“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9).
The story of Tenth Presbyterian Church’s partnership with church planting in Colombia is one of God’s faithfulness over two decades. I have been blessed to make five mission trips to Colombia, and each visit has been a witness to the Lord’s incredible work.
The journey began with Rafael Leal, Jaime Leal, Milton Núñez, and a young, observing listener, Enrique Leal, sitting in the front yard of the Leal family home in Barranquilla. At that time, the Presbyterian Church, USA had abandoned biblical teaching, and these men saw the urgent need for solid, Reformed Presbyterian churches in Colombia. Together, they began a church-planting mission: La Puerta in Santa Marta with daughter church Calvary, and La Roca in Barranquilla with daughter church, Los Olivos.
From the start, these churches were firmly grounded in biblical teaching. Years later, Enrique and the Colombia La Roca team identified an under-resourced community with open land; a vision that became Los Olivos. With Tenth’s support, the land was purchased, and plans began for classrooms, Bible study space, and eventually a sanctuary to serve as a beacon of light for the community.
When I first visited four years ago, I saw classrooms, the eating area, and dirt where the sanctuary and soccer field now stand. This year, on June 20, we celebrated the launch of the new sanctuary with the community, serving cheesesteaks and worshiping with more than two hundred people. Praise God! That evening, God blessed us with a breathtaking sunset over the sanctuary, a perfect symbol of his light shining in the neighborhood over the community. This could not have happened without the leadership of Frank Esposito (who has been leading Colombia missions trip construction teams for 17 years), Tenth members, and the Los Olivos Colombia Team.
During this trip, we also held Bible conferences at Los Olivos and La Roca entitled “The Lord of the Mission: A Study on the Book of Acts.” Enrique, Joe Park, Carlos Berrio (Los Olivos), Rafael Roa (La Roca), Edison Flores (Santa Marta), and Ari Sanchez (director of Hispanic development at Westminster Theological Seminary) preached powerful messages of the Lord’s Mission. This year was especially rewarding. It was so inspiring to see completely packed houses for these Bible conferences and the church services we attended. Large numbers of children have always come for our Bible programs, and we have seen children at La Roca and Los Olivos grow to become godly parents. Seeing entire families worship together was deeply moving. The growth in just the past year has been remarkable. One key takeaway from these conferences is a clear call to action: wherever we are: Philadelphia, New Jersey, or across the globe, we are all called to be missionaries. Every day, God opens doors for us to share his gospel and radiate his light.
This year also brought a new opportunity. In May, I travelled to North Barranquilla and worked with Carlos, Aldris Diaz, and Enrique to assess a fifth church plant. North Barranquilla, while more middle to upper-class, has no Reformed Presbyterian presence. We also discovered that Barranquilla alone has 20,000 people in the Deaf community. There is a vital need for sharing the gospel, and to have a house of worship for the hearing and Deaf communities. People in the Deaf community are often isolated, with limited social opportunities and lack access to a church. Lizbeth Leal, Enrique’s sister, is a strong advocate for the Deaf community all over Colombia. She actually brought seven people to the inaugural service at Los Olivos.
Over the past two months, a small group, led by Carlos and Lizbeth has been meeting regularly, with strong participation from the hearing and Deaf communities. We ask for your prayers to see the small group continue to grow into a fully planted church for these communities.
Looking back over the last twenty years, we thank God for his work in La Puerta and Calvary (Santa Marta), La Roca and Los Olivos (Barranquilla), and now the launch of the largest Reformed Presbyterian sanctuary in the city. Brothers and sisters, we need your prayers, your financial support, and your continued dedication to God’s mission in Colombia.
Finally, Enrique said to me at the end of our last trip: “You have seen what God has done in four years, imagine what he will do in our next ten trips.” It has truly been an honor to work with the Colombia Team over the last four years. The work is not finished, and the doors that God is opening in Colombia are wide and full of promise.
