My Extraordinary 30 Year Journey
My Extraordinary 30 Year Journey
by Bayron Mosquera
It was Wednesday, November 30, 1994, when I arrived in Birmingham with my wife, Maria, and our children, Evelyn (6) and Byron, Jr. (4). We brought four suitcases full of optimism and hope. It was the beginning of our “American Dream,” which had more to do with our desire to be obedient to the will of God than with ensuring our future or our material well-being. I started working on December 1, the very next day! I vividly remember that it was a time when Dawson was in the process of making a technological change from typewriters to computers. Every new employee received a notebook, a pen, and a floppy disk, and the entire staff shared three computers in a Technology Room. The office assigned to me was in the Middle East building. When I heard the words “Middle East” it made me feel like I had been commissioned to be a true missionary.
I always understood that the pastoral calling includes being willing to serve wherever the Lord calls you. However, I never thought that He would call me away from my native country, much less to serve in the United States. It was only when Dawson called me to work as Pastor of the Hispanic Congregation that I understood that God had plans for me and my family in a place far from where I was born.
In their initial proposal, I would serve approximately four years at Dawson while attending a Baptist seminary and then return to Ecuador to continue my pastoral work there. However, when I completed my studies, Dawson invited me to stay on as their Hispanic Pastor. After prayerful consideration with Maria, Evelyn, and Byron, Jr., we agreed that God’s calling was here, and Dawson incorporated me into the staff as a full-time employee. Not in my wildest dreams would I have ever expected that I would be celebrating 30 years of serving the Lord at Dawson this December!
I have to admit, the first years of working at Dawson were quite challenging. I had to assimilate to the culture, understand new ways of thinking, pursue a seminary degree in a different language, attend to my family's needs, and work with a congregation made up of people from a variety of different countries. Many may not realize that Hispanic speaking countries, ranging from Mexico to Argentina, include people who are as culturally different as Americans are to the British and Australians. Another challenge was to lead a Hispanic Congregation within the dynamics of the Dawson Anglo Church, which meant that we had to function under the policies, principles, rules, and structures, while sharing the same physical space. I liken it in similarity to being a musician in an orchestra in which one has to carefully read the music so as to not sound dissonant.
The need was there, and there was an expectation that the Hispanic Congregation would grow. With this goal in mind, we formed small home Bible study groups throughout the Birmingham metropolitan area. This helped the Congregation begin to flourish. There was one unique characteristic with this congregation: that is, there were members who were transient, who for work reasons were constantly moving within the United States, or had to return to their countries of origin. All of this made the growth process slow.
Over time, I realized that this seemingly negative aspect to our ministry had a positive side. Those transient members who were coming and going and only temporarily with us were now prepared to go out as missionary agents of the Gospel. They would now carry the Word of God to the place or places where they moved, whether within the United States or to their countries of origin when they returned. The fruit of our labor was not only in what could be seen in terms of numbers here at Dawson but also in what was not seen this side of Heaven. Once I understood this reality, I felt that the work we were doing was not in vain. This encouraged me to move forward, understanding that I was working, not only for the local church, but also for the extension of the Kingdom of God.
As the years passed, we expanded our outreach through different events, such as immigration conferences, dental and ophthalmological clinics, soccer tournaments, and Hispanic Vacation Bible School. Not only did we have the opportunity to share the Gospel at each and every event, but we also had opportunities to build friendly relationships with attendees.
VBS has been one of the most outstanding events for outreach, not only for children and young people of our community but also, for their parents. Through our VBS, many kids have come to know Jesus as their personal Savior. This event brought Hispanics and Anglos together so that hundreds of children had a lot of fun and learned about Jesus. And it's a perfect example to show that culture and language are never an obstacle when it comes to serving the Lord.
Our vision then extended beyond the four walls of our church. We began to realize that in Alabama there was no organization, such as an association or convention for Hispanic churches to organize events together. A group like this would allow us to fellowship or simply get to know each other among the different churches. One idea arose to organize a musical event in which all of the Hispanic Churches in the state of Alabama could participate. So, in October 2001, the Dawson Hispanic Congregation hosted “Hispanic Day,” which was attended by more than 200 people. This was such a success that Dawson hosted this event for the next five consecutive years.
This event gave rise to other initiatives, such as organizing conferences, retreats, and training events for the formation of leaders who were preparing to face the challenges of reaching the increasingly growing Hispanic community. This last initiative resulted in the founding of the Alabama Fraternity of Hispanic Churches in 2003 (now Alabama Hispanic Baptist Churches), and later, the establishment of the Alabama Baptist Bible Institute in 2010. The Bible Institute began its operation at the First Baptist Church of Hoover with 30 students, and it utilized several local pastors as teachers. The study plan included a three-year curriculum ending with a certificate of completion. For 13 years I have had the privilege of being part of the faculty, teaching the Old Testament, and in this way, contributing to the formation of the next generation of leaders, several of whom currently work as pastors.
On more than one occasion we have asked ourselves how to define the relationship between the Hispanic Congregation and Dawson's Anglo Congregation. In many ways, we seem to function independently, since we have our own programs and activities, we appoint our officers, we manage our budget, we have our finance committee, our own worship service, etc. However, we operate with the same rules and principles and occupy the same building. The best definition of this relationship was given by Dawson’s former Senior Pastor, Dr. Gary Fenton, when he explained the Church Within a Church concept in an article in the weekly Together bulletin:
"How do you expand the kingdom of God in the local setting? One excellent model is church growth by reaching people for Christ. . . . A second method is church planting by beginning new small congregations with their own styles and customs. . . . A third method is the “Church Within a Church” concept that can be effective under the right conditions and circumstances. This method uses an existing church’s organization, infrastructure, and buildings to start new groups within the church. The new groups develop their own unique styles and methods yet stay connected to the larger body through mission, doctrine, membership, and use of the larger church facilities. Instead of investing in real estate and buildings, these new groups can quickly invest in missions and ministry. Our Hispanic congregation is an example of the 'Church Within a Church' concept."
In 2016, with the purpose of developing more orderly and intentional work, the Hispanic Congregation launched a short-term Strategic Plan, determining goals and objectives that would allow us to quantify results. This plan included planting a new church in the northern area of Jefferson County where there was no Hispanic Baptist Church. Before long, this effort bore a great deal of fruit, and soon it was time to look for a pastor to direct this new work. Several of our congregation’s leaders and their families prayerfully decided to help with the new church and left to support the work in Fultondale.
These 30 years have been so rich and rewarding! Many people have heard the Gospel and have been baptized. Entire families have been strengthened, and we have been a blessing to many sister churches. We want to continue our work here where God brought us so many years ago, following His voice, and understanding that the task is not finished. I want to express my personal gratitude to all of Dawson for its vision for opening their doors to our Hispanic Ministry and for making us feel welcome and at home each and every day. It is a privilege to be part of this great family of faith.
Bayron Mosquera loves to work with people, helping those in need, and sharing the Gospel with non-believers. In his free time, he enjoys playing soccer and ping pong.