The beginning of 2023 has been an intense one, but very productive for the work of the gospel in Latin America. Here are 5 different ways Sovereign Grace of Gaithersburg (IGSG) was able to serve extra-locally. I will share a few words with you about each opportunity that the Lord allowed us to serve in, to demonstrate the great work of revival that God is doing in the Hispanic world.

Ante Su Palabra Conference, Denton, Texas, USA (January 19-21)

This is an annual leadership development conference that takes place in Denton, Texas. I am part of the team that organizes it and the purpose is to equip pastors with biblical models for the faithful proclamation of the word. ASP has conferences in Argentina and Texas. In addition, they run expository preaching training and monthly calls to encourage pastors. This conference was attended by about 850 people and Carolina Gonzales, who is a member of IGSG, was part of the logistics team. I preached a sermon from Romans 13 about the hope we have in the second coming that leads us to love the community we live in and the body of Christ.

Equipping Pastors in San Jose, Costa Rica (January 25-27)

I was able to go on this short trip to train pastors and leaders of churches interested in being adopted by Sovereign Grace. We taught on how to practice biblical fellowship. This is an area of weakness in the Hispanic world where in the Hispanic culture people are very friendly with many, but develop deep relationships with few. They were presented with the biblical model of living in the light because of the reality that in the gospel we have the forgiveness of sin and the power to be transformed.

Por Su Gracia Conference, Costa Rica (March 2-6)

Rich Richardson, Bob Donohue and I went to Jaco, Costa Rica and participated in the Por Su Gracia conference with the purpose of promoting sound doctrine in this Central American country. At this moment there are 6 churches interested in being adopted into Sovereign Grace, so we were able to share with the pastors and churches of this beautiful country. On Sunday, Rich preached at Casa 2:42 in San Jose, Bob at Iglesia Bíblica de Playa Azul and I at Iglesia La Gracia in San Jose. We were very encouraged by what God is doing in Costa Rica. As the Ticos say, Pura Vida!

Pastoral Couples Retreat, Santa Marta, Colombia (March 20-24)

On March 20th, we were able to travel to Santa Marta to be with 14 couples from 7 churches, several of them in the SG adoption process. Most pastors were from Colombia, but we had two coming from Bolivia. The purpose of this retreat was to equip them with Biblical truths to strengthen their marriages, but more than that, we wanted to encourage them in their ministry and also create relationships among them so that they can serve together in the broad work that the Lord is doing in Colombia. We spent three days sharing, eating and talking. Once again Carolina Gonzales was able to coordinate all the logistics for this retreat and we were able to bless these pastors and their wives with dinners and special times in this beautiful city.

True Woman '23 – Revive our Heart Spanish (March 31 – April 2)

Lastly we went as a family to the Mujer Verdadera (True Woman) '23 conference in Guadalajara, Mexico. 8,100 women from 35 countries gathered in this city to be instructed on how to grow in their biblical femininity. This is the conference for the Hispanic wing of Nancy DeMoss' Revive Our Hearts ministry. God is using this ministry to impact Latin America and women in their families, churches and communities. I was invited to preach a sermon on freedom in Christ based on the entire book of Romans as well as participate in a panel on the freedom that the gospel offers from the false ideologies of this world. It was impressive to see what God is doing in the Hispanic world by observing so many women hungry for the word.

Something that was very special was having my whole family at the conference, and they being used as a model of doing ministry together. In addition, several IGSG members participated in the conference both face-to-face and behind the scenes. This was very edifying. On Sunday we were able to preach at the Gracia Soberana Church in Guadalajara and see the great work that Roberto Estupinian is doing leading this congregation. From there we went on vacation as a family, but we left very excited to see what God is doing.

Finally, in the midst of this, I was able to go to Santo Domingo for a week in February to start a Doctor of Ministry (DMin) with the Southern Baptist Seminary. Please pray that this opportunity will be used to better serve the local church of IGSG and wider Sovereign Grace Churches so that Christ can be made known in the Hispanic world.

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Joselo Mercado is Senior Pastor of Iglesia Gracia Soberana de Gaithersburg, Maryland, USA, and key leader into Sovereign Grace Latin America. The post Latin America - A Great Way to Start the Year originally appeared on the SGC Missions website on May 3, 2023.

We are very excited that after much planning and preparation our inaugural SGC Australia Pastors & Planters Academy has kicked off! 

The Academy is a program designed to train future Sovereign Grace Pastors and Planters to serve in and plant Sovereign Grace Churches, the Sovereign Grace way. It was birthed out of a desire to help codify what we’ve been doing informally and over a long period of time into a consistent leadership development program for people within our churches and to give a pathway for new guys coming in so that we can plant more enduring churches across Australia. 

Dave Taylor is Director of Emerging Nations for Sovereign Grace Churches and serves as the lead pastor of Sovereign Grace Church, Sydney, Australia.

The full post Australian Planters & Pastors Academy Begins originally appeared on the Emerging Nations blog on March 2, 2022. Emerging Nations exists to serve the pioneering work of Sovereign Grace Churches around the world.

Joselo Mercado, Emerging Nations Representative to Latin America, and pastor at Iglesia Gracia Soberana de Gaithersburg with his family and friends on a recent trip to Costa Rica to meet with churches that are exploring partnership with Sovereign Grace.

Emerging Nations exists to serve the pioneering work of Sovereign Grace Churches around the world: a global community of churches represented in the US, Latin America, Europe, Australasia, Africa and Asia.

Sovereign Grace Churches are taking shape in 38 different countries with the same conviction held from the early years: that churches are stronger together. Here are just a few of the exciting developments posted recently on the Emerging Nations blog:

Moving Forward in the Philippines

Launching Our Ethiopian Pastors College

Gospel Work Provision in Croatia

Deepening Relationships in Costa Rica

Gloriously Ordinary Ministry in Ethiopia

Last fall, after much toil and time, Sovereign Grace unanimously approved a new and vastly improved Statement of Faith. It is a document that will outlive us and be a gift to future pastors and churches of Sovereign Grace Churches. We want this gift to be understood and enjoyed in other parts of the world as well. Recently we completed the Spanish translation of the Statement of Faith. 

Under the leadership of Carlos Contreras, lead pastor of Iglesia Gracia Soberana de Cd. Juárez, we took the statement through at least four different editing revisions to ensure smooth Spanish readability. We also contacted someone who is a translator by trade. I am pleased to announce that we have a Spanish version of our Statement of Faith, you can check it out here.

In addition, Andrew Leung, Pastoral Intern at Sovereign Grace Church, Sydney, and Executive Assistant to Dave Taylor, Director of Emerging Nations, is also coordinating the work of translating the recently launched Sovereign Grace Churches website, along with the Statement of Faith and the Seven Shared Values, into other various languages: Italian, Croatian, Korean, Chinese, Tagalog, Cebuano to name but a few! 

“These languages all relate to places around the world where Sovereign Grace either has a partner church, or where Sovereign Grace is looking to plant or adopt. What an amazing opportunity to share with many nations, in their own tongue, our Sovereign Grace distinctives as outworking of the gospel, and to invite them to join in our family of churches. Through the translation of these rich materials, we get to share something that we treasure and that has brought us much joy. May it serve us well in this Great Commission.” Andrew Leung

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Rich Richardson is Director of Global Missions for Sovereign Grace Churches, serves as Emerging Nations Representative to Latin America and is the lead pastor of Center Church in Gilbert, AZ.

The full post Newly Minted Spanish Statement Of Faith originally appeared on the Emerging Nations blog on July 1, 2021. The full post Many Languages, Peoples and Nations originally appeared on the Emerging Nations blog on May 26, 2021. Emerging Nations exists to serve the pioneering work of Sovereign Grace Churches around the world.

We are thrilled to announce the following Sovereign Grace Candidate Churches, who have formally begun the ordination and adoption process:

La Vina Escazu - Costa Rica

Igreja Nova Vida - Brazil

Casa Vida Playa Azul Church (CVPA) - Costa Rica

Sublime Gracia Church - Santa Marta, Colombia

It is our great joy to share more about these churches from Mark Prater, Bert Turner, and Joselo Mercado:

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Dave Taylor is Director of Emerging Nations for Sovereign Grace Churches and serves as the lead pastor of Sovereign Grace Church, Sydney. He resides in Australia with his wife Emma and their five children.

The full post Four Global Churches Pursuing Adoption originally appeared on the Emerging Nations blog on February 25, 2021. Emerging Nations exists to serve the pioneering work of Sovereign Grace Churches around the world.

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There doesn’t seem to be a nation that is untouched by the COVID-19 pandemic. For our small denomination, Sovereign Grace Churches, the pandemic is a reminder that the pastors and churches we are currently working with in 32 different nations are being impacted by the COVID-19 virus. The needs in these nations are different but very real and one of the ways we can serve them is to pray. The Apostle Paul writes, “praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints” (Eph. 5:18). The word “all” is used four times in this one verse meaning that we are to pray at ALL times for ALL the saints that are in ALL the nations. Therefore, please join Sovereign Grace Churches for a Day of Prayer for the Nations on Friday, April 24. Here is a partial list of items you can pray for:

• Pray that God would protect the saints in the churches we are working with around the world from being infected with the COVID-19 virus.

• Pray that God would heal any of the saints that are sick, especially those who test positive for COVID-19.

• Pray for Dyonah Thomas and the eight churches he serves in Liberia asking God to provide finances and resources to purchase food and supplies for the saints in those churches.

• Pray for Carlos Contreras as he serves our churches in Mexico and Central America asking God to provide for the churches that are facing financial challenges.

• Pray for Jorge and David Del Castillo who just planted Iglesia Gracia Soberana in Santa Cruz, Bolivia who only had the opportunity to hold a few public services before shut in orders were given in that nation. Please pray that God would provide for this new church.

• Pray for Jeffery Jo (Manila), Pete Valdez (Bohol), Cornelio Nebo (Cebu City) who care for churches in the Philippines asking God to provide finances and resources to purchase food and supplies for the saints in that nation.

• Pray for pastors we are relating to in Costa Rica, Columbia, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Brazil, Zambia, Ethiopia, South Korea, Australia, India, Nepal, England, Germany, Italy, Croatia, Belarus, and Thailand asking God to give them wisdom to lead their churches and provide for their needs.

• Pray for Dave Taylor, our Director of Emerging Nations, asking God to give him wisdom as he and his team serve the saints in different nations during this unprecedented time.

This is only a partial list of prayer requests. So, as you pray in the Spirit, please lift up any other needs you are aware of, or the Spirit brings to mind.

Thanks for praying for ALL the saints!

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Mark Prater is the Executive Director for Sovereign Grace and serves as an elder at Covenant Fellowship Church. He and his wife, Jill, have three married daughters and a growing number of grandchildren.