My story, maybe is not as relevant for many of the readers of this article. However, everything began for me in the summer of 1979. While I was on the pristine beaches of Dominican Republic, God spoke thru His Word and I understood that He has a plan for my life.
I was in need to be rescued!
Since that hot and humid day, unforgettable for me, almost 40 years has passed. God’s sovereign hand moved me in 1989 to another beach filled city in South Florida. In that time, I was not able to understand why I needed to leave behind my culture, my people, my friends, my dreams, my language. Today, I can see why.
For the 10 previous years 1979-1989, I was (at very early age) involved in church planting and expanding His Kingdom around the small Caribbean island.
And I continued that path in South Florida as helper for new churches to reach our Latino community in Hollywood, Pembroke Pines, Miramar, and more.
But in October 12, 2013, God lead my heart to start a new church, that He named IGLESIA REAL. And so far, 8 churches have been planted or sent in Florida and Colorado. Reaching our communities in three different languages, and hopefully many more. And that’s one of the reasons why I support and endorse Pastor J.D. Greear as the new president of the SBC.
One of the quotes from Pastor Greear that impacted me most was, “We judge our success by our Sending capacity, not seating capacity.” That is true.
He is leading a great SENDING Movement of new churches. Bringing a revival of a variety of churches: Multicultural churches, multi-language churches, who are planted in America. For my generation and the one to come; it is what America needs most! A vision to plant churches that plant churches to further Christ’s kingdom here on earth!
When our family arrived to South Florida, only a 6% of Latinos live in Hollywood. Today we are 37% of the population and some cities are in their 42-43%. The SBC churches need a leader that care about those souls, who need Jesus. We need to be the church that is sending FROM EVERYWHERE to EVERYWHERE. J.D. Greear will bring the balance of the sound doctrine and soul winning to churches in America and around the world.
I am familiar with all the attacks and fears about his theology. Leaders and churches battling with ‘Calvinism”, but he has been clear that what he wants for the churches that he has sent out, and for America’s churches are churches passionate for evangelism and reaching out lost people, teaching the priority of God’s works in salvation, that people understand that the preeminence is God’s glory in salvation, the sovereignty of God in the spread of the Gospel. Honestly, what’s wrong with that position?
America needs to hear that. And as He responded in one of his tweets on February 6th. “
“For the record, I believe that Jesus died for all people, that every person can and should be called to repent and believe, and that you haven’t preached the Gospel if you haven’t called for that response”
A legacy of Faith is in needed in America. And the only way to close the gap is sending new churches. Francis DuBose in his book God Who Sends published in 1983 and How Churches Grow In An Urban World did a survey of the theological Sending passages with several scriptural categories. And the conclusion was that our God thru the OLD and NEW TESTAMENTS, has been SENDING!!!
In these thoughts, my son Omar Vargas is included. Today, he is planting a new church, to reach his generation in his heart language – English. J.D. Greear has influenced him and his ministry abundantly. We will continue our path of sending churches, because we gain when we send out. We will be sending our best planters out till the Aroma of Christ is spread all over my city, county, state and all the United States of America, my home for the last 30 years.
We boldly believe that J.D. Greear will be a great President of the SBC. I am sure that his team will have our Latinos and other cultures in his mind and heart. This is America today. Read the statistics. We need a legacy of faith, a legacy of generations passing the baton and that our churches serve with all their heart, passion and mind to a REAL God. If the life span of a church is about 40 years, then we need man like J.D. Greear, who personally is serving to plant 1000 churches by 2050, I can only imagine what the SBC will look like if he has the opportunity to lead our leaders to do the same?
God bless America. God bless the whole world.
I started this article writing that I was RESCUED. Well, God rescued me from the world, to leave me in the world? Why did He do that? He rescued me to RESCUE OTHERS, and we will obey his calling to do it.
God is moving to build His church.
Pastor Martin T. Vargas, Iglesia Real-Hollywood
Pastor Omar A. Vargas, Real Church-Hollywood
A REAL NET OF CHURCHES.
Every Language, Every Tribe, Every Culture.