Latin America - A Great Start To The Year!
An update from Joselo Mercado, Lead Pastor of Iglesia Gracia Soberana de Gaithersburg, Maryland, USA, and Key Leader into Sovereign Grace LATAM…
The beginning of 2023 has been an intense one, but very productive for the work of the gospel in Latin America. Here are 5 different ways Sovereign Grace of Gaithersburg (IGSG) was able to serve extra-locally. I will share a few words with you about each opportunity that the Lord allowed us to serve in, to demonstrate the great work of revival that God is doing in the Hispanic world.
Ante Su Palabra Conference, Denton, Texas, USA (January 19-21)
This is an annual leadership development conference that takes place in Denton, Texas. I am part of the team that organizes it and the purpose is to equip pastors with biblical models for the faithful proclamation of the word. ASP has conferences in Argentina and Texas. In addition, they run expository preaching training and monthly calls to encourage pastors. This conference was attended by about 850 people and Carolina Gonzales, who is a member of IGSG, was part of the logistics team. I preached a sermon from Romans 13 about the hope we have in the second coming that leads us to love the community we live in and the body of Christ.
Equipping Pastors in San Jose, Costa Rica (January 25-27)
I was able to go on this short trip to train pastors and leaders of churches interested in being adopted by Sovereign Grace. We taught on how to practice biblical fellowship. This is an area of weakness in the Hispanic world where in the Hispanic culture people are very friendly with many, but develop deep relationships with few. They were presented with the biblical model of living in the light because of the reality that in the gospel we have the forgiveness of sin and the power to be transformed.
Por Su Gracia Conference, Costa Rica (March 2-6)
Rich Richardson, Bob Donohue and I went to Jaco, Costa Rica and participated in the Por Su Gracia conference with the purpose of promoting sound doctrine in this Central American country. At this moment there are 6 churches interested in being adopted into Sovereign Grace, so we were able to share with the pastors and churches of this beautiful country. On Sunday, Rich preached at Casa 2:42 in San Jose, Bob at Iglesia Bíblica de Playa Azul and I at Iglesia La Gracia in San Jose. We were very encouraged by what God is doing in Costa Rica. As the Ticos say, Pura Vida!
Pastoral Couples Retreat, Santa Marta, Colombia (March 20-24)
On March 20th, we were able to travel to Santa Marta to be with 14 couples from 7 churches, several of them in the SG adoption process. Most pastors were from Colombia, but we had two coming from Bolivia. The purpose of this retreat was to equip them with Biblical truths to strengthen their marriages, but more than that, we wanted to encourage them in their ministry and also create relationships among them so that they can serve together in the broad work that the Lord is doing in Colombia. We spent three days sharing, eating and talking. Once again Carolina Gonzales was able to coordinate all the logistics for this retreat and we were able to bless these pastors and their wives with dinners and special times in this beautiful city.
True Woman '23 – Revive our Heart Spanish (March 31 – April 2)
Lastly we went as a family to the Mujer Verdadera (True Woman) '23 conference in Guadalajara, Mexico. 8,100 women from 35 countries gathered in this city to be instructed on how to grow in their biblical femininity. This is the conference for the Hispanic wing of Nancy DeMoss' Revive Our Hearts ministry. God is using this ministry to impact Latin America and women in their families, churches and communities. I was invited to preach a sermon on freedom in Christ based on the entire book of Romans as well as participate in a panel on the freedom that the gospel offers from the false ideologies of this world. It was impressive to see what God is doing in the Hispanic world by observing so many women hungry for the word.
Something that was very special was having my whole family at the conference, and they being used as a model of doing ministry together. In addition, several IGSG members participated in the conference both face-to-face and behind the scenes. This was very edifying. On Sunday we were able to preach at the Gracia Soberana Church in Guadalajara and see the great work that Roberto Estupinian is doing leading this congregation. From there we went on vacation as a family, but we left very excited to see what God is doing.
Finally, in the midst of this, I was able to go to Santo Domingo for a week in February to start a Doctor of Ministry (DMin) with the Southern Baptist Seminary. Please pray that this opportunity will be used to better serve the local church of IGSG and wider Sovereign Grace Churches so that Christ can be made known in the Hispanic world.
