INDIANAPOLIS (BP) — The much-anticipated Southern Baptist annual family gathering is inching closer, and Hispanic Baptists are excited and ready to celebrate all God is doing through Hispanic churches at home and abroad.

Already 30 Hispanic missionaries have signed up for Crossover, an evangelistic event that takes place each year in the host city of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) annual meeting. The group has partnered with four local Hispanic churches to canvass those communities to pray, share the gospel and invite lost people to church.

Crossover Hispanic events will start on Saturday, June 8, and culminate with a dinner and celebration on Sunday, June 9, in the Indiana Convention Center’s Sagamore Ballroom 3-5. The dinner will begin at 5 p.m., and the celebration will start at 6 p.m. Register here.

Bruno Molina, executive director of the National Hispanic Baptist Network (NHBN), is organizing the event.

“Crying Out to God in Unity” will be the theme for this year’s Hispanic gathering, reflecting the theme for the 2024 SBC annual meeting – “One Mind, One Voice.”

“We want to come together to pray for a revival, and we encourage all Hispanic pastors, wives and leaders to join us,” Molina said. “Plan to come and pray and plan to celebrate what God is doing among his people.”

The dinner will also serve as an opportunity for Southern Baptist partners to share Spanish-language ministry resources with the pastors. Attendees will hear from representatives from the six Southern Baptist seminaries and GuideStone Financial Resources as well as SBC President Bart Barber and SBC EC President and CEO Jeff Iorg.

The Hispanic Celebration will feature Eloy Rodriguez, NHBN president and pastor of Idlewild Español near Tampa, Fla., as keynote speaker. Worship will be led by Julio Arriola, director of Send Network Texas in partnership with the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention. A dedicated time of prayer led by David Perez, pastor of Iglesia Casa de Bendición in St. Cloud, Fla., and prayer team leader of the NBHN, will also be part of the evening celebration.

“As we share with Southern Baptists across the nation, it is encouraging to see the tremendous growth and engagement of Hispanic churches and pastors in our united Great Commission work,” said Emanuel Roque, leader of the NBHN’s state representatives and Hispanic multicultural catalyst for the Florida Baptist Convention. 

“It is vitally important to be present in our annual celebration as we continue becoming an integral part of all that we do together in advancing the gospel as a part of a great kingdom family,” he continued.

On Monday, June 10, from 8 a.m.-3 p.m., Hispanic pastors and leaders will have several Spanish language workshops to choose from, including a track for women and another for prayer.

“I will have the opportunity to share a workshop on prayer that I have titled ‘7 Ds of Prayer’,” said Perez. “I am writing a small booklet to share in that workshop.”

Brazilian pastors and leaders will meet for fellowship from 6:30-8 p.m. in room 211 of the Indiana Convention Center. The 2023 SBC gathering in New Orleans was the first time the Brazilian Pastors and Leaders Network met, and at a retreat in August 2023, Brazilian pastors and other leaders voted unanimously to start the Fellowship of Brazilian Baptist Churches in North America.

For a full schedule of events surrounding the annual gathering, visit sbcannualmeeting.net/events/

(EDITOR’S NOTE — Keila Diaz is a digital communications assistant with the Florida Baptist Convention.)