New Missionaries Strengthen Hispanic Ministries

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   SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO—United Methodist Hispanic ministries in the U.S., Latin America and the Caribbean received a significant boost with the recent assignment of 33 new mission personnel by the General Board of Global Ministries.

   The missionaries from the U.S., Puerto Rico, Cuba and Brazil were commissioned here Oct. 1 and have begun their work as evangelists, teachers, community organizers and pastors.

   Of the 33, nine are assigned to Hispanic Ministries in U.S. annual conferences. Nine persons are assigned to the Honduras Initiative, a GBGM program of community and congregational development in the Central American country. Ten of the remaining personnel have assignments within The Methodist Church of Puerto Rico, while an additional five serve in U.S.-based programs.

   According to the Rev. Edith Gleaves, Deputy General Secretary of the Board's Mission Personnel Program Unit, these persons through varieties of assignments and settings are strengthening the outreach of United Methodism within diverse Hispanic communities.

   "The Gospel of Jesus Christ is being proclaimed throughout the U.S., Central America and the Carribean by this new group of missionaries. Whether through organizing Spanish-speaking congregations in rural Texas, teaching seminary courses in Puerto Rico or providing ongoing disaster relief from Hurricane Mitch in Honduras, these 33 women and men are living out God's love with Hispanic sisters and brothers," she said.

   The mission personnel, their home annual conferences, and places of assignment are:

• Brendaliz Avila-Rodriguez, The Methodist Church of Puerto Rico, assigned as a Public Relations Official, The Methodist Church of Puerto Rico;

• Rev. Julio Bolaños, Missouri West Annual Conference, assigned to Hispanic Ministries, Milan, MO;

• Norma Bolaños, Missouri West Annual Conference, assigned to Hispanic Ministries, Milan, MO;

• Lucrecia Cotto, Greater New Jersey Annual Conference, assigned to Multicultural Outreach in the Greater Camden Area;

• Edith Delgado, The Methodist Church of Puerto Rico, assigned as Conference Coordinator of Communication, Interpretation and Integration of Missional Efforts, The Methodist Church of Puerto Rico;

• Rev. Dr. Juan Feliciano, The Methodist Church of Puerto Rico, assigned as Director of Development, the Evangelical Theological Seminary, PR;

• Rev. Radames Fernandez, New England Annual Conference, assigned to Hispanic Ministries, Lynn United Methodist Cluster Ministries, Lynn, MA;

• Amparo Reyes Machuca Garay, Wisconsin Annual Conference, assigned as Pastor to Danli, Honduras;

• Rev. Angel (Gary) Garay, Wisconsin Annual Conference, assigned as Pastor to Danli, Honduras;

• Amarilis González-Domnguez, The Methodist Church of Puerto Rico, assigned as an Administrative Assistant, Theological Studies and Missional Ministries Center, The Methodist Church of Puerto Rico;

• Marissa Isaac-Torres, The Methodist Church of Puerto Rico, assigned as Pastor to Danli, Honduras;

• Enior Jimenez, Greater New Jersey Annual Conference, assigned to the National Plan for Hispanic Ministries, Spring Valley United Methodist Church, Spring Valley, NY;

• Jane King, Northwest Texas Annual Conference, assigned to Hispanic Ministries, Plainview District, TX;

• Rev. Ada Z. López-Novoa, The Methodist Church of Puerto Rico, assigned as Assistant to the Bishop, The Methodist Church of Puerto Rico;

• Hctor M. Meléndez Cuevas, The Methodist Church of Puerto Rico, assigned as Coordinator for The Methodist Church of Puerto Rico;

• Rev. Sonia Ortigoza, Methodist Church of Brazil, assigned as Hispanic Ministries Coordinator, South Carolina Annual Conference;

• Sergio Ortiz Nazario, The Methodist Church of Puerto Rico, assigned as Manager of Camp Bishop Fred P. Corson, Jayuya, PR;

• Rev. José Roberto Peña-Nazario, The Methodist Church of Puerto Rico, assigned as Pastor to Tocoa, Honduras;

• Rev. Carlos R. Pérez, The Methodist Church of Puerto Rico, assigned to Hispanic Ministries, Memphis Annual Conference;

• Margarita Pons-González, Greater New Jersey Annual Conference, assigned as an evangelist to the Raritan District, Perth Amboy, NJ;

• Isabel Quezada, Greater New Jersey Annual Conference, assigned as Amistad Program Director, Northwest District, First United Methodist Church;

• Jorge Ramón Rodrguez, Honduras, assigned as Pastor to Tegucigalpa and Tocoa, Honduras;

• Rosa Rodriguez, Honduras, assigned as a Bookkeeper and Bible School Teacher in Tegucigalpa, Honduras;

• Samuel Rodriguez, Northwest Texas Annual Conference, assigned as Director of Hispanic Ministries and the Asbury Resource Center, Big Spring District, TX;

• Rev. Myrna Y. Santiago, The Methodist Church of Puerto Rico, assigned as Director of Lay Development and Missionary Ministries, The Methodist Church of Puerto Rico;

• Elizabeth Gonzalez-Sardiñas, Greater New Jersey Conference, assigned as Daycare Coordinator, Raritan District, Jersey City, NJ;

• Rev. Manuel R. Sardiñas, Greater New Jersey Conference, assigned as Pastor at Lafayette United Methodist Church, Jersey City, NJ;

• Elina Iglesias-Sardias, Methodist Church of Cuba, Pediatrician assigned to Talanga, Honduras;

• Manuel M. Sardiñas Duarte, Methodist Church of Cuba, assigned to Talanga, Honduras;

• Rev. Hctor Soto-Vlez, The Methodist Church of Puerto Rico, assigned as Coordinator of Social Outreach Ministries, The Methodist Church of Puerto Rico;

• Sonia N. Vargas-Maldonado, Puerto Rico, assigned to The Methodist Church of Puerto Rico;

• Randy Webster, Methodist Church of the Carribean and the Americas (MCCA), assigned as Pastor in Puerto Cortes and Yoro, Honduras; and

• Rev. Jose Luis Zamora, North Carolina Conference, assigned as Coordinator through the National Plan of Hispanic Ministries, North Carolina Conference.

   The service of commissioning for the missionaries was held Oct. 1 at Iglesia Metodista Jose Espada Marrero in San Juan with Bishop Joel Martinez, President of the General Board of Global Ministries, and Bishop Juan A. Vera-Mndez of Puerto Rico presiding. Other worship leaders included Rev. Jorge Sanchez, pastor; Rev. Gleaves; and Dr. Allan Kirton, Director of the Mission Resource Center.

   The General Board of Global Ministries supports 2,180 mission personnel serving in 60 countries around the world.

More Information:

• National Plan for Hispanic Ministry
• Global Connections: Puerto Rico
• En Español