by Bill Reeves
Synopsis: Bill Reeves and Wayne Partain have devoted their lives to preaching the gospel in Spanish. After describing their collective efforts, Bill relates the struggles and successes of various brethren with whom he has labored.
It is amazing how many Hispanics in recent years are establishing themselves in non-Spanish-speaking countries. I have held gospel meetings in Spanish in Geneva, Switzerland and Quebec, Canada. Efforts have also been made to establish a Spanish-speaking congregation in London, England.
Whenever I have the opportunity, I encourage young, Anglo-American men to learn Spanish and become bi-lingual, reminding them that, if they speak both languages, they can then preach anywhere in the western hemisphere (from the northern tip of Alaska to the southern tip of South America, except in Brazil, where Portuguese is spoken).
Readers of this article should urge their Hispanic contacts to visit the website of brother Wayne Partain (waynepartain.com) and mine (billhreeves.com). Together, we have full-length, verse-by-verse commentaries on all New Testament books, and also on Leviticus, Ruth, Esther, Ezra, Daniel, and the Minor Prophets. His site has thirteen books of sermons, as well as special topics. Mine has 1,800 Queries and Answers on Bible-related topics and passages, all with currently updated indices. I also have over 5,000 Questions and Answers covering each chapter of the New Testament, which are designed to help newer converts to teach these books. I try to send out an English article of different Bible topics each week. If any would like to receive these, please send me your name and email address.
Brethren can participate in these efforts by sharing brother Partain's and my website addresses with their Spanish-speaking contacts. I urge all my readers to do so. Thanks.
In recent years, Josué Hernández (a very talented individual and computer science expert) has been preaching in Chile, South America. This year, he moved to El Salvador, Central America, to establish residence, and to be available to teach throughout that country. He has written prolifically and published tracts in Spanish.
Brother Partain and I have both received much help from Josué in matters of computers and Spanish. He has performed much proof-reading for us. Josué lost his wife to cancer last year, leaving two little daughters to his care; however, he recently remarried and now has a godly wife from El Salvador, who can serve as a step-mother to his children. Josué also does much preaching by Skype and social media. He is very informed on current issues in the English-speaking brotherhood and has written in Spanish concerning them. I know of no more talented and dedicated Hispanic preacher among us. He is a faithful defender of the truth.
There are also second generation preachers I would like to mention, one in San Marcos, Guatemala, Central America, and another (among others) in southern Mexico, in San Cristóbal De Las Casas, Chiapas. The first is brother Manuel Ventura, the son of brother Ricardo Ventura, who is in his eighties and is still preaching. I met Ricardo many years ago when I did meeting work in Guatemala. Manuel is receiving only $50/week but has a wife and child to support. In addition to regularly preaching in his community, he travels by bus to neighboring towns to preach at small congregations that lack full-time preachers. His wife has recently been in and out of hospitals, giving him additional financial burdens. (I have sent funds to him to help with hospital, doctor, and medical expenses.) Manuel is a worthy and capable young man in his early thirties. If any church can help him with monthly support, they would be supporting a good man. I can supply further detailed information if needed.
I planned to mention Isaí Urbina, son of Delfino Urbina, of San Cristóbal De Las Casas, Chiapas, which is located in the mountains, high above the clouds! I have preached there. Sadly, he recently died, after being sick for a long time, and having been hospitalized in Mexico City. I feel sorry for such a fine, young married man. His wife worked with him at his side. Primarily, he preached in his state of Chiapas.
In the northeast part of our country (New York City area and New Jersey), Gardner Hall (gardnerhall3@gmail.com) and Jerry Falk (jerryfalk63@yahoo.com) have been preaching in Spanish for many years. Many people from the Dominican Republic and other Latin American countries have moved into that area and are being evangelized by these two faithful brethren and those who work with them. Any temporary help would be appreciated.
When Jerry Falk was eighteen years old, he was converted from Catholicism while in Tampa, and later moved to Spain where he worked for years, mainly in the Seville area. He married while there and subsequently moved back to the USA because of his father's failing health. He continues to preach in the New York City and New Jersey area.
Mark Reeves, a son of mine, is bi-lingual and conducts gospel meetings in Mexico and other countries. He preaches, mainly in Spanish, at the Studebaker Road church in Long Beach, CA. He has a Chilean wife, a godly woman, and two well-disciplined children. He has published a 64-page work in Spanish entitled, Studies about the Book of Nehemiah. It is an excellent, running commentary on that book. Also, Terry Partain, a son of Wayne, is now distributing sermons in Spanish and English by email.
Years ago, Brother Partain sent some of his studies to Dos Hermanas, Spain (Seville area). Apparently, the preacher liked them, because he passed them among some brethren who, having read them, invited Wayne and me to visit Dos Hermanas to discuss our differences. One lady, who had done some preaching in the local church, asked me if such was permissible. I cited 1 Timothy 2:11-12. Soon afterward, ten or fifteen members left the liberal church and formed a strong, growing conservative church. Wayne, Ruben Amador, Jerry Falk, I, and others have held meetings in that church, and much of our printed material is now in their hands.
On one occasion, Wayne and I were invited to preach in a "church of Christ" in Spain, and a liberal preacher who had been trained in the USA sent a circular letter to all the churches in Spain saying, "Don't invite these men because they are anti-everything and more!" Wayne and I both preached, and the preacher got up and said that baptism is not for the remission of sins. He was preaching Church of the Brethren doctrine. This was a "church of Christ" formed by the famous Juan Monroy, supported by the liberals. In some cases at least, Juan changed the name on the church buildings, but not their sectarian doctrines.
In the early 80s, I held a gospel meeting in Spanish in Los Angeles, CA. A sister there asked me, "Would I go if her father (who preached in El Salvador) invited me for a gospel meeting?" Of course, I accepted. When I arrived, and was seated on the front row, ready to preach, a so-called "Missionary" (a graduate of a liberal preacher-training school, now salaried, and in some cases, even equipped with Jeeps to reach mountainous areas, and who control the [liberal] churches to preach when and where they choose), stopped the proceedings. He stood up in front of some 100 brethren who had assembled to hear me and dismissed everyone, saying that to invite me to preach would be the same as to invite an Adventist or a Jehovah's Witness! Approximately fifteen of those who were present walked several blocks to the house of the embarrassed local preacher, where I preached later that evening.
Over the next few years, invitations came from other congregations that were tired of the dominance of the "Missionaries." Several of us conservative preachers preached and taught throughout that small but densely populated country, from one end to the other. Over several years, I preached in some ten congregations, always by invitation from the local churches. Nevertheless, the liberals accused me of "dividing the brotherhood" and "stealing sheep."
Ruben Amador has made multiple preaching trips to Cuba, as elsewhere, but the work there has been slow, and his movements within the country very limited. Several more conservative brethren in Cuba communicate with us by email. Given our age (92), Wayne and I have discontinued traveling to foreign countries to preach, but Ruben continues laboring! God bless the efforts to get the saving gospel to those of Spanish speech.
Author Bio: Bill lives in Lufkin, TX and is active in appointment preaching and writing weekly articles. He is widowed, and has eight children (including four boys who preach full-time). His Spanish language Bible study website is billhreeves.com. He can be reached at billreeves25@aol.com.
