 and 1997-2003), Jimmy Garcia III (2004-2007) and Dr. Gus Reyes (2009-2012).
Primera Iglesia Bautista was strong financially. The church was able to pay off its new building and property in 1999. From 1980 to 2007, according to church records, the church had a membership roll of 400 members.
Also during that time, Primera Iglesia Bautista Dallas gave the largest Hispanic church gift to the Baptist General Convention of Texas Cooperative Program by donating $125,000 in a single year.
During the 1990s, Primera was considered the largest Hispanic church in Dallas. The ministry of Primera allowed for thousands of people to come to Christ and become disciples.
Challenge returns to PIB Dallas
As the church grew, the needs of the younger generation could not be met. The structure, traditions and bilingual services did not maintain a younger generation. Second-generation church members decided to attend English-speaking churches.
The remaining church members—older, faithful and love the Lord with all their heart—love the culture of Primera. They are conservative in their theology, love Baptist hymns and are proud of the church’s history.
The past is attractive; so is continuing the church into the future. The future—and sometimes the present—feels like a threat to the past and what is loved about it. And so, Primera, like so many 100-year-old churches, feels caught between two desires—the past and the future. This position presents a whole new set of challenges.
Add to this the complete destruction of our 40-year-old building by a tornado on Oct. 20, 2019, requiring us to find somewhere else to meet. After finalizing a lease just months later, the COVID-19 pandemic led us to we move our worship and meetings online, a decision not universally appreciated.
Yes, Primera was born in challenge, carried by God through even more challenges, and will be led into a revitalized future by God’s Spirit and direction.
PIB Dallas’ revitalized future
For Primera to experience revitalization, we need to understand it is and will be the Holy Spirit who guides and remodels the church. The Spirit animates creation. God brings new life into dry bones, to use Ezekiel’s expression (Ezekiel 37:1-14).
Gordon T. Smith tells us in Welcome, Holy Spirit: A Theological and Experiential Introduction, the leading element of church revitalization is God’s presence in the church, guiding and molding human relationships, drawing people to himself, reigniting God’s love in people, and enabling humans to flourish.
Revitalization also has a social reality within and through the church. The church exists to be the place where the presence of Christ is real and working in the lives of those who believe. It is a congregation of people transformed and full of the Holy Spirit.
Revitalization of God’s people is not about the institution; it is about people. It is about God’s people experiencing his grace and being born again and revitalized by the Spirit of God.
Such renewal is at the heart of church tradition, as Jesus said: “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and … has crossed over from death to life. Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come when … those who hear [the voice of the Son of God] will live” (John 5:24-25).
Ricardo Brambila became pastor of Primera Iglesia Bautista Mexicana Dallas in 2018. He holds a Master of Divinity from Liberty University and is pursuing a doctorate in ministry with B.H. Carroll Theological Institute. He has been married to Janeth for 19 years, and they live in Dallas with their children: Laura, Eli and Caleb.
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