By Rev. Dr. Sunny Farley

Pastor Yeni Bolufer helped launch a Hispanic ministry at Servants of Christ United Methodist Church in Houston four years ago.

Since then, the congregation has blossomed to 100-120 in worship each week.

Bolufer came to Texas from Nicaragua and to the United Methodist Church from the Nicaragua Baptist Convention. She served for 17 years at Monte de los Olivos (Mount of Olives) church in the Nicaraguan capital of Managua and was the academic dean at the Baptist Theological Seminary of Nicaragua for several years.

For the past six years, she has lived and served in the United States.

Bolufer leads the Spanish service made up of 60 percent children and adolescents – many of whom come without their parents. Church leaders regularly visit neighbors to invite them to join in worship opportunities.

“Every week we go to the apartment complexes and teach the children the Bible and interact with the families,” she said.

The majority of those in the congregation are of first-generation Honduran origin and they come from what she describes as “a context of vulnerability” in their families.

“We work with them with the vision of presenting them with the gospel of love so that they may be able to look at a future different from the one they live for,” Bolufer said.

Servants of Christ is known for weekly meals at the end of worship designed to build community.

“Every week, Servants of Christ serves food at the end of worship, this has characterized us for the four years we have been in the community,” Bolufer said. “With this, we want to create community and family – especially because the people who arrive are first generation migrants.” Servants of Christ is located at 3827 Broadway Street in Houston.