Daniel de León has served as the Assemblies of God West Spanish Language Area executive presbyter since 2017. He has pastored Templo Calvario in Santa Ana, California, since 1976. Under his leadership, the church has grown to become one of the largest bilingual Hispanic congregations in the U.S. The church has established over 90 satellite congregations.

INFLUENCE: What led you to challenge your people and yourself to grow a large Hispanic church in America?
DANIEL DE LEÓN: At the time that we all dared to dream of a big Hispanic church in America, there were none.

I was in northern California speaking to our superintendent about the lack of growth in our Hispanic churches when he told me, “What we need is a large church to serve as a model and inspiration to others.”

I decided I would carry out that vision. I believe as a leader, you must see a trend or opportunity in your context and take advantage of it and give leadership to it. God had given me a vision of thousands of Latinos coming to America, and that we should be ready to receive and evangelize them. That we did. The church grew from 60 to 6,000.

“I thank God that today we are seeing more and more bilingual churches throughout the United States.”                         — Daniel de León

Why did you decide to make Templo Calvario a bilingual Hispanic church?
The simple answer to this question is that the Hispanic family in America is bilingual. We shouldn’t overlook the obvious. Many pastors through the years have said, “No, we are Hispanic, and we speak Spanish. Therefore, our churches should be Spanish only.”

When I heard this argument, it only served to reinforce the fact that we were missing a great opportunity that was right before our eyes. Even our Lord was bilingual. The great apostle Paul was certainly bilingual, and the Lord used him to win the Gentiles to the Kingdom. How much more should we do it since that is who we are?

I thank God that today we are seeing more and more bilingual churches throughout the United States.

Explain why you decided to start opening satellite congregations.
It started with a lady God used to spark a vision in my spirit, Josefina. She got saved in our church, filled with the Holy Spirit, and called by God to open a church.

That was followed by two gentlemen who had the same thing happen to them. A few years later they called me to send someone to receive 18 churches they had opened.

I asked them, “What prompted you to start a church?” The church had not sent them with money, they had very little Bible training, and they were new in the Lord. The answer was the same: “You preached it, we heard it, and we decided it was God telling us to go and start a church.”

Through the years, God has continued to call people, and we have seen the marvelous work of the Spirit on their lives and on us as the sending church.

Why do you think God is using and blessing you in so many ways?
I believe God is looking for leaders who have a willing heart to carry out His vision. The vision to grow a large Hispanic church and to open churches did not come from me; it came from Him. I feel honored that He chose me. This is a testimony that can inspire others to do the same.

This article originally appeared in the March/April 2018 edition of Influence magazine.