The Southern Baptist Convention of Virginia and the Convention of Southern Baptist Churches of Puerto Rico signed a five-year partnership commitment May 19 that opens doors to future opportunities for churches in Virginia and Puerto Rico, according to leaders of the SBCV.
The partnership focuses on three areas:
Meeting needs — SBCV churches will continue to partner through Send Relief to meet immediate disaster relief needs and community needs like feeding, construction and adoption ministries.
Strengthening churches — SBCV churches will partner directly with church plants and churches in Puerto Rico to strengthen churches and push forward the mission of Christ in Puerto Rico. Puerto Rican churches will also partner with SBC of Virginia churches to support and advance gospel ministries in Hispanic work around the Commonwealth.
Sharing the gospel — SBCV churches plan to take the gospel to new places and peoples through missions opportunities.
SBCV and Puerto Rican Baptists are partnering to reach the nations through a partnership with the International Mission Board among North African and Middle Eastern Peoples in Europe and South America and to reach peoples throughout Central and South America together. Utilizing SBCV’s connections and partnerships in Europe and Puerto Rican Baptists’ connections and partnerships in the Americas, churches can mobilize together to strengthen and advance the work of the gospel among those who have never heard, convention leaders explained.
Brad Russell, SBCV’s mobilization strategist, believes this partnership will produce great fruit as the Lord leads and provides.
Felix Cabrera, Convention of Southern Baptist Churches of Puerto Rico executive director and leader of Send Puerto Rico, agrees.
“A strong Puerto Rican church and a strong Virginia church can serve as a hub to reach places we could never reach alone,” he said. “We are always stronger together.”
To read more about SBCV’s ministry in Puerto Rico, click here.
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was featured in summer 2021 issue of Proclaimer, which is published by the Southern Baptist Convention of Virginia, and is used with permission. To read about SBCV’s new five-year partnership with the Convention of Southern Baptist Churches of Puerto Rico, click here.
