Missional Living in a Border Town

Yesterday, some classmates and I had the opportunity to sit down with Victor Alvarez (in the yellow shirt), a larger-than-life, unapologetic fundamental Baptist pastor (an independent baptist) in northeast Brownsville, Texas. His church, Iglesia Bautista Fundamental, is set right in the center of the poorest county in the nation. He has a PhD in Theology, but you won't find his name or credentials anywhere on the church walls or on a sign out front. Brother Alvarez' story was mesmerizing and the wisdom gleaned from 30+ years of ministry kept us all salivating for more after nearly three and a half hours of interviewing him.

After heeding God's call to this community amidst naysayers and detractors who told him that he would not succeed, his church now runs over 350 per week with a running membership roll of 150 or so (he made sure to tell us that he keeps no dead rolls at his church - "if you're not coming, your off the roll. Period."). He could easily be running numbers much greater every week, but stands firm on the conviction that "church health is much more important that church size." His building has never taken on a dime of debt, but has been built by the hands of his people. Here are a few more pearls from Victor:

"Jonah preached a message of eight words and a wrong spirit, and God used it to convert a city. Noah preached faithfully for a hundred years and couldn't even convince his own kids. Yet we find Noah in Hebrews 11 and not Jonah. Ask yourselves a question, 'Do you want to be found faithful in the end, or successful?'"

"I use everything around me (social activism, secular organizations, city counsels, boards, etc.) as a tool to get done what I've got to get done [i.e. accomplish the work of the gospel]. God can use ALL things to accomplish his purposes."

"If you call yourself a pastor, then where is your flock? A pastor has sheep who follow him. If nobody is following you, you ain't a pastor...you're a preacher."

"The church building should reflect the values and personality of the neighborhood it serves. If everyone lives in a grass hut, why would you build a church out of stone? If everyone lives in stone houses, why would you build a church out of grass? People need to be able to identify with the church."

"The foundation of my church is good doctrine. As long as the doctrine is strong, my people can clap all they want."

"The key to life and ministry is balance. If you always operate on the extremes, you won't be as effective."

This is only a small sampling of the wisdom that was dispensed to us. Such wisdom can rarely be found in the classroom. It flows from the hearts of those who have drunk deeply the faithfulness of God upon giving their lives to the radical implications of the gospel.