Ministry in South Dakota

About this group

In 2012, an American sister named Kira Carabantes wrote to me telling me of her concern about starting some work among the Hispanics in the city of Huron. Kira was a Spanish teacher in the schools of that city, she was married to Samuel, a young Salvadoran who was in El Salvador waiting for his documents to return to the United States. Around the same time, a Hispanic group that had broken away from another denomination came to the Church of the Nazarene for a place to worship. Pastor Genell Knisley opened the doors of her heart and church to them and that is how she started the Old Path Church in Huron. In 2014, work began in Aberdeen with Pastor Nilsa Arizmendy. In 2017, Pastor Nery Pérez began work in the city of Sioux Falls; and in 2019, Pastor Jonathan Lara, a young man who emerged from the Church of Aberdeen, accepted the challenge of starting a new church in the City of Mitchell. Since we are working primarily with new Christians, we consider the main challenge to be training leaders. Since June 2007 we started the ministerial school. If we want to have churches we need pastors and these must emerge from the churches. There are twelve students who have graduated from the ministry program and others are preparing to be the pastors of the new works. Thus, our mission consists of training the leaders who will take charge of these new congregations. As a church planting ministry, we understand that this ministry along with those of prayer, compassion and evangelism are the key. God has opened up means of preaching in local radio stations, newspapers and community events, however, none of these have been the most important factor of growth in this area. What God has used most to win souls has been to be there when people need Him. We teach our people that each Nazarene is an agent of blessing and change in their family and environment. When someone needs love, understanding or just a helping hand, the Nazarene must be there. Every person can attend the Church of the Nazarene, because it is open to receive it. Loneliness is the greatest evil of Hispanics in the United States. The ministry of compassion is one of the supports of our work. The economic crisis of recent years has brought poverty to the richest nation on earth. There are many people with very deep needs, and although the government provides means of help, people do not know about them or are afraid to go to places where they could help them. The church is then a bridge between the satisfiers and the needs of the people. For example, every month we have at least three food distribution events. Government institutions provide us with food and we share it with hundreds of families who come to receive it. Every year and for the Christmas season, the United States Army provides us with toys and more than a thousand Hispanic children receive them through the ministries of the Churches of the Nazarene.