2007 Maguire State Mission Offering

FBC photo by Jerry Favorite

Iglesia Bautista Deermeadows Hispana began as a Sunday School class at Deermeadows Baptist Church in Jacksonville and hopes to reach some of the 50,000 Hispanics living in the city.

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JACKSONVILLE (FBC)—Gathered beneath a tent on a grassy lot this past Easter morning, members of Iglesia Bautista Deermeadows Hispana sang praises so loudly their voices carried to a nearby highway.

The land where they stood was an answer to faithful prayers, for on that empty site of soil and rock, they will build their church.

The congregation, 80 members strong, came together on this Resurrection Day to give thanks for the blessing of the land and testimony of their future presence to their new neighbors.

The Hispanic congregation began as a Sunday school class at Deermeadows Baptist Church in Jacksonville to reach the 50,000 Hispanics living in the city. Now more than 14 nationalities are represented in the fellowship.

Jose Vega, a native of Paraguay, joined the church as pastor shortly after its organization and has led the congregation to reach out into the community.

FBC photo by Jerry Favorite

A women and a small boy worship during the Easter service, giving thanks for the land God has provided for the Jacksonville congregation.

They are "drawn to the church by the people's love for one another," said Vega, and "to find a place where they can worship in their own language and find people to connect with."

Taking a leap of faith, the congregation purchased land on Jacksonville's Southside with $75,000 from the Maguire State Mission Offering's New Work loan program.

Since the inception of the New Work loan program in 2003, 20 church site interest-free loans have been approved. The program is a revolving fund, with its repaid principal used to fund other loans to churches to help in their purchase of land or construction of a first unit building. The Deermeadows Hispanic congregation was one of five loans approved in 2006.

When the loan has been paid, they will begin the process of building their church facility.

The church members see themselves as a spiritual light and a refuge in the community, where a congregation like theirs has not been available in the past. They hope to bring together persons in the local Hispanic community who would otherwise not hear the Gospel message.

"We are providing resources that go beyond just sharing the Word," said Vega. "We are meeting spiritual needs through teaching the Word, physical needs through benevolence ministries and emotional needs through counseling ministries."

FBC photo by Jerry Favorite

Jose Vega, pastor of Iglesia Bautista Deermeadows Hispana, tells his congregation about the importance of a new building and their presence in the neighborhood.

The congregation sponsors a multi-housing ministry at a local apartment complex and provides books and computers for the after-school program. At a nearby nursing home, the congregation holds a monthly service and prays with the interns. Once a month, the group coordinates services with St. Vincent HealthCare to offer medical services for the community through the hospital's mobile clinic.

Though still working to grow, the Hispanic congregation believes they can make a life-changing impact on their community, said Vega.

"The church's purpose is to show the love of God to others so they can come to know the Lord as their Savior."