Heritage Baptist Church, a newly formed English-language church at Lakeside, is developing a robust relationship with the Iglesia Bautista Reformada de Guadalajara (IBRG).
IBRG Pastor, Hector Bustamante, holds a Master of Divinity from Covenant Baptist Theological Seminary. Hector also serves as president and professor of Sacra Theologia Reformed Seminary. The two churches both hold to the Baptist Confession of Faith of 1689, so the IBRG elders are well suited to provide oversight at Heritage until they have established administrative credentials and elders of their own.
A visit to Pastor Bustamante’s church would undoubtedly be a real eye-opener for most Christians. Located inside a huge warehouse-like building, it is a long-established house of worship with over 250 members, some of whom travel from areas near Lake Chapala to Guadalajara every Sunday. They bring the whole family and stay the entire day, and the church and many volunteers provide teaching, worship music, and meals for all.
IBRG leaders are currently looking to expand their work into the Lakeside area via church planting. Heritage and IBRG language and cultural differences are easily, indeed, instantly overcome by the same beliefs and approaches to worship. A burgeoning collaboration between them will stimulate development in the communities around the Lake—both materially and spiritually.