PUEBLA, Mexico – Missouri Baptists partnered with churches in the Puebla-Tlaxcala region of Mexico late last year to host a conference training local pastors there. The conference strengthened the missions partnership, as it begins its ninth year.
Rick Hedger, Multiplying Churches director and partnership mission strategist, led the delegation of Missouri Baptist pastors into the region to facilitate a Pastors Training Conference for the Puebla-Tlaxcala Regional Baptist Convention (PTRBC).
Hedger
“Early in 2019,” Hedger told The Pathway, “the pastors of the Tehuacan sector of the regional Baptist convention … requested that the Missouri Baptist Convention (MBC) host a conference focused upon their developing a healthy mission strategy for their churches.”
Hedger said that the PTRBC recruited 40 pastors with a passion to reach this region to attend the event.
“The training was so well-received,” Hedger added, “that the president of their convention (Pastor Pedro of FBC Tehuacan) requested us to do the same training in May 2020 for all of their pastors at the start of their annual meeting.”
During the two-day event, Missouri leadership led training sessions in various topics and fields pertaining to expressed needs of the Puebla pastors. Hedger led the pastors in a step-by-step process, “How to Develop A Missional Strategy.” Philip Shuford, director of missions for the Tri-County Baptist Association, taught on “Discipleship and Small Groups.” Matt Culberson, pastor of Faith Baptist Church, Festus, taught on “Developing an Evangelism Strategy”. David Ford, former IMB missionary and an elder at Freshwater Church, Jefferson City, shared how Missouri volunteers could assist in Puebla Baptists in their missional strategy.
In conjunction with the Pastors Conference, Sandee Hedger and Jenene Ford led a Pastors’ Wives Conference.
Alongside Missouri Baptist leadership, the Mexican National Baptist Convention was represented, as well as the Mexican Baptist Theological Seminary of Mexico City. A second training conference is scheduled for May in conjunction with the annual meeting of the Puebla-Tlaxcala Regional Baptist Convention.
For more information as to how your church can participate in this growing partnership, contact Hedger via email at rhedger@mobaptist.org.