Invitation to a Revolution
When did we become boring? When did we decide that good enough was good enough? When did we come to believe that dying faithfully was more valuable than living faithfully? How did we get here?
We come from a rich heritage that breaks down barriers, exceeds expectations, and does what has never been done before. Yet, somehow, we have allowed ourselves to be domesticated… tamed. Yet, the wild and unbridled nature of the Spirit continues to flow through us, longing to take us beyond the natural to encounter the supernatural.
As Pentecostals, our roots lead us to Agnes Ozman, who courageously stepped into something new by being the first to speak in tongues during the revival in Topeka, Kansas—a fire that ignited a revival that later spread to many other places. William Seymour entered a new environment to do something new in the Kingdom of God. Racism prevented him from entering the classroom, so he listened from the hallway. The Azusa Street Revival was the epicenter of the new things God was doing, marked by a cultural and ethnic diversity almost unheard of in those times.
Our Pentecostal heritage is about moving toward the new things God has for us.
In the Assemblies of God, our foundations were laid by men and women willing to do what had never been done before.
The first Christian radio and television stations were founded by AG ministers. These ministers revolutionized Christian education with one of the first distance learning programs in the world. They were pioneers in ministering to the deaf, blind, and people with special needs. An AG minister changed the way we think about freedom from substance abuse, developing strategies to help people escape their addictions. The AG has been part of a major shift in the way missions are done, empowering people within their own cultures to connect with the Gospel authentically. As Hispanics in the Assemblies of God, we have a set of pioneers and leaders who represent us.
Dr. Jesse Miranda raised the bar for educational expectations and visibility for Hispanic ministers.
José Giron and Demetrio Bazán propelled our movement beyond its known limits. Giron promoted multiplying leaders and dividing authority, and Bazán, following God's call in a dream, left Texas to plant a church in Denver—pushing us toward our purpose.
And a 14-year-old boy in Ricardo, Texas, who had only been a convert for 10 days, started it all when he heard God's call to reach Hispanics with the Gospel. He went from house to house saying the only thing he knew how to say in Spanish: "Sunday, afternoon, at school."
We have the spiritual DNA of giants and heroes. Our ancestors never accepted the status quo. They created new realities. Brave men and women shed tears and even their blood to bring us here. It would be the greatest disrespect to them if we chose to live and lead as domesticated believers.
Sometimes we worry about going beyond our traditions, but we come from a long line of innovators and pioneers. Innovation is our tradition. The unconventional is our tradition. Doing something new is our tradition. We were born to go out and enter into something new. We were created with the imprints of bravery and courage. To do anything less would violate our heritage and who God created us to be.
Through the creation of the AG Hispanic REACH Center, we enter this moment—a spark with the power to ignite a new fire and fan the flames of innovation and advancement like never before in our generation. We have the opportunity to join those giants of faith who did the impossible before us.
We cannot wait for a mythological hero to emerge to defend us, so we must decide among ourselves that we will stand together. Together we can do more than we could apart. “We” is always greater than “I.” If we focus on the possibilities of our unity, we can see miracles.
If this sounds like the language of a revolution, it is because that is precisely what it is. It is not an invitation to rebel against higher authorities, but a call to repudiate isolation and narrow vision. This revolution is about returning to the bold spirit of our roots. To embrace the innovative and creative nature of our early leaders. This is a revolution against the average... against mere survival.
This is a revolution against the natural so that we can embrace and inhabit the supernatural. As we stand united under the umbrella of the AG Hispanic REACH Center, we see healthy pastors leading healthy churches and impacting their communities for Christ. This is the supernatural revolution to return to our roots and walk together in unity that we need, and it's what I believe we will see.
