05 Aug Robert Espinoza, Our Hispanic Leader in El Paso

Phil Whipple, Bishop

After our weekend visit to the UB church in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Bishop Denis Casco, my wife Sandy, and I returned to El Paso on Tuesday night, July 1. The previous week, we attended services at two of the four UB churches in El Paso. Now we went to a third church, but only for a meal—no service that night.

This church, called Templo Cristiano Vida Grata, is located in Montana Vista, a suburb of El Paso. The building is unique. It started as a garage, and has been added onto a couple times. It can seat 80-some people, which is about what they run in attendance. The church’s pastor, Rafael Coss, and several of his children were there; the youngest is probably still in high school.

Robert Espinoza and some of his adult children came that night. Robert has been a United Brethren pastor for least 15 years now, and would be considered the leader of the UB churches in El Paso. He and his wife and children all speak English very well. Robert is a humble, sweet-spirited guy. It’s easy to feel a connection with his spirit, and I told him so.

After the meal, we sat around and talked about a variety of things. Robert spoke a little about his deep appreciation for Denis Casco, and his appreciation for us being there. Then Denis and I both spoke.

At a restaurant, I asked Robert to tell me his story. He was initially reluctant, saying that his life before Christ was not a pretty picture. But as we warmed in conversation, he shared his spiritual journey.

Robert was born in Mexico, but his family moved to El Paso when he was a boy. That’s where he grew up. Back in the 1960s, he lived sort of the hippy lifestyle as part of the San Francisco drug scene. One particular time he was close to death. His brother was instrumental in getting him out of that lifestyle.

Robert underwent a powerful conversation. He became involved in a church and even did some preaching in San Francisco. But then he felt the urge to return to El Paso.

Robert has, I think, six children. One son, Robert Jr., also went down a very bad path, one strewn with a lot of easy money. He ended up spending four years in prison for money laundering, and his wife left him.

Robert Jr. told me he is thankful for prison, because it forced him to confront his sin and turn his life around. He has been out of prison for about three years now, and God has really turned his life around. He remains single, and has a relationship with his children.

Robert Jr. now leads one of the two services at El Sembrador, the church his father pastors. They discovered that kids were leaving the church when they got old enough, and that bothered them. When they inquired about it, they learned that the younger people were struggling to understand Spanish. They had come up through American schools, and English was their preferred language. So now the early service is in English, with Robert Jr. preaching. It is attended mostly by younger people.

This, I understand, is a challenge faced by Hispanic churches across the country. As the heart language changes from Spanish to English, they must either adapt or limit their fishing pond to persons who maintain Spanish as their primary language.