Historic Event for Ohio Hispanic Leaders

By Jorge Altieri, Send Network Espanol and Stephanie Heading

For the first time in State Convention of Baptists in Ohio (SCBO) history, Hispanic pastors and leaders from across the state gathered on Saturday, November 5, 2022 to fellowship with one another and learn what Send Relief Español and SCBO can offer their ministries.

“The harvest is ready, but the challenges for Hispanic communities in Ohio are many,” said Jorge Altieri, Ohio Valley regional champion for Send Network Espanol.

According to the 2020 Census, over 500,000 Hispanics live in Ohio. People of over ten different nationalities from Central America, South American, and the Caribbean live in Ohio, and the opportunities for gospel work are many, according to Altieri. “The need for new Hispanic church plants is a top priority for SEND Network Español, as we seek to reach our Hispanic communities with the gospel.”

we seek to reach our Hispanic communities with the gospel

Currently SCBO has twelve Hispanic churches in the state. This includes churches that are over forty years old, as well as churches that have been part of SCBO for less than ten years. During the meeting, participants learned about Send Network Español, the Cooperative Program, a Hispanic church planting residency, SCBO affiliation, as well as other topics.

“It was a wonderful time of encouragement for all the pastors and leaders that attended the meeting. It served as an opportunity for all of them to get to know each other better and establish relationships of communication between them,” said Altieri. “We are extremely grateful for the support of Jeremy Westbrook and Reginald Hayes during the preparation for this meeting and for addressing our Hispanic pastors and encouraging them with their support.”

For more information about Send Network Español, contact Reginald Hayes at rhayes@scbo.org or Jorge Altieri at jaltieri@namb.net.