Obra Hispanic Celebrates 21st Biennial Assembly

The Church of Impact: a renewed, relevant and relational Church. This is the theme under which the National Hispanic and Bilingual Fellowship (the Obra Hispana) gathered in Fort Worth, Texas for the 21st Biennial Assembly July 21-23, 2022. It was truly an inspirational gathering that brought opportunity to be together in person for the first time since 2018. From the opening lunches for Women, and for the first time, Men; to the youth and young adult activities, and children’s program, fellowship and relationship building were at the center as all sought to be renewed by God and through each other. The opening worship service was a tangible demonstration of the relational church as joining the Obra in worship were the College of Regional Ministers and Forum (Forum of Regional Moderators) who were simultaneously gathered in Fort Worth, and an expansive representation of General Ministries and Higher Education Institutions. Interconnected through linguistic, cultural and contextual differences, the Church gathered to worship the one who is the center of who we are as Disciples of Christ, Jesus. 

A representational worship team comprised of worshippers from six of the nine Hispanic Conventions who did not know each other before arriving in Fort Worth, led the Assembly through Spirit filled and anointed music under the direction of Rev. Ivan Santiago. The relational church tangibly lived out in and thru them as they forged relationship that led to renewal and relevance for each of them as they shared testimony of how the experience impacted their lives and how this would transform ministry for them back in their home congregations. Additionally, this assembly was the most diversely represented in age, clergy/lay representation, and length of time in the Disciples of Christ. A renewed church gathered for powerful preaching and learning, and was challenged to deeper relationship as the Church of Impact. 

Amidst worship and fellowship that filled the spirits of those present, history was in the making. In business session, a resolution to dissolve the Pastoral Commission for Hispanic Ministries was unanimously approved, moving into a renewed and more relevant governance for Hispanic Ministries that removes a patriarchal system of the past thirty years to open a pathway for empowerment for and from within the community. This process will continue forward as a witness for the whole church to General Assembly in 2023. Another historic moment was in the Gala Celebration as those in attendance walked the red carpet to celebrate the thirty-year anniversary of the establishment of the Central Pastoral Office for Hispanic Ministries. A panel with three of the National Pastors (Rev. David Vargas, Rev. Pablo Jimenez and Rev. Lori Tapia) and moderated by then Obra Moderator, Rev. Samuel Ramirez, shared stories of moments from the ministry of each’s tenure. The Southwest Hispanic Convention surprised the assembly in the Gala with Mariachi music, prizes and a salsa eating contest, definitely a much-needed time of fun and fellowship that renewed the soul. 

The youth spent time together to explore the assembly theme on a deeper and more contextual level through a powerful message and activities that provided opportunity to embrace their own importance in their local congregations, communities, schools and any other place God sends them to be persons of impact and make a difference in the authentic selves that they each are. 

“Let us not be so caught up in programming, so that we can be caught up in the proclaiming of the Gospel in action and love, this is where our relevance lies and our relationship matters.”

Rev. Lori Tapia

National Pastor, Rev. Lori Tapia, sharing the message during closing worship, led the assembly through a visual experience of the relational church as she moved to connect, challenge and empower the Church to live into the prophetic declaration of being the Church of Impact God calls us to be for a broken and fragmented world, our families, communities and more. “Let us not be so caught up in programming, so that we can be caught up in the proclaiming of the Gospel in action and love, this is where our relevance lies and our relationship matters,” Tapia shared. The Obra Hispana will gather for the 22nd Biennial Assembly is Kansas City in 2024 and looks forward to the Bilingual Worship Service they will offer at the General Assembly in Louisville in 2023.