SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (BP) – The Convention of Southern Baptist Churches in Puerto Rico (CIBSPR) celebrated record baptisms and the reopening of its seminary, welcomed six churches, and commissioned 20 international missionaries at its 2026 annual meeting March 3 in San Juan.
Generous missions giving as well as discipleship and theological education for Puerto Rico’s prison population also enriched the meeting, CIBSPR Executive Director Luis Soto told Baptist Press.
“Without a doubt, it was a time of gratitude, renewed vision, and commitment to continue serving together for the glory of Christ,” Soto said. “We are deeply grateful for how God continues to strengthen the Baptist work in Puerto Rico. New churches are being added, missionaries are being sent to the nations, and the seminary has reopened to prepare the next generation of leaders.
“At the same time, the meeting allowed us to renew our vision of working together in church planting, discipleship, and theological training, trusting that God will continue to use our churches for the advancement of the Gospel in the island and beyond.”
Newly elected officers are vice president Raúl Torres, pastor of Iglesia Bautista Oasis de Amor in Peñuelas, and treasurer Rafael Vélez, pastor of Iglesia Bautista de Lajas, Soto said.
CIBSPR reopened in August 2025 its seminary, the Seminario Teológico Bautista de Puerto Rico, in cooperation with Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (MBTS). Just months later, 52 students are enrolled in the Certificate in Theological Studies program and upon graduation, will receive the For the Church Certificate, an MBTS designation that allows students to carry credits toward higher theological education.
“We believe this will be a great blessing for future church planters, pastors and leaders on the island who are seeking access to solid theological education,” said Soto, who leads the seminary in cooperation with Arnaldo Achucarro, director and vice dean of MBTS Español.
CIBSPR’s churches baptized a total of 168 new believers in 2025, Soto said, an increase from the 129 baptized in 2024.
The addition of six congregations brings CIBSPR to 59 member churches. New to the CIBSPR are Primera Iglesia Bautista de Villalba, located in Villalba; Iglesia Bautista Evangélica de la Palabra, in Fajardo; Summit Church Puerto Rico, in Humacao; Iglesia Bautista de Glenview and Ponce Baptist Church, both in Ponce, and Table Church in Aguadilla.
Through its prison discipleship program ministering to 100 incarcerated individuals, CIBSPR baptized 32 new believers and enrolled 28 in Seminario Teológico Bautista. CIBSPR is cooperating with the Senate of Puerto Rico in hopes of expanding to every correctional institution on the island the prison outreach program that began at Guayama Correctional Institution.
Puerto Rican Southern Baptists gave $65,546.15 to missions, including record giving of $26,439.64 to the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering, compared to $17,736 in 2024; and record giving of $23,597.42 to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering, compared to $21,704.68 in 2024. Cooperative Program giving totaled $15,509, Soto said.
Among the 20 missionaries commissioned to serve internationally, the majority of which will complete short-term mission trips to North America and the Middle East (NAME) in cooperation with the International Mission Board (IMB), Amarilis Crespo accepted a full-time mission assignment in the NAME region.
Special guests included North American Mission Board President Kevin Ezell, who delivered the convention message; and Colin Rayburn and Luis Gonzalez of the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention, a CIBSPR partner.
The NAMB Send Network hosted the meeting in its San Juan offices.
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