Churchill Downs chaplain helps faith blossom
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (BP)—The "Run for the Roses" is well-known at Churchill Downs, but for assistant chaplain Yurian Cabrera, the "roses" of the Kentucky Derby come second to seeing faith blossom at the famed racetrack's fruit of ministry.
Cabrera, a 29-year-old native of Cuba, is a church planting missionary and part-time pastor of Iglesia Bautista Senda de Luz in Louisville.
Serving as a chaplain at the racetrack is yet another of his passions. 
"I just love the smell, the track, the horses and, most of all, the people who work here," Cabrera smiled broadly, a dark goatee highlighting bright cheeks.
Early in the mornings, he relays a "Minute with God" over Churchill Downs' PA system in both English and Spanish as a devotional for track workers. 
"It is a very brief reminder that God is real and that He cares about the workers here at the track," Cabrera said.
More than 700 Hispanics, mostly from Mexico, Central America and Cuba, work in some capacity at the track. Many live within the stable area, or "backside" of the track, with others in nearby apartment buildings.
A beautiful on-site "Christ Chapel" at Churchill Downs provides a place for Cabrera to hold services in Spanish on Monday evenings. Local churches and ministries provide supper, while worship and praise music is provided by local musicians and church groups.
Hispanics hear about GPS from Hammond
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (BP)–Several hundred Hispanic pastors, missionaries and leaders gathered at the annual National Hispanic Celebration June 21 to celebrate church planting and evangelization — and chart new directions. The evening’s focus — “Live with Urgency: Sowing Together for the Harvest!” — also served as the official launching for Hispanics of the North American Missions […]
Family festival promotes Hispanic outreach
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (BP)–After months of preparation and a week of intensive evangelistic effort, Hispanic Baptists came together June 20 at the Iroquois Amphitheater and Park in Louisville to celebrate “Festival Familiar para toda la Familia” (Family Festival for the Whole Family). Johnny Hunt, president of the Southern Baptist Convention president, took part in the outreach, […]
Los hispanos celebran ‘Crossover’ en grande
SAN ANTONIO (BP)- El 9 de junio en la Iglesia Bautista South San Filadelfia en San Antonio, los hispanos bautistas celebraron en grande su esfuerzo en el Crossover.
Hispanic fellowship prays for SBC
SAN ANTONIO (BP)–“Great Is Thy Faithfulness” in Spanish rang out through the halls of the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio June 11. The chorus was not coming from the main hall where the Southern Baptist Pastors’ Conference was underway, but from a small group of prayer warriors in Room 211 — the […]
Hispanic fellowship moves meeting time
SAN ANTONIO (BP)–Citing a need for more operational freedom and a desire to avoid scheduling conflicts with other Southern Baptist Convention-related meetings, the National Fellowship of Hispanic Southern Baptist Churches voted in a June 10 business session to schedule future annual meetings independent of the SBC annual meeting. The fellowship also voted to enter into […]
SBC president greets Hispanics in Spanish
SAN ANTONIO (BP)–“Te amo! Te amo! Te amo” (I love you) was the message Southern Baptist Convention President Frank Page declared to a crowd which erupted in loud applause and a standing ovation at the 2007 National Hispanic Celebration June 10. “Gloria a Dios” (Glory to God). Trying out his broken Spanish on the 1,800-plus […]
Hispanic celebrate Crossover ‘en grande’
SAN ANTONIO (BP)–Hispanic Baptists celebrated their Crossover efforts “en grande” June 9 at South San Filadelfia Baptist Church in San Antonio. The crowd of 300-plus volunteers and visitors rallied under the banner of “Rise up and Build!” based on the biblical example found in Nehemiah 2:18. Rolando Lopez, Hispanic church planting and health consultant for […]
Hispanic Baptists plan impact & celebration
SAN ANTONIO (BP)–“Rise and Build” will be the theme of the Hispanic events taking place June 9-11 in conjunction with the Southern Baptist Convention’s annual meeting in San Antonio, a city rich in Hispanic-American heritage. The San Antonio Baptist Association, the North American Mission Board, the two Texas state conventions, the National Hispanic Fellowship of […]
Hispanics say, ‘Yes! We can!’ to church planting
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| Exec’s exhortation Fermin Whittaker, executive director of the California Southern Baptist Convention, addresses a Hispanic church planting celebration in Nashville, exhorting the audience to affirm, “Yes! We can!” pick up the pace of starting new Hispanic congregations across the U.S. Photo by John Swain |
“Hispanics should not expect the Anglo to do our work for us,” Whittaker stated, leading the 300 attendees in repeating the “Yes! We can!” exclamation.
