by Hugo Torres

Please share some of your background and also how you came across Evergreen SGV.

I was born and raised in Mexico in a Catholic family by tradition. My parents were never devout Catholics. However, as a child they started me in the knowledge of Christ, but without the gospel, which is God's power for salvation to anyone who believes, the Jew first and then the Greek (Romans 1:16), since officially, the Catholic Church does not teach the true gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

At the age of 23, I came to the United States and here the Lord saved me by grace (Eph. 2:8-9). I was 27 years old when someone invited me to an evangelical church of the Baptist denomination where after attending for three months, God convicted me of my sin and broke my heart to the point of repenting and believing in the gospel of Jesus Christ (Acts 2:37-38). 

Since then, I firmly believe that I was born again and as a result, my life changed radically in my worldview and behavior, and from very early in my Christian life, the Lord put in my heart the desire to pursue pastoral ministry (1 Timothy 3:1). But it was not until three years later after my conversion that God opened the door to enter a Bible Institute to prepare for ministry. Two years after I graduated in 2004, I began my first pastoral ministry in a small Hispanic Baptist congregation that lasted for eight years. In that same year I married my wife Jacqueline with whom I have three sons. 

In 2011, desiring to be better prepared for ministry, God opened a second door to enter the Master's Seminary. During this time in 2013, the Lord led me to plant a Hispanic congregation in the city of La Habra, which I pastor to the present time.

In 2019, a day before the Shepherd’s conference started (a yearly conference for pastors led by Dr. John MacArthur and his church), there was a fellowship of pastors held on the campus of Grace Community Church to which Pastor Rocky Seto was personally invited by Dr. MacArthur and it turned out that I was assigned to sit at the same table next to where Pastor Rocky was seated. Both of us enjoyed fellowshipping together during that day and also, during the entire week of the Shepherd’s conference. Since then, Pastor Rocky and I became good friends with a common cause and purpose to serve in love the Lord's church as pastors (Acts 20:28). I believe in God’s providence that He allowed me to meet Pastor Rocky and through him, be acquainted with Evergreen SGV, and the rest we can say is history. 

Please share how you became a part-time Spanish-Speaking pastor at Evergreen SGV.

I would like to answer this question by first recognizing again the providence of God (Romans 8:28) in this ministerial position at Evergreen SGV. It was on a Sunday in the summer of 2019 that my family and I visited the church. A few days earlier, Pastor Rocky called me to let me know his desire to reach the Hispanic community surrounding the church campus. During my visit that day, I saw the potential provided by the congregation and its facilities and the Lord put in my heart that same desire to reach the Hispanic community here. 

It was also during this visit that I was introduced to a key person, Pastor Victor Chen, who oversaw Local Outreach and International Missions and so we began to cultivate a friendship and camaraderie. I soon expressed to him my desire to help the church reach the Hispanics. Pastor Victor responded by inviting me to volunteer in the food pantry ministry, which I did together with my wife Jacky every other week until it had to be canceled because of the pandemic. Around this time, Pastor Victor offered me the position and after talking to my wife and praying about it, convinced that it was from God, I accepted it.

What are your responsibilities as the Spanish-Speaking Pastor in Local Outreach?

My primary responsibility as the book of Acts 1:8 clearly expresses, is to coordinate the Local Outreach (our Jerusalem) of our church to the Hispanic community through the proclamation of the gospel and the making of disciples of Jesus (Mark 16:15, Matthew 28:19-20) in consultation and coordination with other activities and ministries of local scope of the church. 

Equally important, is my responsibility to help the church begin a Spanish ministry, oversee a Bible study in Spanish, develop friendly relationships with the Hispanic community and Evergreen SGV, respond to any calls the church receives in Spanish from the community and be available to meet any needs primarily for counseling and prayer. Another part of my responsibility is also to explore and develop strategies and ways to effectively reach out to the community and serve as a mediator to establish a strong relationship between our church and Don Julian Elementary School.

How has your time on staff been so far?

Incredibly positive. From the first day I started, I have felt very welcomed by all the staff, especially by the pastoral body because of the close relationships that I have developed by participating every Tuesday in the Pastors’ Round Table. They have really shown me and made me feel like I am one like them and that fills me with humility. 

Every Tuesday, I go with great enthusiasm because of the opportunities to cultivate my relationships with one other. And now that recently the staff is returning to work in person, I also take it as an opportunity to develop relationships with them.    

What are you most excited for in Local Outreach at Evergreen SGV?

The vision of seeing a congregation of believers as part of the Evergreen SGV family serving and worshipping in spirit and truth (John 4:23-24) in the Lord's Day simultaneously in Spanish. For now, this vision is what excites me to do what I do in the Local Outreach of our church.    

Is there anything you would like to share with the church family?

Yes. I recently received a nice card from a person from the 3rd and 4th grade department and I wanted to quote what she wrote: "Thank you for being the Local Outreach pastor to the Spanish people. God is with you wherever you go. I will be praying for you and that more people will join your Spanish-speaking bible study. I hope I can meet you in person someday."

If I could respond to the words of this person, this is what I would say and equally, to the rest of Evergreen SGV family: I am the one who is grateful to God and you for allowing me to be part of this family and ministry. Thank you for supporting me with your prayers for local outreach, and I do also look forward to meeting you personally with my family.