Pastor Herman Perez. Dakotas Conference file photo from video screenshots.

For Pastor Herman Perez, the Midwest is filled with both opportunity and need. As Hispanic populations grow throughout the region, he and others are working to bring the gospel to them.

“Every little town between Sioux Falls and Rapid City is full of Hispanics,” he said. “They come here to work—egg farms, pig farms, agricultural plants. We are trying to break the barriers that keep them away so that they can go to church.”

After spending more than two decades working as a missionary in Mexico and Guatemala, Pastor Perez moved to Sioux Falls nine years ago and began planting churches. For the past four years, he has pastored a congregation hosted in Sunnycrest UMC. The ministry has now expanded to include services in Mitchell and Plankinton.

Even so, the need continues to outpace the number of churches. Some people drive 90 minutes or more to attend services, according to Pastor Herman. The problem is especially acute in rural areas. Thankfully, online platforms have provided a virtual space in which people can worship.

“Some people are watching the service while they’re working on farms,” Pastor Herman said. “What’s amazing is that they are even sending in their offerings because they want to support the work of the church.”

In addition, lay people have stepped in to fill the gaps of congregational care. While Pastor Herman regularly visits each congregation he oversees to pray and officiate services, a group of volunteers has arisen to take care of day-to-day needs.

“We had to close the church for eight or nine months during the pandemic,” Pastor Herman said. “I started to work one-on-one with the leaders—hours each week. Now those leaders are the ones meeting with people, praying with them and caring for them. They take care of Plankinton and Mitchell in amazing ways. I learned that it’s not me—it’s God.”

The Minnesota Annual Conference also continues to make spaces for Hispanic ministry. Earlier this month, Rev. Ben Ingebretson and Rev. Fred Vanderwerf helped lead the Hispanic Ministries Reach Event at Community UMC in Monticello, Minnesota, where Pastor Celia Navas works with the Isaiah 61:1 Church. Other church planters and partners in ministry from the Dakotas and Minnesota also attended. Read more about the event.

“The goal was just get everyone in the same room,” said Rev. Fred Vanderwerf, the Southern Prairie District Superintendent. “Let’s see what opportunities they are seeing that can guide strategy, and let’s see what united approach we can give to resourcing.”

Both Vanderwerf and Ingebretson see energy rising up around Hispanic ministries across the nation. These movements, often sparked by passionate leaders, are creating new spaces for Hispanic peoples with the help of multiple partners, according to Vanderwerf.

“The common factors I see in what happening in Hispanic ministry is that the leaders are 1) incredibly in touch with their own experience of grace, and therefore are compelled to share it, and 2) are completely surrendered to the call. They make great personal sacrifices to do this work.”

As always, there is more work yet to be done. The Dakotas congregations plan to host Noches de Salvacion y Milagros with Guatemalan evangelist Mario Ixquereu March 30 in Plankinton and March 31-April 2 in Sioux Falls. Pastor Herman also plans to help with new church starts in South Dakota and Kansas later this year.

For more information about Hispanic Ministries, contact Rev. Ben Ingebretson, director of new church development, Dakotas-Minnesota Area.

Multiplication any church can play: Sunnycrest and Renuevo—What might it look like to invite someone new, not like us, to join the Jesus journey? Sunnycrest United Methodist Church in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, knew that they were surrounded by diversity. So the congregation made some attempts to invite their diverse neighbors. Then Renuevo happened by listening to God's voice and letting the Holy Spirit take the lead. Watch the whole story.