Reforma Siglo 21 Conference Report

We rejoice in thanksgiving to God for the fellowship of some 60 pastors, leaders and students from all over Mexico who assembled in Hermosillo, Mexico, April 26-29, 2012 for Siglo 21 Conferencia de Liderazgo.

Francisco Orozco has summarized the experience in these words: ‘For three days, plus the Lord’s day, these men heard theological, historical and biblical expositions. The Lord was pleased to grant his Spirit both in exposition and attendance . . .’

The men attended lectures on topics including ‘Preaching from the Book of Acts’, ‘Sola Scriptura‘, ‘Reformed Hermeneutics’, ‘William Carey and Missions in the 21st Century’, ‘Creeds Confessions and Catechisms’, and ‘Reformation in the 1st, 16th and 21st Centuries’.

This Conference was the first nationwide Siglo 21 Conferencia de Liderazgo (Leadership Conference, 21st Century). Attendees overwhelmingly agreed that God had been pleased to bless exceedingly abundantly above all that we asked or thought: the Scripture clearly presented, God’s grace expounded from the life of William Carey, and everyone exhorted to persevere and preach as dying men to a dying generation.

Conference speakers included pastors Jaime Adams (Mesa, AZ, USA), Sam Masters (Cordoba, Argentina), Paco Orozco (Hermosillo), Francisco Orozco (Cuauhtémoc, Chihuahua).

Each morning began with a devotional. Pastor Dave Hendrickx (El Paso, TX, USA) opened Psalm 67 – ‘Why God Blesses Us’, and Francisco Orozco, senior (Paco and Francisco’s father) (Hermosillo) opened Colossians 1:24: ‘. . . fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church’, moving our hearts to take the gospel to the lost all around us.

Brother David Adams of Poiema Publications from Medellin, Colombia set up a book table offering good reformed Spanish titles and literature, and CDs of sermons of Dr. Juan Boonstra.

The host church, Iglesia BÃblica Monte Horeb, sacrificially received, housed and served all the visitors. We pray the Lord will continue to build his church there.

The Conference’s purpose is to glorify God through the reformation of the churches in Mexico, teaching and encouraging men to preach Christ, his Word, with the Holy Spirit’s unction. May the Lord grant us this prayer. It is planned and prayed that this conference will take place annually.

We sincerely thank churches, Poiema Publications, and individuals from the USA who generously helped financially to underwrite scholarships, transportation costs and other expenses that made access to this conference possible for many of the men who attended. Thank you all for your prayers and support in this open door of ministry.

May God give us all grace to make known his glory to all nations. It is our prayer that this conference will be a means to that end. Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945) reminds us of our privilege to reach out to the lost and dying: ‘The exclusion of the weak and insignificant, the seemingly useless people, from a Christian community may actually mean the exclusion of Christ – the poor brother knocking at the door.’

Below are some notes of appreciation written by attendees.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
I give thanks to God for your love and for the unmerited privilege that he gave me through your generosity to be able to attend these conferences that have been a great blessing to my heart. I have received guidance, comfort and inspiration to be able to fight for a reform and revival in my congregation and region of Mexico. May God repay you with many fruits from your labor.

God knows that I wanted to be able to attend the conference to hear his Word, to learn and to meet brothers in Christ, but I was out of work and did not have the economic means to attend. But God in his sovereign providence has given me the opportunity to know Francisco Orozco, who let you know of my need. God put it in all of your hearts to help me, and thanks to him I am here.

I don’t know how to express my thanks to you. Truly these teachings, the fellowship and your help have motivated me to know and serve Christ better, and it has blessed me to know that there are Christians willing to help other brothers in their time of need, even without having met them personally. May all of this be to the honor and glory of Christ.’

Another wrote –

We are thankful to our God for the generosity he put in your hearts to make possible this conference. It has been a great encouragement to see exemplary men whom we can imitate in Christ’s service and the preaching of his Word, and we thank God for each of the preachers. Thanks again for your assistance with the scholarship.’

From another –

We give infinite thanks to God our sovereign King who put it in your hearts to help us and to participate with us in the delights of his grace that he has manifested in these conferences. May God continue to be glorified in your lives and ours throughout eternity.

And from another –

Although I don’t know you, I ask God to cause his richest graces to overflow in your lives and churches. Your collaboration to bring about these conferences causes me to be more conscious than before of his love and your devotion to his gospel.

I am so thankful for your participation to grant me this scholarship because thanks to you I was able to make the trip from Torreon to Hermosillo to attend. And thanks to you I was blessed by the sermons and expositions of the Word, in addition to the fellowship with other pastors and brothers who attended. It has been wind in the sails of my life and ministry.