Orlando's Primera Iglesia builds 'Kingdom Families'

ORLANDO (FBC)-It was family that brought George Rodriguez into Primera Iglesia Bautista-and a family atmosphere that made him stay.

Four years ago, Rodriguez's teenage son, also named George, told his parents about the wonderful church he had found in Orlando. The older Rodriguez hadn't been part of a congregation since he was a boy, but his son was so passionate about the church that the family decided to give it a try. And things haven't been the same since.

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Primera Iglesia Bautista, a bilingual congregation in Orlando, focuses on reaching families through family and an atmosphere of "fiesta" celebrations.

"Forty years in the world, and I was born again through the impact of this church," Rodriguez said. Primera Iglesia Bautista (First Hispanic Baptist Church) is a bilingual congregation of about 140 members led by Pastor Guillermo Soriano.

"Reaching families is not just about having programs," Soriano said. "It's the thread that knits together the strategy for the Kingdom of God through all church ministries."

The thread starts with the church motto: "Sharing Christ's Love With Every Family." The thread draws together the carnivals, picnics and days at the park that brings together everyone from children to seniors. Combined with these are the monthly emphases upon a different segment of the family, such as mothers, fathers, children, single adults, and youth; and during those months, members of those groups participate in activities. But above all that, the thread is modeled by the pastor's family.

Soriano and his wife Maritza have been married for 22 years, and both beam when speaking of their sons Jafeta, 21, and Jonathan, 15, and the quality time they spend together.

"There's a lot of love in there," observed Rodriguez, whose own children are now 14, 17 and 21. "They demonstrate such love for each other and their kids. The devotion that they have in raising their children is very inspirational to everybody who's around them."

At Primera, events are planned with activities for all ages, and members of the congregation are encouraged to invite others in their individual families, as well. Even when church members have family in other countries, they're still encouraged to share the love of Christ whenever possible with them, too.

Soriano well understands the importance of drawing in family members, he said, since both he and his wife were the first members of their own families to come to the Lord.

"We didn't reject our families when that happened," he said. "And others came to the Lord because of it."

Families at Primera are matched with other families for a period of one, three or six months, allowing deep personal relationship to form. The families pray for each other, support each other, and sometimes even shop together. And senior adults have adopted single adults and youth. "One of the most beautiful things is to see the senior adults come alive," Soriano said. Equally as beautiful, however, is to see the children involved, the pastor observes.

Everyone is welcome at Primera, it seems, and Rodriguez said you can feel the difference as soon as you walk in the door.

"It's a lot of little things," Rodriguez said. "It's the closeness, the sincerity that exists. You can feel it. You can't buy it or borrow it. It's just there. We feel that sincerity coming from the leadership, and it spills over to the congregation."

"In the Hispanic culture, there's a natural atmosphere of fiesta of celebration," Soriano said. "And every time we're in the presence of the Lord, whether it's in worship, or at a retreat, or during a wedding, we want to build up that atmosphere...You don't have to push, kick or tear down the door to invite your friends and family members to a feast. Jesus did that Himself."