When it comes to gifts, Templo Emanuel in Crystal City, Texas, is used to being on the giving, rather than the receiving, end. Approximately 25 percent of the church's annual income goes to missions and the congregation recently raised $8,000 to build a church in Panama.
But on Saturday, October 11, it was Templo Emanuel's turn to receive what some have called a miraculous gift.
The gift? A facility valued at nearly $2 million.
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| Templo Emanuel's new sanctuary seats 280, giving them room to grow. |
The giver? First Baptist Church, a 100-year-old congregation that in recent years had dwindled in size to two dozen or so elderly members.
"Attendance at First Baptist had declined, yet the desire to reach the community still prevailed in the hearts of the remaining members," explains Efraim Espinoza, director of the Assemblies of God Office of Hispanic Relations and brother of Templo Emanuel's Pastor Dino Espinoza. "This gift allows both congregations to join together to reach Crystal City and surrounding communities with the good news that Jesus transforms lives."
Located two hours southwest of San Antonio, Crystal City has a predominantly Hispanic population of 8,000 people. Pastor Dino and Loida Espinoza have led the bilingual Templo Emanuel congregation for 23 years and have worked hard to build relationships in their community, serving in various volunteer capacities and partnering with churches of other denominations.
"My wife and I have been blessed to be involved in almost anything to do with the school or the community we can," says Espinoza. "We want to open the door and be salt and light to the world."
With an average Sunday morning attendance of 175-200 people, Templo Emanuel had long outgrown its 160-seat sanctuary. Espinoza wanted to build a new church that would have the space to welcome more of Crystal City's 7,000 residents who don't attend church.
But late last year, Espinoza was approached by the Area Baptist missions director who said, "don't spend a penny" on constructing a new church. The missions director told Espinoza that First Baptist would be closing its doors after its 100th anniversary celebration in October and that they wanted to give their facility, the largest evangelical building in town, to Templo Emanuel.
"It's unbelievable the fellowship we've had over all these years," Espinoza says of the longstanding relationship between the two congregations. Despite any differences in demographics or styles of worship, as First Baptist's missions director said in the church's final service, "they both loved Jesus."
The new building, with its 280-seat sanctuary, gymnasium and spacious storage areas, will allow Templo Emanuel to further expand its growing ministry.
Currently, the Girls Ministries and Royal Rangers programs are thriving, welcoming almost 100 children every Wednesday night. Espinoza says that before moving into the larger facility, they just didn't have room for so many people.
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| Now referred to as Templo Emanuel North Chapel, the old building will continue being used for ministry throughout the week. |
Templo Emanuel will continue to use its old building (Templo Emanuel North Chapel), which is located next to the Espinozas' parsonage, for three weekly prayer meetings, youth services and daily Lunch with the Master devotionals.
Along with the church building, Templo Emanuel also gained control of Winter Garden Christian school, which has about 140 students. Espinoza and his wife Loida have both worked at the school in the past and their son was a student. Several Templo Emanuel members already work at the school or serve on the board.
Efraim Espinoza, who led Templo Emanuel from 1971-1985, spoke at the October 11th dedication service and presented a plaque on behalf of the General Superintendent's office.
"This gift has impacted the local community and beyond with a testimony that God continues to build His church in miraculous ways," says Efraim Espinoza.
According to the Office of Hispanic Relations, this gift is one of the most significant, if not the most significant gifts, received by a local Hispanic Assemblies of God congregation.
"First Baptist's act of generosity demonstrates that the priority of believers is to build God's church," Efraim Espinoza says. "When our spiritual priorities are focused on the true mission of the church, God will always make a way and the world is given another opportunity to recognize God's miracle-working power."
To learn more about Templo Emanuel, visit the church's Web site.
