Oct 26, 2016

Alliance in Ministry

by Executive Director, Rob Appel

 

What’s Going On?

Redemption Evangelical Fellowship – Riverside, CA

Nuestra mision es predicar el Evangelio de Nuestro Creador y Redentor Cristo Jesús. (Our mission is to preach the Gospel of our Creator and Redeemer Jesus Christ.)

https://www.facebook.com/Redemption-Evangelical-Fellowship- 189298117785555/?pnref=story

Back in March 2014, we got a call from Pastor Miguel Leiva from the Igesia Bautista del Septimo Dia (Seventh Day Baptist Church) in Houston, Texas, letting us know that there was a church in Riverside, CA, that had contacted him about SDBs. Nick Kersten made contact with Paulino (Paul) Marquez later that month. That set the stage for months of telephone conversations, and ultimately a visit from Pastor George Lawson of the Maranatha SDB Church in Colton, CA.

In November 2014, SDB Executive Director, Rob Appel, along with his wife and daughter, made a visit to the Redemption Fellowship to meet Pastor Paul and get to know this church and to answer any questions they might have about SDBs. It was the spark that started the fire between the Redemption Fellowship and the Conference.

Pastor Paul Marquez is the lead Pastor and has a MBA and a Master of Science of Professional Management from Miami University in Florida. He has been in the ministry for 30 years and is married with one daughter.

Along with Pastor Paul there is another Pastor in the congregation. Enrique Sandoval has a MDIV from Andrews University in Michigan. Enrique has been a Pastor for 21 years and serves as the Evangelism/Outreach Pastor and is married and has two daughters.

Pastors Paul and Enrique co-founded the start of the Redemption Evangelical Fellowship eleven years ago and filed with the State of California in 2010.

Along with George Lawson and me, there have been others that have been instrumental in working with and visiting the Redemption Fellowship over the past two years. The Rev. Gabe Bejjani, Pastor of the Riverside SDB Church; the Rev. John Pethtel,Director of Church Development & Pastoral Services; Jeremiah Owen, Director of Communications; and recently, Pastor Jim Schorr, of the Foothill Community Church in Montrose, CA.

In my many visits to the Redemption Evangelical Fellowship, both at the church and with visits with just the pastors, I have gotten to know the people and leaders there. Dr. Feuntes teaches Sabbath School and is a professor at an Orange County college in California. Victor Hernandez is also a pastor and teacher.

The Redemption Evangelical Fellowship has requested membership in the Seventh Day Baptist Conference. They have sent in their papers and we are in process of working with them on these documents before we send them to the Standing Committee on Faith and Order.

Please be in prayer as we go through this process.

NEXT MONTH: Kingdom of God SDB Church in Kingman, AZ.