Rebecca Carpenter
Rebecca Carpenter
Rebecca Carpenter
It was a joyful day for the Hickory, N.C., Hispanic Church on August 7, 2021. Members, community friends, and the administrators of the Carolinas Conference participated in the special ceremony of burning the church mortgage. This event marks the conclusion of one stage and the beginning of a new one for this dynamic church.
In the early ‘90s a group of Hispanic families began to meet in the facilities of the English-speaking church in Hickory. They eventually acquired their own church in Morganton. This move forced many members to travel more than half an hour to worship, which made it difficult to minister to the community where they lived. Evangelistic campaigns were carried out in the English church of Lincolnton, which was a little closer. In 1998, under the direction of Domingo Paulino, pastor, the possibility of relocating the church to Hickory began to be studied in order to more effectively reach the community with the message of the Gospel.
In the summer of that same year, the current property — whose facilities included the sanctuary, gymnasium, and a parsonage — was found and the application process for the loan began. Unfortunately, the church was unable to qualify to purchase the entire property, so the parsonage could not be included in the original purchase. Thankfully, this could be done years later.
After completing the purchase procedures and making some modifications to the platform, the inauguration was carried out. The ceremony was led by then-Carolina Conference President Ken Coonley. Through the years, God has confirmed that the decision to relocate this church was a successful one, and one that was in accordance with His will to advance the work of salvation in the city of Hickory and its surroundings.
Carolina | October 2021
