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In August 2023, a small Hispanic congregation consisting of just three families gathered for the first time in a borrowed space inside the youth auditorium of Southern Oaks Baptist Church in Tyler.
They had no building of their own and no big launch team. What they did have was a clear vision: to make Christ known among a growing Hispanic population in the area and to reach the spiritually complacent with the gospel of grace.
On the strength of that vision, Iglesia Bautista Ciudad de Gracia (City of Grace Baptist Church) was born. The young church is pastored by Héctor Ahumada, whose own journey of faith, calling, and obedience has uniquely shaped Ciudad de Gracia’s mission and ministry.
A calling that began at home
Born in Delicias, Chihuahua, Mexico, Ahumada grew up in a pastor’s home where the gospel was on full display.
“What my father preached on Sundays, he lived at home,” Ahumada said. His mother, Sheila—“a woman of prayer,” Ahumada said—was a constant supporter, always praying and uplifting her husband’s ministry with admiration and grace.
As a pre-teen, Ahumada came to understand good behavior alone could not save him—he needed a personal relationship with Christ. The realization resulted in his conversion and marked the beginning of a spiritual journey that led him toward a life of service.
Following high school, Ahumada moved to San Antonio to study at a Baptist university. There, he met his future wife, Damaris Suárez, a young woman from Guanajuato, Mexico.
During his five years at the university, God began to affirm his pastoral calling through mentors like Pastor Víctor Rodríguez and a church leader who invited him to help plant a new campus.
“I didn’t see it at the time, but God used that opportunity to confirm my calling,” Ahumada said.
Later, a seminary professor encouraged him to continue his preparation after college. That propelled him to Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, where he earned a Master of Arts in Pastoral Counseling. While studying, he served in youth ministry at Primera Iglesia Bautista de Fort Worth under Pastor Rafael Berlanga.
An unplanned path to planting
Ahumada’s journey then took him to Utah for a year, where he intended to serve in counseling. Instead, God redirected him toward church planting.
He married Damaris and later returned to Texas, where he completed a Master of Divinity at Southwestern. Soon after, he joined the pastoral residency program at Crossroads Baptist Church in The Woodlands, where he served for three years as associate pastor over small groups and education. It was there God began to stir his heart to plant a church in Tyler.
Tyler, home to the fastest-growing Hispanic population in East Texas, presented a ripe field for gospel ministry. With Crossroads as its sending church and a heart to reach people without a relationship with God, Héctor and Damaris moved forward with the church plant.
The first two years were filled with challenges, including meeting and hosting small groups in their home—but God provided. In August 2023, they launched Sunday services with just nine people. Today, the church has grown into a stable group of over 30, with more than 60% connected to small groups.
“We keep planting seeds, trusting God will bring the fruit.”
Relational evangelism and genuine growth
Ciudad de Gracia is committed to relational evangelism. While they participate in community events like Día del Niño—a traditional Hispanic holiday that honors children—true growth has come from members sharing the gospel with friends and neighbors.
“Once the gospel is planted in their hearts, they stay,” Ahumada said.
Small groups have been essential. Whether meeting in homes or at local restaurants, these gatherings create space for deep conversations. For example, a woman recently realized through a small group study that salvation is by grace—not by works, as she once believed. Stories like these are the church’s real victories, Ahumada said.
Ciudad de Gracia already has growing ministries for children and youth, and God is raising up new leaders including Joel Ortega, who, along with his wife, found the church through social media. Feeling called to serve, Joel leads the adult Sunday school class and occasionally preaches.
“Our vision is to move toward an elder-led model, and Joel is part of how God is providing for that,” Ahumada said.
Present challenges, future hope
One of the greatest challenges for the church has been the spiritual apathy of the community—people who identify with religion but are unwilling to engage in gospel-centered conversations. One of Ahumada’s biggest prayer requests is for wisdom, that he would steward the church’s financial and human resources well so they can impact the first generation of Hispanics and, in turn, reach the second and third.
As they continue forward one relationship at a time, they remain committed to planting grace in the heart of the city.
“We keep planting seeds,” Ahumada said, “trusting God will bring the fruit.”
