Our History

1965: Rev. Rodrigo Vega

Rev. Rodrigo Vega and his family arrived in the city of Lawrence for a visit on Christmas of 1965. Rev. Vega was exploring the possibility of opening a church in the area. He noted that a growing number of Hispanic Christians had moved into the city, yet no Spanish-speaking congregation had ever been established. He and his wife decided to begin the wonderful ministry that has continued to this day.

Recognizing the need for a place to worship, Rev. Vega approached the Warren Street UCC on the corner of Lowell and Warren. The church was purchased for $8,000.

1968-80s: Rev. William García

In 1968, Rev. Vega moved on to establish congregations in other cities. He called on a dear friend and brother in Chris, Rev. William García, to continue the work he had begun. Rev. García brought the congregation from a fledgling flock to a fully mature fellowship. For eighteen years, he and his wife, Anna, touched the hearts of young and old alike. By the mid-80s Spanish Evangelical Church was a vibrant church with over 200 members.

1986-1990: Rev. Carrión - Rev. Maria Perez

In 1986, due to health reasons, Rev. García moved to the fair climes of Florida to support a new church there. For several years, the church saw a succession of pastors, including Rev. Felix Carrión and Rev. Maria Perez (interim). but, church attendance languished, and, by the late 80s, membership had dropped to around 25 members.

1990 - 2010: Rev. Nelson Gonzalez

In 1990 Rev. Nelson Gonzalez and his family visited the church simply looking for a place of worship. The very Sunday of their first visit the church had been searching for a new pastor.

Over a period of about seven months, it was decided that Rev. Gonzalez would be accepted as the new pastor.

Rev. Gonzalez recognized the need for team ministry. He prayed earnestly for leaders to be raised up in order for a vital ministry to be restored. The Lord brought a team of people whose lives had been impacted by Christ and were deeply committed to building His Kingdom. Seminary student, Deliris Carrión, worked closely with the youth, and Rev. Eduardo Maynard served as Associate Pastor.

By 1998, the church had grown to well over 100 members and Rev. Gonzalez was able to devote his full time to the work of ministry. Particularly because of the children and youth of the church, whose numbers had swelled to nearly 75, the leadership was recognizing the need to communicate both in Spanish and English. By 1999, the church was holding all of its services in both languages. Children and youth ministries were primarily in English.

Today...

Today, Lawrence boasts nearly 70 churches. Over 40 of those are completely Spanish-speaking congregations. Spanish Evangelical is the first church in the city to hold all of its services in both Spanish and English. We seek to reach out to second and third-generation Hispanics whose lives are lived walking between two different cultures.