Honoring Hispanic Heritage Month 

Demetrio and Nellie Bazan, a husband and wife whose ministry helped pave the way for generations of Hispanic pastors, leaders, and churches. Both Demetrio and Nellie felt called to ministry and were ordained together in 1920, less than a month before they were married. Demetrio became a gifted pastor, evangelist, and leader, and in 1939 became the first Hispanic superintendent of the Latin American District of the Assemblies of God. His leadership and vision helped Hispanic churches experience significant growth.
Nellie was a leader in her own right. She preached regularly, shared the gospel through door-to-door evangelism, and was a prolific writer, all while she and Demetrio raised ten children.
Together, their lives are part of a rich legacy of Hispanic leadership who have faithfully shaped the Church and carried the gospel forward.

Francisca Blaisdell, a Mexican-born preacher, evangelist, and missionary whose vision mobilized generations of women for mission. Francisca began preaching in 1915. In 1922, she founded the Concilio Misionero Femenil, or Women's Missionary Council, in Agua Prieta, Mexico, to encourage women to participate in missionary work along the U.S.-Mexico borderlands. She went on to become a prominent Latina evangelist, but the movement she began may be one of the greatest pictures of her impact. What started with Francisca's vision continued to grow long after her lifetime, reaching 44,600 members by 2005 More than a century after she began preaching, we celebrate Francisca as one of the many Hispanic women whose leadership, faith, and vision have helped carry the gospel forward.

José Girón, a Hispanic pastor, evangelist, church planter, and leader who helped oversee an extraordinary season of growth in the Church.
In 1959, Girón became superintendent of the Latin American District. By 1970, the district had grown to 403 churches, 827 ministers, and 21,000 members. Girón recognized that continued growth would require making room for more leaders and churches. In 1971, he helped lead the large district into four smaller districts, creating a foundation for continued growth, leadership, and ministry. His story gives us a glimpse of the tremendous growth of the Church and the leaders who helped steward it. This Hispanic Heritage Month, we celebrate José Girón and the many Hispanic pastors and leaders whose faithful ministry has helped churches and communities flourish.