ORLANDO—Thirty-eight Hispanic Florida Baptists were recognized Jan. 18 at Primera Iglesia Bautista de Orlando as they graduated from the Florida Baptist Convention’s chaplaincy course, bringing the total of Hispanic Florida Baptists trained as chaplains to 118.
“We pray that all of these chaplains will be serving in churches, hospitals, jails and other agencies,” said Misael Castillo, Florida Baptists’ migrant ministries catalyst.
Some of the graduates also are trained as Florida Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers and are looking forward to sharing the hope of the gospel with individuals in times of crisis.
The dream of training Hispanic Florida Baptists as chaplains began more than 15 years ago when Castillo and Marc Johnston, Florida Baptists’ community ministries catalyst, began to pray about equipping Hispanic chaplains to reach migrant workers throughout the Sunshine State.
The answer to the prayers began when Johnston’s chaplaincy program was translated into Spanish by Angelica and Moises Bermudez, members of Iglesia Bautista Dios es Bueno in Daytona Beach, and then as a syllabus was developed by their father, Pastor Angel Bermudez.
Johnston described the importance of equipping those who are called by God to serve as chaplains. The role of chaplains is multifaceted, he said, as they serve in varying contexts. The training focuses on the many skills needed by chaplains, with perhaps the most important skill being a good listener.
The Florida Baptist Convention’s chaplaincy certification program, in both English and Spanish, is available online at no cost.
