By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer
METAIRIE – The young Anglo, a native of New Orleans, admits he is an unlikely person to lead a Hispanic congregation of 200 in his hometown.
But as David Speed serves as pastor of Iglesia Celebration in Metairie and trains leaders to fulfill the Great Commission throughout New Orleans and beyond, he realizes it would not be possible without the help of the Georgia Barnette Offering for State Missions.
“There have been times where my wife and I have talked and it seems God has chosen us to be in this position because it personifies He is great in our weakness,” Speed said. “On the outside looking in, I’m a young White American guy and my wife is from Guatemalan culture.
“But God is faithful and we are seeing people baptized and giving lives to the Lord,” said Speed. “God continues to confirm we are right where He wants us. There is no better place to be.”
Unlikely calling
God planted a desire within Speed to minister to Hispanics while he was living in New Orleans shortly after Hurricane Katrina devastated the city. One afternoon Speed was driving past a home improvement store when he noticed 300 Hispanics sitting in the parking lot, waiting for someone to come and pick them up for work.
He wanted to communicate with them but could not speak their language.
Then, a friend living in Mexico convinced Speed to move there in May 2007.
For two years, Speed learned the Spanish language and helped plant churches in rural areas outside of Acapulco.
He returned to the U.S. in July 2009, with plans to attend New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.
But a month later, Speed knew his heart was in a country whose people spoke the Spanish language and he left the U.S. once again, this time for Guatemala.
While working at an orphanage there, he met his wife. They served together until they felt God leading them back to the U.S. in 2012.
While searching for God’s next mission, the couple ended up attending Celebration Church in Metairie.
Speed translated the services for his wife who spoke limited English then.
Pastor Dennis Watson learned of Speed’s translating ability and set up a meeting with him.
This set the stage for Iglesia Celebration, part of Celebration Church’s seven campuses.
“He asked if I had any questions for him and I asked that if Celebration had such an influential ministry in New Orleans, why they didn’t have a Spanish ministry,” Speed said. “He said that’s a good question and to pray if it would be a good fit for me to consider serving here. And that turned into what we have today, with many showing up during the week for LifeGroups and as many as 200 on Sunday mornings to worship together in the Spanish language.”
Iglesia Celebration began in February 2014 when Speed held a LifeGroup at the home of a Hispanic family in Metairie with eight. Two months later, attendance had grown to 20 and they began meeting at Celebration Church’s campus in Metairie.
By the end of the year, the congregation had grown to 45 and showed no signs of slowing down, moving from a Saturday evening to a Sunday morning service. Today, the congregation also has a Wednesday evening discipleship program and six LifeGroups that meet during the week and hit its highest attended service ever on Easter this year, with 260 on hand.
This congregation’s numerical growth has been aided by the baptism of 31 in two years.
“I’ve seen God bringing people to our ministry who have never even been to church before or were exposed to it but never had a true knowledge of Jesus,” Speed said. “We have seen people come in, experience the Gospel and apply it to their lives. This just confirms that my wife and I are just where we are supposed to be at this time in our lives and makes us excited about the future of Hispanic ministry in New Orleans.”
With more than 100,000 Hispanics in the New Orleans area, he hopes to one day help start more Hispanic churches throughout the area.
But to do so would require God raising up more male leaders.
“Our goal is to duplicate what is done here in Metairie and put a Hispanic church in all of our seven campuses in the area,” Speed said. “Please pray we have more males step up and come in, prepared not only to share the vision we have but also play the vital role we need from them.”
The Georgia Barnette Offering for State Missions provides funding for Iglesia Celebration and other ministries in the state.
To learn more about the offering and how it helps churches like Iglesia Celebration reach their community and world for Christ, visit GeorgiaBarnette.org.
