Jorge Camacho Retires and Reflects on Ministry

Davidsonville, MD — Earlier this year Jorge Camacho retired from Iglesia Bautista Vida Nueva in Davidsonville after planting the church and serving there for eight years, a part of his three decades of ministry. He was recognized for his years of service at a Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware united Hispanic worship service on July 9 at Iglesia Bautista Vida Nueva.

 

During the United Worship service, Efraim Lopez, the pastor of Iglesia Bautista de Washington, presented a certificate of appreciation to Camacho and his wife, Sonia.

 

BCM/D Hispanic Church Planting Consultant Alejondro Molero said Jorge truly loved his church and carefully planned his retirement transition. Molero also commended Camacho’s emphasis on missions and his work in the Middle East.

Sharing his spiritual journey, Jorge said he was born in Guatemala and had the privilege to be raised by Godly parents. “My dad was a Baptist minister and one of the founders of the Baptist work in the Northeast part of Guatemala. I received Christ at seven and was baptized when I was eight years old. However, on the first Sunday of December 1985, at 43 years of age, I had a dramatic reconciliation with the Lord and recommitted my life to Him. God used Jorge as a church planter, a consultant for an association, and an international missionary.

“In 1987, I sensed in my heart God’s call to go knock on doors and share the Gospel message, and with my wife’s complete support, we planted Iglesia Bautista Del Redentor in Houston, Texas. where I served as the lead pastor for thirteen years.”

Having a degree in Science, Jorge spent 18 years in a career in manufacturing, machine design engineering, and management. After feeling God’s call on his life, he earned his Diploma in Theology and then a Master’s in Missiology from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, while serving in ministry.

In 2000 God called him to serve as the Hispanic consultant for Union Baptist Association in Houston, where he encouraged and cared for 120 Hispanic pastors. Five years later, Jorge and Sonia became International Mission Board missionaries (IMB), serving in the Middle East, and ministering to Arabic-speaking people.

They returned to Houston and then relocated to Annapolis in 2014. 

“We quickly realized that there was not a single Hispanic Baptist church in Annapolis. With the support of BCMD/D and the North American Mission Board (NAMB), Sonia and I planted Iglesia Bautista Vida Nueva, where I was the lead pastor until December of 2021.

“During our 34 years of ministry, my wife and I have experienced God’s love, patience, forgiveness, teaching, guidance, correction, and empowerment to do His mighty work and impact the lives of hundreds of people, so they can spend eternity in heaven. As I began my retirement in January of 2022, with great humility, I embraced the Apostle Paul’s words in 2 Timothy 4:7: ‘I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.’ I have shared this story for God’s glory.”

Jorge and Sonia have been married for 54 years and have two daughters, Deborah and Brenda, and two granddaughters, Alex and Adeline. 

Sharon Mager is a BCM/D communications specialist/reporter.