GREENSBORO, N.C. – Members of a Triad-area congregation and statewide ministry leaders are remembering a longtime Hispanic pastor who died unexpectedly last weekend as a friend to everyone he met and a humble church leader.

David Duarte, pastor of the Spanish campus of Definition Church in Greensboro, died suddenly on Saturday, March 18, after suffering a heart attack while out for an evening walk. He was 54.

“He was a very kind person who made friends with everybody,” said Cristian Rodriguez, a longtime church member and lay leader. “Everyone at the church saw him not just as a pastor, but also a friend. He was a great leader who definitely had a heart for the Lord.”

Rodriguez said he and others were “shocked” to learn of Duarte’s death, but Rodriguez said he was also encouraged to see how the congregation came together during the church’s worship service the next day.

“Even though there was sadness, there was comfort knowing that we are going to see him again,” Rodriguez said.

In a Facebook post after the service, church member and ministry leader Abi Pichardo wrote: “The legacy our Pastor David Duarte left is immense. Today in our service the love and affection that many people have for the Duarte family was demonstrated.”

Duarte ministered in Greensboro for nearly 30 years after moving there with his family in 1994 to plant one of the first Hispanic Baptist churches in the area. The church later merged with Definition Church as a Hispanic campus in 2015.

Duarte’s ministry left a lasting impact on Larry Doyle, former director of missions for the Piedmont Baptist Association. Doyle was pastoring Union Cross Hispanic Baptist Church in Kernersville when he met Duarte in 1994.

“David and I quickly became friends because of David’s wit and winsome personality,” Doyle said. “He became a loyal and trusted friend over the years. I knew him as a man of impeccable integrity and deep faith. He was a faithful, committed follower of Jesus. His work with the Hispanic community in the Triad reflected his genuine pastor’s heart.

“Recently, I reconnected with David through the monthly meeting of Spanish-speaking ministers in the Piedmont Baptist Association. He loved other pastors, especially church planters. Knowing him enriched our lives. We will miss him greatly.”

In addition to pastoring, Duarte spent much of his time helping members of the local Hispanic and immigrant communities with daily needs. He would often help them translate materials, provide transportation to their jobs, take them to various appointments and more. Duarte also worked with local nonprofit organizations to serve others.

“He used those things as opportunities to talk to people about God,” Rodriguez said.

Although he never sought attention or limelight, Duarte became a well known and respected leader across the state.

John Rosal, pastor of discipleship and outreach at First Baptist Church of Tarboro called Duarte “​​one of the best Hispanic pastors in our convention” that he knew.

“He had a pastor’s heart, preached and taught sound doctrine, and was respected and loved among his peers,” Rosal said.

Duarte served a four-year term on the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina’s board of directors from 2014 to 2017. He served as chairman of the board’s Communications Committee and also served on the Executive Committee from 2015 to 2017. He was also actively involved with the Piedmont Baptist Association.

Duarte also worked with N.C. Baptists as a church planting assessor for SendNC. In that role, Duarte assisted prospective church planters in their own church planting endeavors.

William Ortega, N.C. Baptists’ Hispanic church planting strategist, said Duarte was an “outstanding servant of God” who was loved and respected by all Hispanic pastors in North Carolina.

“It is with great sadness that we say goodbye to Pastor Duarte, but we take comfort in knowing that he is with Jesus at this moment and he has left a great impact on the lives of so many,” Ortega said. “Pastor David will be deeply missed.”

Duarte was born in Mexico and later became a naturalized U.S. citizen. He graduated from the Hispanic Baptist Theological Seminary in San Antonio, Texas, and later earned his master of divinity degree from International Theological Seminary.

Duarte is survived by his wife, Sandra; two daughters, Adbeel and Analise; seven siblings; many nieces and nephews; and extended family in Mexico and the United States.

A celebration of Duarte’s life will be held on Saturday, March 25, at 2 p.m. at Definition Church, located at 1806 Merritt Drive in Greensboro. The family will receive friends at the church prior to the service from 12:30 to 1:45 p.m.

The service will be livestreamed on the church’s website at https://live.definition.church.

Funeral arrangements are being handled by Hanes Lineberry Funeral Home and Guilford Memorial Gardens.

In a Facebook post announcing the funeral arrangements, Definition Church described Duarte as a “great man of God full of humility, compassion and a great sense of humor.”

“For the past twenty years, he faithfully pastored Definition in Spanish and led Hispanic and immigrant communities across the state,” the church wrote. “He lived his life in a way that represented what it means to be with Jesus, to become like Jesus, and to do what Jesus did.”

(EDITOR’S NOTE – A Spanish version of this article is available here.)