Report of the

Ethnic Church Planting Committee

            The Joint Committee met five times during the past year and continues to concentrate its efforts on Hispanic Church Planting. Our initial Hispanic Church Plant, the Lighthouse Church in south Allentown pastored by Elliot H. Ramos, experienced some setbacks as core families moved out of the area.

            From the experience gained at the La Roca de Reading Church Plant, it was decided that a similar Resource Team was needed for Allentown. David Schlonecker was chosen to oversee the Bethel BFC connection to help move the youth ministry at Lighthouse forward. Communication, teamwork and prayer are needed from the Lehigh Valley BF Churches to form and support a Resource Team. At the writing of this report, the Lord has answered prayer and the attendance as well as the finances for the Lighthouse Church have both significantly improved.

            The Reading Hispanic Church Plant continues to do well under Carlos Rodriguez’s direction. An ESL pilot program was started and completed averaging eleven students per meeting. The program continues and initially brought two families to the worship service. Attendance varies at the worship service and has been as high as sixty with the number of contacts that Carlos maintains about ninety. Currently, the attendance averages about fifty. The Reading Support Team continues to function well. It is not too early to pray with Carlos for its own building in which La Roca will meet.

            Prayer is needed for the Lord’s leading as the Joint Committee considers our next Hispanic Church Plant site. The Delmarva area and particularly Delaware has been brought to our attention, considering the large number of Hispanic construction and poultry workers in the region. A visit to the area is planned and demographics will be obtained to assist in the decision-making process.

            Finally, we would like to encourage our Churches to reach out to Hispanic people groups in their ministry areas. Perhaps your church will be used of God to reach this neglected people group and establish a church.

             We encourage Annual Conference to continue its support for ethnic church planting. Our desire is that the Churches would create a line item in their budgets. Send your contributions to the Board of Missions, designated for Ethnic Church Planting.

Joint Committee of Church Planting: David E. Gundrum, Chairman; Don Faust, Elliot Ramos, Al Roberts, David K. Schlonecker and Dana E. Weller.