Avila becomes Hispanic church planting strategist, Diaz continues church planting support in El Paso

GRAPEVINE  Chuy Avila has begun a new role at the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention as Hispanic church planting strategist. He joined the SBTC 10 years ago as a missionary church planter, first in Laredo, and then in El Paso, developing a Project Borderlands Reach strategy to train local leaders and utilize volunteers from across Texas.

A native of Juarez, Mexico, Avila previously served the Tennessee Baptist Convention, Midland Baptist Association and on the Hispanic Task Force of the North American Mission Board.  

In his new role Avila will help facilitate church planting in first generation Hispanics, according to Doug Hixson, SBTC director of missions and church planting. “Chuy will be based in DFW and focus half of his time here, but also be working in other major cities as well as smaller communities that have seen a flip in ethnicities where Hispanics are the major people group.”

Jorge Díaz will work part-time in El Paso to continue support and encouragement of church planters, as well as recruiting partnering/sponsoring churches for church planting.

Since 2012, Díaz has planted three churches, following a lengthy tenure with Hispanic World Publishers in El Paso. From 1985 to 2011 he pastored Del Centro Baptist Church in El Paso. He earned a Ph.D. In religion from Logos Christian University, a master’s degree in pedagogy and science of education from San Carlos National University in Guatemala, a master of theology from the International Baptist Theological Seminary in Columbia.