Thriving Conciglio Church Fosters a Culture of Prayer and Discipleship

Karl Stagnar

Sam Walton may have put this town on the map, but Bentonville, Arkansas has another name that deserves recognition.Leo Chavarria served as a pastor Iglesia de Dios Exquisita Presencia Since the summer of 2014, we have led the Hispanic business to incredible growth and reach. Developing a congregational culture of prayer and discipleship, he has watched the Lord add to the church those who are saved and sanctified. A fruit of intentional leadership development, Leos pay it forward through deliberate strategies designed to create disciple-making disciples. Training up-and-coming ministers to embrace their God-given journey would inevitably mean letting go of qualified leaders, but the consequent expansion of the kingdom meant less investment. is a deal that everyone can afford.

In July 2014, Leo Chavarria and his wife Fanny arrived in Bentonville, Arkansas to lead a small bilingual ministry. Like several ministers of the Hispanic Council (Conciglio Hispano) of the Church of God, Leo’s calling was fulfilled and his skills honed under the leadership of Pastor Jorge Palacios. Iglesia de Dios ShalomFor over ten years, Leo has been calling the church in Bensalem, Pennsylvania. House.

Today’s home for the Chavarria family is more than a thousand miles away, surrounded by contrasting cultures you can see (and hear). The sights and sounds may differ dramatically from what they were once familiar with, but the mission remains the same – to go and make disciples.The next generation of spiritual cultivating his Shepherd is to A recipe for revival in his mind. For Pastor Leo, that includes giving others the lead. After all, the flock does not belong to this “lower shepherd”, but to the good shepherd.

“I have a clear understanding of my mission,” Leo explains. “[That is to] Be a leader in making new disciples for Christ. The church is not mine. the owner is the owner. “

Against the backdrop of a disturbing trend in which more and more churches appear to be in decline and closed, Iglesia de Dios Exquisita Presencia Present a particularly positive image. The congregation has grown remarkably rapidly in recent years while maintaining and improving its spiritual and functional health.

“One of the biggest reasons our church is growing is prayer,” Leo speculates. “We believe in the power of prayer. And the second reason is the disciple. Seventy-five percent of him in the congregation attends weekly classes.”

This is a reassuring statistic like no other. But not everything is perfect for Chavarrias and the congregation. But some hurdles reflect the growth the church is going through. “My biggest challenge right now is ministries that need their own place to serve,” explains Leo. “We use the United Methodist Church location for all services.”

When asked what he appreciates most about his ministry today, he replied about his work environment. “My greatest blessing in ministry right now is working with his wife and having a great leadership team.” He describes the team dynamic as having “the same vision and mission.” I’m here.

Discount superstore inventory may be reliable, but Leo Chavarria always reaps the greater return of her kingdom investment. live better. live forever.

Learn more about the Church of God movement at www.JesusIsTheSubject.org. Learn more about the Hispanic Council (Conciglio Hispano) Church (Spanish) www.conciliochog.org. Hispanic Heritage Month runs from September 15th to October 15th.

Feature (above) Collage: Leo and Fanny Chavarria (left), a special service at a church (right).