Pastor Eduardo Negron and his wife Idalia, their daughter and son-in-law Idalis and Luis Dominguez, Idalia’s sister and brother-in-law Marilyn and Alex Montalvo, their children and grandchildren and members of the church ministry.
Caroline County’s only Hispanic church celebrated its 10th anniversary Sunday.
Are there enough Spanish-speaking residents in the county to support a church? The short answer: Yes, although Pastor Eduardo Negron and his wife Idalia asked themselves the same question when they moved here in 2003.
“We knew that God had brought us to work with the Hispanic community. The problem was that we did not know where they lived or who were Hispanic,” Negron said.
“I remember praying with my wife, ‘Lord, thou hast brought us here to do something for you but this place is a desert of Hispanics. Show us what to do and where to go as we are baffled.’
“We bought a house here and went to several churches. We went to Ladysmith Baptist and Pastor (James) Eads and told him the Lord had brought us here and we didn’t know why. We said we were interested in starting a Bible study,” Negron said.
Eads was supportive and even suggested they look into the church building that Ladysmith Baptist used for many years before building a new church.
That struck them as far too ambitious at the time, but the Negrons started a Bible study with four seasonal workers from Mexico.
Things grew from that humble beginning. The Hispanic Congregation of Ladysmith held its first service in January 2005.
Ten years later the congregation numbers over 100 members who trace their heritage from Puerto Rico, Mexico, El Salvador, Bolivia, Guatemala, Panama, Nicaragua, and Honduras. The congregation is multi-racial and bilingual.
Services are conducted primarily in Spanish. What is in Spanish is also interpreted in English via headphones. Hymn and song lyrics are projected onto a large screen in both Spanish and English, and portions are sung in both languages.
Music plays a huge role in the regular Sunday morning services as well as at special occasions. The six-piece band, half adults and half children, consists of three guitars, a keyboard, and two percussionists. It is good, loud, and loaded with energy.
“If you want to sing, sing. If you want to dance, dance,” the congregation is exhorted. And they do.
Although some members of this Evangelical Christian congregation used to attend Catholic churches, it is not their objective to convert Catholics, Negron emphasized.
“We are trying to reach the people who are not going to any church,” he said. “I am talking about the Bible. I am not talking about religion.”
During Sunday’s anniversary service, Negron and others noted that the past 10 years have provided many ups and downs, but the Hispanic Congregation has survived and prospered.
A number of members of the original flock were engaged in the building trades, and some of those families had to relocate during the post-2008 recession. Participation has been on the upswing, however.
Like music, family values and solidarity are important to their faith as well as their Hispanic heritage.
“Last Sunday we had 68 in church, and three or four families were not here,” said Idalia Negron, who serves as church secretary.
Her sister and brother-in-law, Marilyn and Alex Montalvo, are involved in the music ministry. The Negrons’ daughter and son-in-law, Idalis and Luis Dominguez are also active in the ministry as youth directors, as are other family members.
Like many country pastors, Negron has a “day job” as a custodial manager in Prince William County.
A more festive celebration is planned for summer, when the weather is more predictable. The Negrons and the members of the congregation clearly are looking forward to what the next 10 years bring.
According to the U.S. Census, there are at least 1,100 residents in Caroline County who listed their ethnicity as Hispanic. The potential for growth is apparent.
The Hispanic Congregation of Ladysmith holds services at 10:30 a.m. each Sunday and Bible Study at 7 p.m. each Wednesday. It is located at 19443 Jeff Davis Highway, Ruther Glen.
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