New church mission in Lexington meets lack of Adventist presence in area, caters to Spanish community and outreach needs

On Saturday, July 3, 2021, the day before Independence Day, Parsons, Tenn., Church leaders conducted the grand opening of the Lexington, Tenn., Mission Church. This new mission marks the first Seventh-day Adventist church in the area, where the Spanish and English community will have a place of worship and a multipurpose center for outreach.

The vision for church plant began in 2017 when Daniel Spencer, Parsons Church pastor, saw the need for outreach among the Lexington community. Lexington has a population twice as big as the surrounding districts of Lobelville, Tenn., and Parsons combined, according to a statistic report by Data USA.

“Lexington is a big city, yet there was no Adventist presence in between our churches in the district,” Spencer said. “The next Adventist Church, which is in Jackson, is about one hour away.”

The new church was also made to accommodate the growing Hispanic community and to open the door for outreach ministries in the area. Church board members unanimously voted to rent a building right across Lexington City Hall, according to Spencer. One side of the building will be used for church services, conducted in Spanish and translated to English, while the other side will be reserved for outreach programs such as cooking classes and activities for children.  

“The plan of this new church is to be a light and to go out and search,” said Josue Lopez, the Bible Worker for Lexington Tennessee Church. Lopez was heavily involved in starting the community connections at Lexington and finding the building for the church. “Our mindset is that though we may be starting here, we won’t finish here. We want to work with people, make friends and help in the community. We want to go out and serve.”

The grand opening program was led by Parsons Church members. KYTN Hispanic Ministries Coordinator Armando De León gave the message and, joined by other leaders and participants, conducted the ribbon cutting ceremony.

Lexington Tennessee Church will be led by Lopez along with 12 volunteers and the guidance of Parsons Church leaders. Currently, the church is aiming to start with an attendance of around 30 individuals each week.

“To me, this a great blessing and dream come true,” Spencer said. “I’ve seen how God has His timing and works things for good. … I am happy we are [in Lexington], and I do believe there's a lot of potential here.”