Latin America
The Acts 29 Latin America Network spans from Mexico to Brazil in a region consists of over 600 million people, 35 countries, and five different main languages.
The Acts 29 Latin America network was formalized in 2014 and is led by Francisco Bendfeldt, based in Guatemala City, and Jay Bauman, based in Rio de Janeiro.
The application process is now open to Portuguese and Spanish-speaking candidates. There are already several churches in the Latin American network including churches in Guatemala, Chile, Ecuador and Brazil, among others. There are also many other churches associated with our work who are in the process of becoming members.
In both Guatemala and Brazil we regularly offer training events and conferences for pastors and church planters. Additionally in Brazil we have two church-planting residencies in the cities of Rio and São Paulo.
Join us in prayer that the Gospel would continue to bear fruit in Latin America as we seek to plant healthy churches centered on Jesus.
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Leadership & Staff
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Francisco Bendfeldt
Network Director | Latin America
Francisco began his ministry as a teenager and during the last 20 years has preached in several countries around the world. He is the lead pastor of Casa de Libertad in Guatemala City and has a passion to reach others with the Gospel through church planting. He lives in Guatemala with his wife Carol and his 4 children.
Alejandro Urrea
Global Assessment Coordinator
Alejandro is the assessment coordinator for Latin America. He is also part of the staff and church planting team at Casa de Libertad in Guatemala City. He lives in Guatemala City.
Cristiano Gaspar
Country Director | Brazil
Cristiano is planting Comunidade Batista Macaé, a new church in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Cristiano serves as a leader in the Projeto Plantador church planting residency. Cristiano has a Bachelors In Business Management. He is married to Edna, and the father of Mariana and Alice.
Marianna Calvo
Latin America | Assistant to the Network Director
Marianna is the event coordinator for Latin America. She is also a staff member for Casa de Libertad in Guatemala city. Marianna moved from her native Costa Rica in 2016 to join Casa de Libertad and work in full time ministry.
Steve Youngren
Latin America | Country Coordinator - Ecuador
Steve, with his wife, Sandi co-founded Compassion Connection and have been serving in Latin America since 1998. His primary tasks are the training of pastors and church leaders, mentoring and coaching new church planters and connecting new local churches in Ecuador with stateside local churches in Acts 29.
Jesus Rodriguez
Network Leadership team member
Jesus (Chuy) planted Doxa, Iglesia Cristiana, in his hometown Mexico City. After four years of ministry in Mexico City, he returned to his sending church, RedeptionHill Church in Washington DC. He continues to serve as the Acts 29 as part of the network leadership team, investing in church planting in Latin America.
Juan Hernandez
Country Director for Colombia
Juan began his pastoral ministry in 2010. He is the lead pastor of Rescue Mission Church in Colombia where, along with the other three pastors, he helps to run a church-based seminary that trains 400 students at no cost. He lives in Barranquilla with his wife, Angie, and his daughter, Sarita.
Pablo Di Gilio
Country Director for Mexico
After growing up as a missionary kid and then serving as a missionary for 5 years, God called him to plant Vertical Connection Church in Querétaro, Mexico. After establishing an elder team at Vertical Connection, Pablo, along with his family and a core team, left to plant LUMINA also in Querétaro.
Francisco Bendfeldt
Network Director | Latin America
Francisco began his ministry as a teenager and during the last 20 years has preached in several countries around the world. He is the lead pastor of Casa de Libertad in Guatemala City and has a passion to reach others with the Gospel through church planting. He lives in Guatemala with his wife Carol and his 4 children.
Alejandro Urrea
Global Assessment Coordinator
Alejandro is the assessment coordinator for Latin America. He is also part of the staff and church planting team at Casa de Libertad in Guatemala City. He lives in Guatemala City.
Cristiano Gaspar
Country Director | Brazil
Cristiano is planting Comunidade Batista Macaé, a new church in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Cristiano serves as a leader in the Projeto Plantador church planting residency. Cristiano has a Bachelors In Business Management. He is married to Edna, and the father of Mariana and Alice.
Marianna Calvo
Latin America | Assistant to the Network Director
Marianna is the event coordinator for Latin America. She is also a staff member for Casa de Libertad in Guatemala city. Marianna moved from her native Costa Rica in 2016 to join Casa de Libertad and work in full time ministry.
Steve Youngren
Latin America | Country Coordinator - Ecuador
Steve, with his wife, Sandi co-founded Compassion Connection and have been serving in Latin America since 1998. His primary tasks are the training of pastors and church leaders, mentoring and coaching new church planters and connecting new local churches in Ecuador with stateside local churches in Acts 29.
Jesus Rodriguez
Network Leadership team member
Jesus (Chuy) planted Doxa, Iglesia Cristiana, in his hometown Mexico City. After four years of ministry in Mexico City, he returned to his sending church, RedeptionHill Church in Washington DC. He continues to serve as the Acts 29 as part of the network leadership team, investing in church planting in Latin America.
Juan Hernandez
Country Director for Colombia
Juan began his pastoral ministry in 2010. He is the lead pastor of Rescue Mission Church in Colombia where, along with the other three pastors, he helps to run a church-based seminary that trains 400 students at no cost. He lives in Barranquilla with his wife, Angie, and his daughter, Sarita.
Pablo Di Gilio
Country Director for Mexico
After growing up as a missionary kid and then serving as a missionary for 5 years, God called him to plant Vertical Connection Church in Querétaro, Mexico. After establishing an elder team at Vertical Connection, Pablo, along with his family and a core team, left to plant LUMINA also in Querétaro.
Contact:
Spanish Enquiries: americalatina@acts29.com
Portuguese Enquiries: atos29brasill@acts29.com
