A brief history of Obra Hispana

1. A brief history of Obra Hispana Presented by Rev. William Almodovar

2. The term “OBRA HISPANA” corresponds to what is generally known as Hispanic Ministries. It refers to the life and work of Hispanic and Bilingual congregations in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada [CCDC]. The CCDC has about 200 Hispanic and Bilingual congregations and missions, plus other groups in the process of being organized.

3. At least since 1899 in the city of San Antonio, Texas there has existed what weknow today as the Hispanic Ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) Inthe United States and Canada.

4. The Disciples of Christ mission in Mexico was initiated by the Christian Woman’s Board of Mission (WBM) in 1895. Mr. M.L. Hoblit was assigned toexplore and establish missionary work there. He went initially to Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua and later Monterey T

5. Hispanic Disciples in Texas The Disciples of Christ started new congregationsamong Hispanics in Texas during the last two decades of the 19th century. Missionaries who were sent to Mexico crossed the border and preached to the Hispanic population, primarily Mexican, with the help of bilingual tejanos. The first Mexican Christian Church was established in San Antonio,Texas in 1899 by pastor Y. Quintero.

6. By 1916 the State Mexican S.S. Convention was founded with seven congregations (two in Mexico, two in San Antonio, one in Sabinas, one in Lockhart, and one in Robstown). These congregations were unstable due to the dependence on missionaries from Mexico or itinerant and bilingual preachers and pastors. One key issue was the lack of interest inpreparing Hispanic leaders to become pastors inlocal congregations. This is today a high priority,equipping pastors for ministry.

7. Hispanic Disciples in New York City Puerto Rico is the home of a distinctive Stone Campbell community. At the end of the nineteenthcentury Puerto Rico was experiencing a significanttransition. Having become a U. S. colony as a resultof the Spanish-American War, it received manyProtestant missions from the United States beginning in 1898. The Disciples of Christ came to theisland on April 23, 1899.

8. J.A. Erwin and his familywere assigned to the northern part of Puerto Rico, in the city of Bayamón, as part of the comityagreement among Protestant denominations thatestablished missions. The first Disciples congregation was founded in 1901 in Bayamón. FromBayamón the Disciples moved to the countryside,starting the first Protestant rural congregation inPuerto Rico. Dajaos became, and still is, the Meccaof Puerto Rican Disciples.

9. The first missionaries experienced the misery anddesperate needs of the Puerto Rican population anddecided to respond by establishing two orphanagesin Bayamón to educate and protect orphan childrenof the vicinity. By 1914 the missionaries had decidedto change their strategy for mission in Puerto Rico.

10. They closed the orphanages and concentrated onplanting new congregations and on evangelism.Many children were transferred to the PolytechnicInstitute of the Presbyterian Church in San Germán. The process of establishing new congregationsresulted in Disciples expanding their influence,particularly in the northwestern part of Puerto Rico.

11. The first major crisis among Disciples of Christ inPuerto Rico erupted when, in 1933, a group oflaypersons started prayer circles at noon in CalleComerío Christian Church. A charismatic movement spread like fire in all of the churches, creatingwhat is known in Puerto Rico as El Avivamiento del 33.

12. The experience of Pablo Cotto, a Puerto RicanDisciples Pastor, is the story and pilgrimage of apioneer of the Hispanic Disciples Diaspora in theUS. It is a wonderful model of what the missionaryeffort is about, combined with a solid theology ofmission, with an ecumenical commitment, embodied in the life of this faithful man

13. He established in 1933, with a group of enthusiasticPuerto Rican Disciples, Hato Tejas ChristianChurch, in Bayamón. But the precarious economicsituation in Puerto Rico pushed Pablo to emigrateto New York. It was a critical time of frustration anddesperation, but Pablo knew he needed to supporthis large family. The New York City experience was difficult for displaced Puerto Ricans an experience which led him to a second conversion.

14. Joining a group of Puerto Ricans in an independentstore-front congregation of Manhattan, Pablobegan organizing his second congregation as apastor. They named the congregation La Hermosain 1939 and became a Christian Church in 1943,the first Hispanic Disciples congregation in NewYork City. He also helped establish a second congregation in The Bronx: Second Christian Church.Later on Pablo founded the Association of HispanicPastors of New York City. Before long, however,Pablo felt called to move to Texas

15. The process of becoming a national entity called theNational Hispanic and Bilingual Fellowship startedearly in the 20th century. The process begins withthe Convenciones (Conventions) in different regions:the State Mexican S.S. Convention established in1916, the Northeast Convention in 1958, andMidwest Convention in 1978. Later on Convencioneswere established in Arizona, the Southeast, Southwest and Pacific.

16. After many years of having a Director for Hispanicand bilingual congregations under the Departmentof Evangelism of the Division of Homeland Ministries, the decision was made to establish a new officeto serve Obra Hispana more efficiently and directly,under the leadership of Hispanic pastors and laypersons. The new office, called the Central PastoralOffice for Hispanic Ministries, under the directionof a National Pastor for Hispanic Ministries, wasestablished in 1991.

17. David Vargas was the first part time National Pastor until 1993. Lucas Torres became the first full-time National Pastor until his retirement in 1999. Pablo Jiménez became the second full-time National Pastor and Huberto Pimentel who recently retired was the second. At Huberto’s retirement there was a search that didn’t translate in a new full time pastor. Opening the opportunity for the first time to a short time Interim National Pastor and more recently a long term Interim National Pastor Lori Tapia from Arizona.

18. Information based on Issue number 9 Call to Unity September 2008 PRand and the document a ProjectT For the Creation of a Central Pastoral Office For Hispanic Ministries