A church for Hispanics in the Midwest maintains its roots and reaches out to the Hispanic and Anglophone community.
Many drivers on US Highway 65 in Springfield, Missouri, are surprised to see a small beacon. Although there is no large body of water nearby, this lighthouse is located on its property El Faro Assembly of God. Just as the light of lighthouses brings ships safely into port and indicates the direction they should follow, El Faro AG [El Faro means “The Lighthouse” in Spanish]which recently celebrated its 34th anniversary, points the way to salvation.
Daniel Feliciano and his wife, Gloria, started El Faro to reach Hispanic families in Springfield. The congregation began meeting in the home of Ramón and Delia Claudio in 1989. At the time, there were only a few scattered Hispanic families in the area, so they could not imagine how many lives their choice would one day impact.
As Springfield's Hispanic population grew, so did attendance at El Faro. Over the years, the church moved to various locations until it was able to acquire its own building in East Springfield. Two people instrumental in the purchase of the building were Thomas Trask, then general superintendent of the Assemblies of God, and the church's pastor at the time, Efraim Espinoza.
The small church focused on reaching out to the community in several ways, including visiting the federal prison located in town. These activities helped train a new generation of leaders, pastors and missionaries — some of them students from Central Bible College (now part of Evangelos University).
“El Faro is characterized by its hospitality, with its doors and heart open to the students who arrive each year and the diverse community that comes to meet us,” says Patricia Figueroa, the current pastor. “We intentionally kept Spanish as the primary language of communication, which always attracts English-speaking people who want to have the experience of being immersed in the Spanish language and culture.”
Patricia and her husband, Nelson, came to El Faro in 2015 in the midst of a transition to join their daughter who was studying at Evangel.
“As usual, we arrived to serve in any way we were asked,” says Figueroa. “But the Lord had different plans that we did not imagine. Pastors Luis and Rosa Rojas had the confidence to lead us in the pastoral ministry after they had led the church for six years.”
According to Figueroa, the church wants to serve and reach Springfield while staying true to its values: fervent prayer, welcoming culture, effective outreach, intentional discipleship and healthy families.
“As a pastor I was able to appreciate the movement of the Holy Spirit among us, guiding us first to 'plant deep roots in God's love' (Ephesians 3:17, NLT). The vision that God has given us today is based on our name, El Faro, and his words Isaiah 60:1 “Rise, shine,” says Figueroa.
If the church has proven anything, it is that location is irrelevant if God is the One who opened the gates. El Faro has been a meeting and growth church for Spanish leaders and missionaries, especially in Latin America.
Today people of various nationalities attend El Faro, and although Spanish is the official language, many English speakers also participate, taking advantage of the translation services provided. This helps the church by keeping families together, despite language differences, and continuing the tradition of winning the lost.
