Heritage and The Open Door
Heritage Baptist Church in Chapala enjoys a strong relationship with the local Spanish-language Baptist church in Chapala, "Puerta Abierta," (Open Door). As we grow, we anticipate many wonderful opportunities to join in service and fellowship with the dedicated Christian Mexicans at Iglesia Bautista Puerta Abierta.
TWO CHURCHES,
ONE BODY
On the 22nd of December this year it was cold, and it kept getting colder as the day went on. By the time we got to the little Baptist church on the hill in Chapala, it was raining and even smelled a bit like snow. We persevered though, because we had a wonderful reason for being there: We were giving out dispensas to the needy.
The very idea that a bag full of common staples such as rice, beans, milk, and coffee could make a whole family happy is exhilarating. There are always those whose needs are greater than our own.
REBORN AND REFORMED
Our church, Heritage Baptist, is nearly new… reborn, you might say, out of a desire to be a truly Baptist church that sees the need to reform and always continue reforming. We’re an English-speaking congregation that adheres to sermons, worship music, and Bible studies which are strictly driven by the Word. Pastor Chema at La Puera Abierta (the Open Door) is an equally Bible-guided Christian, and all of us at Heritage feel blessed to be establishing a profound relationship with this unusual and loving church family.
When our group of Heritage representatives arrived at La Puerta Abierta, Pastor Chema welcomed us warmly and went off in a hurry to personally round up the recipients of our gifts. During the brief wait, we removed every item out of the full shopping bags we had brought them in, and--under the direction of Letty, the Pastor’s wife--we sorted them and redistributed them to be as equitable as possible. She’s obviously done this before.
When everyone had gathered, Pastor Chema and our Pastor, John Linton, spoke prayers and blessings in Spanish and English, and we all sang familiar carols together using lyrics projected onto the wall. Then each recipient came before the congregation to individually receive their gifts, brought up from the back of the church by a member of our group.
Reciting the facts of the event doesn’t come near to doing it justice. There were tears and smiles, many hugs, and a great flood of inextinguishable affection, the kind all true Christians recognize and cherish. As St. Paul the Apostle said over and over, “There is one Church, one body, and one Christ,” and no one questioned that He came and embraced each of us that day.
We will be back!
