A Milestone Of Gospel Ministry Growth In Colombia
An update from Joselo Mercado, Lead Pastor of Iglesia Gracia Soberana de Gaithersburg, Maryland, USA, and Key Leader for our work in LATAM…
In July we had the joy and privilege of holding our very first Pastoral Training Retreat in Colombia, a milestone for the growth of gospel ministry in that country and across Latin America. This gathering marked the beginning of what we pray will be a long-lasting investment in raising up and strengthening pastors who serve faithfully in their local churches.
Pastors and leaders traveled not only from across Colombia—cities such as Bogotá, Medellín, Santa Marta, Cali, and Bucaramanga were represented—but also from Costa Rica and Bolivia, highlighting the regional impact of this retreat. Altogether, around 30 pastors and leaders participated, many of them bivocational men who labor sacrificially to shepherd God’s people while also providing for their families.
The retreat was intentionally designed to be both theological and relational. Rich Richardson and I were there to lead the training sessions and to continue cultivating relationships with the pastors. Their presence helped establish a sense of partnership and trust, reinforcing that Sovereign Grace is committed not only to sound teaching but also to long-term relational investment.
The main teaching focus of the retreat was the Seven Shared Values of Sovereign Grace—a framework that shapes our identity and practice as a family of churches. Each value was carefully unpacked, showing how these biblical convictions ground our mission and ministry. Pastors were encouraged to not only understand these values but also to apply them in the context of their local congregations. This was not merely theoretical instruction, but a call to embody these values in preaching, leadership, and daily pastoral care.
A particularly helpful session was led by Bob Wright, who taught on the topic of biblical generosity. Bob reminded us that generosity flows from the grace we have received in Christ, not from external pressure or human obligation. He traced biblical principles from both Old and New Testaments, demonstrating how gospel-shaped generosity becomes a powerful witness in our churches and communities. His teaching resonated deeply with pastors who minister in contexts where financial challenges are real and ongoing, and many left encouraged to model and cultivate a culture of generosity in their own congregations.
While the pastors were being trained, my wife Kathy gathered with a group of 12 wives who were present. This was a precious time of fellowship and encouragement for these women, many of whom quietly and sacrificially support their husbands’ ministries. Kathy listened to their stories, prayed with them, and shared insights from Scripture about walking faithfully with the Lord in the midst of the unique joys and challenges of ministry life. For many of the wives, this was one of the first times they had been intentionally included and cared for in this way, and their gratitude was evident.
One of the most significant moments of the retreat was the ordination of Jacobis Aldana as the first Sovereign Grace pastor in Colombia. This was a historic step, both for Jacobis personally and for the churches in Colombia that he represents. His ordination was a visible demonstration of our shared mission to establish healthy, gospel-preaching churches led by qualified pastors. It was deeply moving to see pastors and leaders from multiple cities and countries join together to affirm and celebrate this important milestone.
Afternoons allowed space for fellowship, prayer, and brotherhood among the pastors. Many of them serve in isolation, often without a network of like-minded leaders to encourage them. For them, simply being in a room with other pastors who share their joys and struggles was deeply refreshing. We heard testimony after testimony of how life-giving it was to pray for one another, to share meals together, and to realize, “I am not alone in this work.”
God was clearly at work. We saw men and women leave with renewed faith, strengthened convictions, and practical tools to better serve their churches. Some commented that this was the first time they had received focused training for their pastoral role. Others expressed gratitude for the relational depth they experienced, saying it was exactly what they needed in a season of weariness.
We return with great hope that this retreat was not simply an event, but the beginning of an ongoing work. Plans are already in motion to continue training pastors in Colombia on a regular basis, with the vision of equipping a new generation of leaders who will plant and strengthen churches throughout Latin America.
Please join us in praying that God would use the seeds sown in these days to bear much fruit for the advancement of the gospel in Colombia, Costa Rica, Bolivia and beyond.
