Let’s start with the basics. Who are you? What do you do? Family? Education?
I’m a California native. I’ve lived in its largest cities and in one of its smallest towns. I serve as pastor of Emaus Church in San Jose.
I’ve been married to Wendy for 16 years, and we have four daughters: Hannah, Emily, Noelle and Selah. I graduated from a small seminary in the Bay Area called The Cornerstone Seminary.
As a Hispanic American, do you ever find it difficult to identify with and connect to the Reformed community you’re part of?
I’ve been fortunate to be part of a brotherhood in the Bay Area where I feel affirmed, valued and respected. The seminary I graduated from hired a Mexican American as its academic dean. So, in my immediate fellowship, I am encouraged.
With that in mind, are the guys in our circle doing a good enough job of highlighting minority contributions to the church? If not, how can they do better?
For those in the majority culture, it is easy to overlook people who are not prominent in your circles. I think they are glad to have minorities represented in general. They are glad to see color in the crowds, but I have not seen as much eagerness to hear from a more colorful array of voices.
A good place for those in the majority culture to begin would be to listen to what God is doing through minority leaders in their own cities.
To minorities, I would say: Focus on being useful to the Lord in the advance of the Gospel, and you will find yourself where you need to be.
Switching to church planting, hit me with three quick lessons you’ve learned from your efforts.
- Don’t go it alone. Work with a team.
- Think through and implement a biblical strategy.
- Be flexible when God redirects your plan or strategy.
Speaking of church leadership, from what I know, you and your church have several elders without seminary training. You can’t do that. The Bible says so. I dare you to disagree.
Reading the book of Acts, I see that Paul was much quicker to appoint elders than we are. By the end of the first missionary journey, which took less than two years, we read that “they had appointed elders for them in every church” (Acts 14:23).
Paul probably trusted God with the church more than we do. We have taken the one qualification, “able to teach,” and allowed it to overshadow the rest.
If anything, we should allow faithfulness to carry the greatest weight over ability in the pulpit. Local churches, not seminaries, are God’s primary breeding ground for elders.
So there!
Meanwhile, you’re in cahoots with Rebuild. What’s up with that?
Rebuild was extremely helpful during a season when God was calling our church to make some major adjustments. They came alongside me and helped give attention to areas of ministry that needed help.
I’m glad to be part of their team as we seek to make the Rebuild Church Planting Residency available to more men in our cities. I’m helping establish that on the West Coast.
You’re also pursuing your Ph.D. How come? You’re already a senior pastor, so do you really need more schooling for that?
No, I don’t necessarily need more schooling to do what I’m doing now. When I graduated from seminary, I had no intention of pursuing further education.
A scholarship opportunity arose, and Wendy and I prayerfully considered it. During my seminary days, I received affirmation and encouragement from my professors regarding my ability and writing.
The Cornerstone Seminary also invited me back to teach courses after I graduated, so further training would make me more useful in that capacity.
Sensing the need for models of minority theologians, we arrived at the conclusion that I might be able to better serve the advance of the Gospel by refining my research and writing skills.
This was really not my plan. Like most things in my life, a good providence has ordered my steps here. I’m not smart enough to plan these things out.
On another subject, I’ve heard it said that churches with a large percentage of minority members don’t do particularly well with cross-cultural, or overseas, missions. True or false?
True. There are a number of probable reasons for this.
- Socially, their goal, or their parents’ goal, is to establish themselves in this country, so going to another country does not easily enter the picture.
- Financially, you are dealing with people on the lower end of the socioeconomic scale, so it is harder for would-be minority missionaries to raise enough support.
- Those two things lead to a great lack of models in minority churches for that type of ministry.
All right, let’s go rapid-fire. Top three theology books.
The Pleasures of God by John Piper
Knowing God by J.I. Packer
A Heart for God by Sinclair Ferguson
Next, top three books in general.
History of the Christian Church by Philip Schaff. That’s seven volumes. Does that mean I exceeded the limit?
Center Church by Tim Keller
The Letters of John Newton
Now give me your top three favorite movies.
The Lord of the Rings trilogy
Gladiator
The Perfect Game
Finally, top three TV shows.
I don’t watch TV, but I’ll add more movies for good measure.
The Five Heartbeats
Nacho Libre
O Brother, Where Art Thou?
Actually, one more thing. I heard you’ve got connections with all those Reach Records cats in Atlanta. I’m really trying to submit this demo directly into Lecrae’s hands. It’s called “Bybul Thumpaz.” Can you hook me up with a cellphone number or home address?
Nah, I don’t, but let me drop a hot 16 on your demo, though!