Marco Güete is willing to go the distance to support Hispanic pastors and leaders as they answer their call to ministry. And he’s ready to prove it – again.
On Sept. 6, Güete, director of Mennonite Church USA’s Hispanic Ministries, and his wife, Sandra, will begin an 18-day, 143-mile (230 kilometers) pilgrimage along the El Camino de Santiago, walking from Portugal into Spain. Their journey will raise awareness and funds for MC USA’s Hispanic Ministries and its Spanish-language educational programs.
This will be Güete’s fourth pilgrimage in support of Hispanic Ministries. Now in his 70s, he has walked nearly 500 miles and raised more than $43,000 to support theological education and leadership development for Hispanic Mennonite pastors and leaders.
This year, Güete is inviting fellow Anabaptists to “Step Forward in Faith” with him, as he seeks to raise $25,000 for Hispanic Ministries.
For Güete, the pilgrimage is more than a fundraising effort. It is a tangible expression of his lifelong commitment to ministry in the Hispanic Mennonite Church and to making theological education accessible to emerging leaders.
A native of Colombia, Güete worked and raised a family while attending college and seminary in the United States – a balancing act familiar to many of today’s students and bivocational pastors.
“We are not walking for ourselves,” said Güete. “We are walking so others can be equipped to serve Christ with faith, knowledge, and hope. Together, we can open doors for those God is calling to lead and serve.”
Thousands of students have participated in Hispanic Ministries’ educational programs, and many have completed certificates or diplomas. Today, many of the graduates are serving as pastors and leaders in Hispanic Mennonite churches.
“It is hard to capture, in words, what Marco’s leadership has meant for Hispanic leaders and churches within MC USA and beyond,” said Michael Danner, associate executive director for Church Vitality. “His passion for affordable, accessible and effective education and his love for the church fuel his ministry, and MC USA Hispanic Ministries is the fruit of that work.”
MC USA’s Hispanic Ministries offers several pathways for theological education and leadership formation:
- Instituto Bíblico Anabautista (IBA), founded by Güete in 1988, provides biblical and theological training for lay leaders, pastors and church workers. Volunteer teachers and tutors lead the students through the program at study centers, which are hosted in local churches.
- Seminario Bíblico Anabautista Hispano (SeBAH), provides leadership formation for effective ministry in the local church.
- Continuing education equips pastors and leaders for lifelong learning and faithful service.
- Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary (AMBS) offers graduate theological education in Spanish through MC USA’s seminary. This spring, 10 Hispanic students, all active pastors, became the first graduates of the program’s new Graduate Certificate in Theological Studies.
Those who would like to support Hispanic Ministries can donate online or by mailing a check to Mennonite Church USA, 718 N. Main St., Newton, KS 67114. Please note EB 263 in the notes field. Follow us on Facebook for updates on the Güetes’ journey.
Mennonite Church USA is an Anabaptist Christian denomination, founded in 2002 by the merger of the Mennonite Church and the General Conference Mennonite Church. Members of this historic peace church seek to follow Jesus by rejecting violence and resisting injustice. MC USA’s Renewed Commitments state the following shared commitments among its diverse body of believers: to follow Jesus, witness to God’s peace and experience the transformation of the Holy Spirit. Mennoniteusa.org
Written by Camille Dager
Step Forward in Faith
There are two ways to join Marco and Sandra on their pilgrimage: through financial support and through prayer.
Please prayerfully consider making a recurring gift to Hispanic Ministries help provide accessible theological education and leadership development for Hispanic pastors and emerging leaders.
As Marco and Sandra walk, please join them in prayer:
- Pray for the ongoing ministry and mission of Hispanic Ministries and for the pastors and leaders it serves.
- Pray for those who are discerning a call to ministry that they will find encouragement, community and opportunities to grow in their gifts.
- Pray for the students and graduates of Hispanic Ministries’ programs as they serve their congregations and communities.
- Pray for safe travel, good weather and strength for Marco and Sandra along the Camino.
- Pray for the people they will meet and the lives they will touch along the way.
- Pray with gratitude for the many Hispanic pastors and leaders whose gifts, faith and ministry are helping to transform MC USA.
