MIAMI— Nearly 500 pastors, leaders and members from Hispanic Baptist churches across Florida gathered at Elevate Church in Miami Lakes on Aug. 2 for Confraternidad 2025: Unidos en Cristo para Impactar Nuestro Mundo (United in Christ to Reach Our World). The statewide event served as a powerful reminder that while churches may differ in size, language and style, they are one in Christ, called to fulfill one mission—advancing the gospel together.
The day began with vibrant worship in both Spanish and English, declaring the freedom found in Christ and the hope of the gospel. Pastor Luis Egipciaco, host pastor of Elevate Church, welcomed attendees to his home church with heartfelt gratitude and encouraged them to feel at home, emphasizing that Elevate exists to serve others in love.
Throughout the event, speakers challenged and inspired attendees to pursue unity, service and evangelism as expressions of gospel faithfulness. Eloy Rodríguez, pastor of Idlewild Espanol in Lutz, reminded the group that evangelism is not optional for the believer but a daily calling rooted in intentionality. “The mission of God is not just for special trips,” he said. “It’s a lifestyle. And we must stop living as if we are on vacation from the Great Commission.”
Elevate’s Spanish language pastor Héctor Torres shared how simple acts of compassion from his church transformed lives in their Miami community, including saving one woman from suicide. His challenge was clear: “What if our Hispanic churches stopped working as isolated islands and started serving together as one body? What could God do through us?”
Rick Martinez, associational mission strategist of Miami Baptist Association, extended an invitation to churches statewide to participate in the Feb. 6-7, 2026, Serve Tour Miami, a large-scale outreach effort in collaboration with Send Relief and the North American Mission Board. The initiative will unite churches across languages and cultures to serve under-resourced schools, bless bi-vocational pastors and meet tangible needs across the city—all for the glory of Christ.
Noel Morera, from Northside Baptist Church in Hialeah, delivered a passionate message on including and discipling the next generation, emphasizing the centrality of preaching the Word. “Programs and entertainment are secondary,” he said. “What this generation needs most is to hear and know the Word of God.”
The program also included a moving testimony from Angélica Bermúdez, a summer volunteer with Send Relief, who shared how serving in Puerto Rico changed her life. “The mission isn’t about the location,” she said. “It’s about how we live.”
The day concluded with a corporate call to prayer, where attendees joined hands and lifted their voices in unity, asking God to break down barriers, raise up workers for the harvest, and make His name known from Pensacola to Key West—and beyond.
“Unidos en Cristo para impactar nuestro mundo” wasn’t just a theme; it was a rallying cry. And as churches left the gathering, they did so with renewed vision and a shared commitment to live out that calling—together.
