International Baptist
Church
Church
The International Baptist Church Story
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Discover the International Family
San Jose, Costa Rica
San Jose, Costa Rica
IBC
| How to locate us!! ---------------------------------- Click the map for directions |
Join us!!
8:30 am Worship Service
9:45 am Sunday Morning Bible Study
(for all ages in English and Espanol)
10:45 am Fellowship and coffee
11:00 am Worship Service
8:30 am Worship Service
9:45 am Sunday Morning Bible Study
(for all ages in English and Espanol)
10:45 am Fellowship and coffee
11:00 am Worship Service
| International Baptist Church San Jose, Costa Rica t. (506) 215 2117 cell phone (506) 365 1005 email : info@ibccostarica.org |
| Click the date for info |
History of International Baptist Church
In the 1960's, many missionaries of the Southern Baptist Convention in the United
States felt a need to gather for fellowship and worship in English, here in Costa Rica.
They began meeting regularly at the Baptist Seminary in San Pedro. Soon other folks
joined them, creating a very pleasant and comfortable group.
The Costa Rica SBC Mission then decided that its missionaries ought to be
involved in worship in Spanish language churches. A few lay people remained in the
original group. Showing good will, the SBC Mission assigned various missionaries
to preach on some Sundays for more than a year. In 1985, Frank Lay, a SBC
missionary from Mississippi, along with his wife Margaret, was directed to devote 60%
of his time to the English-speaking church and his remaining time to seminary duties.
In time, the seminary work became very demanding.
In 1991, the church was incorporated according to Costa Rican law, soon to operate
as La Asociacion Iglesia Bautista International de Costa Rica having ten founding
members. We were then able to function legally, allowing the association to open a
bank account, purchase and own property, or enter into a mortgage agreement if
needed.
The Lays took a much needed year-long furlough for health reasons in 1990-91 and
Rev. Steve Henning, a teacher at the International Christian School, served most of that
time as interim pastor. Frank Lay returned to serve another five years as a mission
appointee, resigning in June of 1996. The SBC then loaned us Rev. Gary Tufts, a
popular local missionary who served until the years end. The attendance began to
grow and by December of 1996 we often saw 80 people on Sundays. With more
growth on the horizon, International Baptist Church, for the first time called a pastor, Dr.
Tom Hill of New Mexico.
Dr. Hill, with wife Connie, assumed the pastorate on Jan. 3, 1997. One of his first
actions was to move us from the seminary chapel which seated only 70, to temporary
facilities in Faro del Caribe, a Christian radio station, where we could comfortably seat
120. Committees were then organized to design a building and find the best location
for our church. We decided that the west side of the San Jose area would best serve
the community, due to the population of English-speakers living there. Our site would
need to be easily accessible, the building very visible and of course affordable.
Locations in Pavas, behind the Irazu Hotel and a few spots in Escazu were considered
before God directed us to the hilltop above the Guachipelin Road and just off the Santa
Ana Highway. He allowed us to procure this property for about one-eighth the market
value! Some people could not support the changes and withdrew in early 1999 to begin
their own work on the east side of San Jose.
Dr. Hill retired in October of 1999, having stayed with us longer than originally
planned. It was his leadership, being guided by the Holy Spirit, that brought our church
to the point where construction was able to begin. He was God's man in God's place in
God's time.
Dr. Hill helped us to locate Dr. Richard Steel in Baytown, Texas who agreed to serve
as an interim pastor while we looked to find a permanent leader. As soon as Dr. Steel
recognized our needs he offered to stay on-board to see us through the building
project. With unanimous enthusiasm the congregation invited him and his wife Betty to
remain for a long time. Under Pastor Steel's leadership the church has not looked
back.
(the rest of the story)
In the 1960's, many missionaries of the Southern Baptist Convention in the United
States felt a need to gather for fellowship and worship in English, here in Costa Rica.
They began meeting regularly at the Baptist Seminary in San Pedro. Soon other folks
joined them, creating a very pleasant and comfortable group.
The Costa Rica SBC Mission then decided that its missionaries ought to be
involved in worship in Spanish language churches. A few lay people remained in the
original group. Showing good will, the SBC Mission assigned various missionaries
to preach on some Sundays for more than a year. In 1985, Frank Lay, a SBC
missionary from Mississippi, along with his wife Margaret, was directed to devote 60%
of his time to the English-speaking church and his remaining time to seminary duties.
In time, the seminary work became very demanding.
In 1991, the church was incorporated according to Costa Rican law, soon to operate
as La Asociacion Iglesia Bautista International de Costa Rica having ten founding
members. We were then able to function legally, allowing the association to open a
bank account, purchase and own property, or enter into a mortgage agreement if
needed.
The Lays took a much needed year-long furlough for health reasons in 1990-91 and
Rev. Steve Henning, a teacher at the International Christian School, served most of that
time as interim pastor. Frank Lay returned to serve another five years as a mission
appointee, resigning in June of 1996. The SBC then loaned us Rev. Gary Tufts, a
popular local missionary who served until the years end. The attendance began to
grow and by December of 1996 we often saw 80 people on Sundays. With more
growth on the horizon, International Baptist Church, for the first time called a pastor, Dr.
Tom Hill of New Mexico.
Dr. Hill, with wife Connie, assumed the pastorate on Jan. 3, 1997. One of his first
actions was to move us from the seminary chapel which seated only 70, to temporary
facilities in Faro del Caribe, a Christian radio station, where we could comfortably seat
120. Committees were then organized to design a building and find the best location
for our church. We decided that the west side of the San Jose area would best serve
the community, due to the population of English-speakers living there. Our site would
need to be easily accessible, the building very visible and of course affordable.
Locations in Pavas, behind the Irazu Hotel and a few spots in Escazu were considered
before God directed us to the hilltop above the Guachipelin Road and just off the Santa
Ana Highway. He allowed us to procure this property for about one-eighth the market
value! Some people could not support the changes and withdrew in early 1999 to begin
their own work on the east side of San Jose.
Dr. Hill retired in October of 1999, having stayed with us longer than originally
planned. It was his leadership, being guided by the Holy Spirit, that brought our church
to the point where construction was able to begin. He was God's man in God's place in
God's time.
Dr. Hill helped us to locate Dr. Richard Steel in Baytown, Texas who agreed to serve
as an interim pastor while we looked to find a permanent leader. As soon as Dr. Steel
recognized our needs he offered to stay on-board to see us through the building
project. With unanimous enthusiasm the congregation invited him and his wife Betty to
remain for a long time. Under Pastor Steel's leadership the church has not looked
back.
(the rest of the story)
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