Hispanic church launched in a poor Providence neighborhood |
When Hender Padron decided on a cold winter day in 1998 to talk to God, he could not possibly have foreseen the answer he would receive nearly a quarter of a century later.
A Venezuelan who emigrated to Rhode Island, Padron was “watching the sky for no reason” and reflecting on his difficult life as a construction worker when, without prompting from either friends or clergy, he started to repent of his “previous bad habits” including excessive drinking. He received God’s forgiveness and started a journey of faith that continues to this day. “That was the best day of my life!” he notes.
Padron, 58, continued to pour cement for his employer in downtown Providence and, in his spare time, made a connection with Familias Hispanas para Cristo (Spanish Families for Christ), an urban congregation in Providence. When the pastor preached about how our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:19–20), Padron solidified his commitment to walk away from his bad habits and toward Jesus.
His attitude on the job changed because of this life-giving commitment and soon Padron knew that he “needed something more.” In 2005 he enrolled in an Assemblies of God seminary in Providence to prepare himself for the pastorate, and four years later earned a ministry diploma. Next, he received additional training and a ministry certificate from the Angelita Bible Institute in West Hartford, CT.
Padron and his wife, Loida Carvajal, a Venezuelan nurse and a medical assistant in Pawtucket, have been preparing for the next chapter of their ministries––the answer to his 1998 prayer. On October 17, 2021, the couple and some friends launched Puerta de Esperanza (“Door of Hope”), a Hispanic church that found its name and purpose in Jesus’s words in John 10:9 (NASB), “I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved. . . .”
The neighborhood where the church is located (120 Manton Avenue, Providence) is home to many poor, immigrant, or homeless people who, notes Padron, “struggle to pay for their living expenses.” To address these community realities and to share the Gospel, Padron not only started a church, but also English classes on Thursday nights that now serves as many as thirty-five people. He receives much partnership help from nearby Faith Community Church and others. A health clinic for those with blood pressure, diabetes, or other diseases and a twice-monthly food distribution ministry are being planned. Padron says he and his associates will do “whatever we can do in the community.”
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Hender Padron (inset) celebrated with family and friends on October 17 following the first worship service of Puerta de Esperanza (“Door of Hope”) in Providence.
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He also began C Escucha Radio, an online Christian, Spanish-language radio station (onlineradiobox.com/us/cescucha/). The programming features a lively mix of music, preaching, and talk with plans for a social-service, Gospel-focused, call-in talk show. Listeners from the United States, Guatemala, Australia, Colombia, and other countries already enjoy Padron’s station.
To make ends meet, Padron (see www.facebook.com/hender.padron) works bivocationally. He no longer does construction work; his other full-time job these days is managing a Broadway gasoline station in Providence.
When asked why another church is needed in Providence, where the first Baptist church in what is now the United States was started, Padron observes, “People need God in this neighborhood. If God can use me, I will put myself in his hands. I love Him with all my life. God provided much help to get the church started. If God can use other people, He can use me. It’s a big responsibility––and it’s scary. It’s more than a job.”
Looking ahead to growth of the ministry, Padron concludes, “God is going to do something big here. Everyone is working together.”
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A Word from the
Executive Director
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Helping plant immigrant-friendly churches
Soon after my seventh great-grandfather immigrated to North America, he helped start a Baptist church for immigrants like himself. Their common faith, common language, and common culture created strong pillars on which to build a church that drew immigrants with a similar culture.
Eventually the Dorsetts assimilated into the broader culture and were comfortable in any church, but in that first critical generation, having an immigrant-friendly church was vital.
Fast forward three-hundred years and people from around the world are moving to the United States, especially to the Northeast. New England Baptists are working hard to reach these new Americans with the Gospel. We currently worship in twenty-one languages each week with 40% of our congregations worshipping in a language other than English. Reaching these new arrivals is important for many reasons, but three quickly come to mind.
First, immigrant Christians, some of whom have suffered, bring a deep sense of faith and passion that the American church desperately needs. Many American churches are slowly dying. Immigrants who are Christians can change that as they start new congregations, often sharing buildings with English-speaking churches and modeling a deep sense of faith.
Second, the Bible commands us to love internationals who come to live in the US. In our highly politicized culture, Christians sometimes forget this truth. Google the phrase “Bible verses about foreigners” and you will be amazed what pops up. Lev. 19:34 (NIV), for instance, says, “The alien living with you must be treated as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself, for you were aliens in Egypt. I am the LORD your God.”
And third, immigrants have a lot to teach people from Western cultures about family values and the importance of community. They often have a heightened sense of family values and model for others a better future than does the current pop culture.
There are many reasons that New England Baptists need to reach out to immigrants and help them start new churches. One challenge church planters encounter immediately is money. Immigrants often lack the financial resources needed to start a new church and a strong network to help them.
In partnership with the BCNE, the Baptist Foundation of New England is offering solutions to these problems. Your immediate or legacy gift to our Church Planting Fund helps us support new churches across the region as they reach their neighbors, whether they immigrated seven generations––or seven weeks––ago. Your generosity makes a difference. Thank you for giving.
Dr. Terry W. Dorsett
Executive Director
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“The single most effective evangelistic methodology
under heaven is planting new churches.”
– C. Peter Wagner
Source: Church Planting for a Greater Harvest: A Comprehensive Guide (1990, 2010). Wagner was a missionary in Bolivia before serving as professor of church growth at Fuller Theological Seminary until retirement in 2001. (Quote taken from www.churchplanting.com/five-reasons-for-church-planting/).
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