In our fast-growing and diverse nation, God is bridging the gap between languages and cultures in Fort Wayne, Indiana with Pine Hills En Espaňol, a Spanish ministry at Pine Hills Church. The Spanish Pastor, Hugo Reyes, who grew up in Venezuela, came to PHC to study church planting in 2021. God stirred him in another direction when his residency mentor, Colleen Senestraro said, “Hugo, your first language is Spanish. It’s a blessing and a skill to be bilingual, so why don’t we use that to be a ministry to the Spanish-speaking congregation?”
One week later, Hugo met a first-time visitor from Peru. She had many questions about the church, baptism, and faith, but previously had no one to ask. “That’s when I understood there was a need,” Hugo says. She eventually accepted Christ and got baptized. Today, this woman serves in Pine Hills En Espaňol and is inviting others to attend. “It’s a story of multiplication to see how the Lord brought her, and now she’s bringing others.”
What began as a monthly gathering on Sunday afternoons in 2021 has grown into a biweekly gathering of over 100 people from 14 different countries like Venezuela, Guatemala, Chile, Colombia, and Mexico. They’ve developed small groups, a worship team, and ministries for children, youth, and marriages.
What excites Pastor Hugo about the future is “to see the kingdom of God expanding among the Hispanic community in Fort Wayne.” They come to know the Lord, then begin sharing the gospel with their families back home. It is very much becoming a global mission field.
