FORT VALLEY, Ga. — More than 150 leaders and members from Hispanic churches across Georgia gathered Saturday at First Baptist Church of Fort Valley to take part in the Georgia Baptist Mission Board’s Hispanic Evangelism Conference, a day of teaching and training focused on strengthening the local church to share Christ with clarity, compassion, and strategy.
With the overall theme, “Trained and Equipped to Be Effective Witnesses,” the conference featured main sessions, a youth track, and workshops led by the speakers, offering practical tools for the local church.
Pastor Alex Cosio of Iglesia Nuevo Horizonte in Woodstock preached on “God’s Heart for the Lost,” calling the church to embrace God’s mission from a Kingdom perspective.
Speaking from Matthew 9:35–38, Cosio emphasized that Jesus “had compassion” on the crowds and that the Lord’s call remains the same today. “God created the church for His mission,” he said, explaining that the church’s purpose is not merely to grow as an institution, but to take part in God’s plan to seek and save the lost.
Cosio also addressed the global reality of unreached peoples, citing figures on world population and the number of people who still have not heard the name of Jesus. He pointed to regions with limited access to the gospel, including what many call the “10/40 Window.” He called churches to pray, invest, and send, stressing that evangelism is not a “Plan B,” but flows from God’s missionary heart from the beginning of biblical history.
Sociologist and professor Pablo Marzilli’s message was titled, ‘Trained and Equipped to Be Effective Witnesses,” emphasizing that the church must understand modern culture in order to communicate the gospel with faithfulness and clarity.
Marzilli described the current cultural moment as a time of accelerated change, marked by strong individualism and a growing “spiritual volatility,” in which many say they believe but avoid congregational life. He warned about the impact of the digital age and said that in just a few years, with the advance of artificial intelligence, “We won’t recognize our environment.”
While reaffirming that the gospel does not change, Marzilli insisted that the way believers communicate it to the world must change, following Jesus’ example of speaking differently depending on the person in front of Him. He urged churches to know their communities, listen to their needs, and regain closeness with people.
He encouraged believers to focus on prayer, personal relationships, and solid discipleship, rather than relying on formulas that worked in the past but no longer connect with society. He also warned against syncretism and false teachings, stressing the need to return to the centrality of Scripture and to make disciples with a biblical foundation.
Pastor Dennis Rivera of First Baptist Church of Fort Valley provided teaching and practical resources focused on “Creating a Culture of Evangelism,” emphasizing that evangelism grows stronger when a church understands its community, prays for the lost, and intentionally makes disciples.
Rivera shared how demographic analysis and local knowledge can help churches develop strategies to reach people, and he encouraged the wise use of social platforms where people are already present.
He also underscored the importance of praying for specific individuals during worship services and Bible studies, and of celebrating when someone comes to Christ, pointing to the joy described in Luke 15 when what was lost is found.
The day included a special youth gathering led by Ángel Moreno Jr., titled “Know and Share,” aimed at encouraging the next generation to deepen their faith and share it in their daily lives.
Alfredo Vargas, a member of Iglesia Bautista Latinoamericana in Savannah, said he attended with a group from his church. “I was baptized in October. I came to faith because people shared the gospel with me, and I feel a responsibility to do the same and reach the unreached, because someone did that for me,” Vargas said. He added that he was especially impacted by Marzilli’s emphasis on technology and the need to adjust methods to reach young people.
Ángel Moreno Sr., pastor of Primera Iglesia Bautista Hispana de Columbus, explained that attending was a priority because the church must keep training and equipping believers. “It’s important to foster a culture of evangelism that is being lost,” he said, adding that it is easy to settle into comfort, but Scripture calls believers to “go” and seek the lost. He also said the challenge is to focus where the gospel is most needed, rather than limiting efforts to places where it is already established.
During the program, Ovidio Cabrera, pastor of Iglesia Bautista Latinoamericana de Savannah, noted that events like this are possible through the Cooperative Program, allowing churches and leaders to participate at an affordable cost. He also cited the conference theme drawn from Romans 1:16, “I am not ashamed of the gospel,” and welcomed attendees who traveled from across the state.
As the day concluded, organizers encouraged attendees to take what they learned back to their congregations and communities. Through messages and workshops, the conference emphasized that evangelism is strengthened when the church prays, makes disciples, and goes out to seek the lost.
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This article is also available in Spanish.
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