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Herreras Living Proof of Commitment to Hispanic Ministry
CHICAGO, IL (June 5, 2001) - By Craig Pinley
The Evangelical Covenant Church (ECC) wants to improve its ministry to Hispanic churches, and Wilson and Lina Herrera have the frequent flyer miles to prove it.
The Herreras have flown throughout North America during the past year, visiting Covenant churches from Calgary and California to Miami and throughout the Midwest. They have served as associate staff for Hispanic ministry since June 30 last year, representing the Department of Christian Education and Discipleship. With more than two decades of Christian Education ministry experience in Colombia, they come with plenty to offer local churches.
In some ways, Wilson and Lina Herrera serve as a traveling resource center for Hispanic ministries. They are invited to various churches and tailor their workshops/seminars to meet the needs of each local congregation. Workshop topics have included Christian formation, leadership development, spiritual disciplines, inner healing, how to study the Bible and evangelism.
They also partner with the Pacific Southwest Conference, traveling to California and spending one week per month to meet the needs of a growing Hispanic population in that region.
Wilson, who earned a Master of Divinity degree from Northern Baptist Theological Seminary (NBTS) in Lombard, Illinois, said he enjoys "the experience of being with pastors and leaders and sharing the Word with them, being a kind of inspiration for the leadership and also giving tools to accomplish the ministry. Knowing about the churches, and being with people who are facing the real problems and learning from them, has been very helpful for me."
Lina, who earned a Master of Christian Ministries degree from NBTS, appreciates the variety that comes with the job. "Every church has specific needs and they'll ask for specific topics to be taught," she said. "We create seminars or workshops to teach about that topic, so every visit is different. We're amazed at how different the visits are."
This isn't the first time the Herreras have done a ministry like this. They spent 22 years as part-time workers serving University Christian Ministries in Colombia, an organization much like InterVarsity Christian Fellowship in North America. Wilson, who worked full-time as a psychologist, was the national leader for this organization for six of the 22 years he was involved. Lina, a university statistics professor, was a national adviser during that period.
During their ministry in Colombia, the couple created numerous Bible study materials and led a host of workshops and retreats. They concentrated much of their efforts on leadership development in university and church settings. Couples retreats and marriage counseling were also incorporated into their ministry.
"We had a very strong movement in theology in Colombia," Lina said. "Many people became Christians during that time and we realized the Lord was preparing us to write materials to help people study the Bible in a serious way."
The Herreras see great opportunities for ministry in the United States. "This is a very special moment for this country because the Hispanic population is growing so fast," Lina said. "I see our ministry as an initiative from God to reach the Hispanic people that are coming here. And the Covenant church is open to ministering to this ethnic group. I'm so happy to be part of this effort of the Covenant church. The Covenant has the vision to reach this group and has been as supportive as they can be."
For more information about Hispanic Christian education ministries in the Covenant or available resources, contact the Herreras by telephone at 773-583-0220, extension 18, or by email at wilifam@aol.com.
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