By Joaquin Lopez

I Painted My Replacement’s Office

In 1995, my wife and I joined GFA Missions. In 1997, we planted our first church in Mataro, Spain. We started the church from scratch, renting a storefront to meet in. The Lord blessed our ministry, and people were saved. Other people looking for a Gospel-preaching church came as well. Our rented storefront was now too small. Even my office in that storefront was too small. I remember saying to the Lord, “If you give us another building, I would really like a larger office.” After five years, the Lord gave us a 10,000-square-foot parking garage to turn into a church building. I was the one to design the building. I planned a space for the sanctuary, for the Sunday school, for the nursery, and, of course, for my office. It would be larger than the office I currently had, and I was excited about that.

As I was painting my new office, the Lord spoke to me, not in audible voice but in my heart. Joaquin, this office is not for you. I almost dropped my paint roller. I said to myself, “forget it.” And I kept on painting. Again, it was as if the Lord was speaking to me. Joaquin, this office is not for you. This time I did not push the thought away. Okay, Lord, but who? Who do you want in this office? Rodrigo Delgado, a young man from our church studying for the ministry, came to my mind. So, I called him. I said,

“Brother Rodrigo, I am painting your office. Would you be willing to become the pastor of our church?

Ultimately, he said yes, and I had the privilege sometime later of turning the church over to him. I was painting my new office for him. Since then, we have planted another church in Torredembarra. We are preparing to turn that church over to its new pastor and praying about where the Lord would have us plant our next church.

My encouragement to every missionary church planter is this: obey God’s voice. Realize that you are not necessarily your church’s long-term pastor. As hard as it may be, be willing to turn your church over when the Lord directs you to do so. After all, the church is His, and He raises up and appoints its leaders according to His will.