Spanish-speaking church to open Sunday

Pastor Jake Romero has returned from almost four years in his native Colombia and is now establishing a Spanish-speaking nondenominational church in Maricopa.

Iglesia Tierra Nueva will have its first services Sunday at 11:30 a.m. in the multipurpose room at Copper Sky Multigenerational Center.

Romero had been a financial advisor, prepared to open his own office in Maricopa, before the recession. He became a youth pastor at Community of Hope Church.

“I kind of fell into it, but my wife said she knew that’s what I should be doing,” Romero said.

Carmen Romero, his wife of 21 years, was more than a supporter. She was a motivator and partner in their new adventure in the ministry as it took them back to Central America.

The Romeros went on a mission trip to serve at an orphanage in Colombia. But it became more than that for Jake.

Casa Sobre la Roca has 23 churches. He went through training in ministry and theology. He became an ordained deacon. He served as chaplain for the church school.

Jake Romero has been a pastor for three years.

The Romeros’ children, Anamaria and Stephen, started making the nudge to return to the United States for college.

In Maricopa again, he quickly saw the need for a Spanish-speaking congregation.

“I spoke to a lot of pastors who said they have members they cannot pastor because they don’t speak Spanish,” Romero said.

He saw youth whose parents did not attend church because of the language barrier. He added up about 2,500 non-Catholic Christian Hispanics in Maricopa.

“Everyone agreed there was a need,” he said.

So, seven people in two families took up the task of establishing Iglesia Tierra Nueva.

One of the difficulties, he said, has been finding a location. The schools all had a waiting list of churches seeking facilities. So for now, the new church will be at Copper Sky.

Si Va …
Que: Iglesia Tierra Nueva
Cuando: Domingos 11:30 a.m.
Donde: Copper Sky, Salon Multi-Propósito
480-524-6340
Facebook.com/IglesiaTierraNueva