For several years, Harvest Bible Fellowship has been prayerfully seeking an open door for ministry south of the U.S./Mexican border. With the increasing fruitfulness of Hispanic Ministries at Harvest Bible Chapels in the States, our strong desire has been to influence our neighboring country of Mexico.
The Lord is now answering that prayer. Serving the Lord faithfully in Mexico
City for nearly six years with his family, God has now led
Antonio Munoz, a qualified, gifted and proven pastor, to Harvest Bible Fellowship.
On March 15, Antonio joined the Harvest Training Center to prepare for church planting. The Munoz family will be here with us for two months of intense
training. In May, they will return to Mexico City to establish
Iglesia Biblica la Cosecha (Harvest Bible Chapel) Mexico City
Center-South.
Considered an "alpha" global city, Mexico City is one of
the most important centers in North America. With over 22 million in the
metropolitan area, Mexico City is also one of the largest urban centers
in the world.
The center-south region of Mexico City is Xochimilco, a borough divided into eighteen neighborhoods and fourteen communities outside the traditional city, and a largely populated area. Like many parts of Mexico, the people are deeply rooted in indigenous practices and traditions, and over 90% identify themselves as Catholic.
The opportunity is great for the Gospel to advance in Xochimilco. The fields are white unto harvest and a core group of over 100 people have already joined arms with the Munoz family to establish this new church. We long for the day when hundreds of thousands of people of Xochimilco will embrace Christ Jesus by faith and receive the free gift of salvation from God. We have faith to believe that the Lord can use Pastor Antonio and Harvest Bible Chapel to be part of His plan to build His Church in this district.
Join us in welcoming this new international Harvest Senior Pastor. We are excited for what God will do in and through this partnership as we, together, establish a life-altering, Christ-exalting work in Mexico City!
Passionately building His church,
Kirk VanMaanen
DIRECTOR OF MISSIONS + INTERNATIONAL CHURCH PLANTING
ANTONIO MUNOZ
Planting in Mexico City, Mexico
Education:
B.A., Moody Bible Institute, 2001
M.Th., Dallas Theological Seminary, 2005
Background:
Raised in Mexico City in a Catholic family, Antonio decided to join the priesthood as a teen. But upon hearing the Word rightly divided at a Bible church, he came to faith in Christ alone. Called to ministry as a young adult, he co-pastored a Bible church in Mexico, then started a Spanish-speaking church at Armitage Baptist in Chicago. Antonio was invited back to Mexico to pastor the church he was saved in, and the congregation grew from 70 to 250. Familiar and resonating with the Harvest pillars and discipleship model, he connected to Harvest Bible Fellowship regarding church planting potential. He has dual citizenship in the U.S. and Mexico.
Family:
Married to Becky; father to Jessica
Ministry Experience:
2005—date | Senior Pastor, Iglesia Biblica de Tlalpan; Mexico City, Mexico
2003—2005 | Pastor, Iglesia Biblica El Buen Pastor; Dallas, TX
2001—2002 | Outreach Minister, Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship; Dallas, TX
1998—2001 | Director of Spanish Ministries, Armitage Baptist Church; Chicago, IL