Three churches, two iguanas, one Sunday

SOUTHWEST RANCHES, FLA. — I hit the church-hopping trifecta, visiting three South Florida congregations in one Sunday morning.

The trip was a last-minute, skymiles-burning endeavor sparked by the Jan. 3 capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

Related: After a harrowing journey from Venezuela, ‘God found him’

Christmas lights were still on the palm trees as I rolled into Pompano Beach to stay with my gracious hosts, Anthony and Cheryl Fischetto.

Anthony Fischetto sits in his office at the Church of Christ on Griffin Road.

I met Anthony in 2018 when he was coordinating a small-group ministry for the West Broward Church of Christ in Plantation. Even then, the church had a lot of refugees from Venezuela, and its members were raising funds to send aid to the troubled country. Anthony set up a video call, and I talked to church members who said they pray daily, even hourly, for their family and friends back home.

Now Anthony preaches for the Church of Christ on Griffin Road in Southwest Ranches. That’s where I began Sunday morning. As the church’s Spanish service concluded, I explored the small church building and took advantage of the most organized Sunday school coffee setup I’ve ever encountered. ¡Muy bien hecho, hermanos y hermanas! You’re doing the Lord’s work.

@christianchronicle SOUTHWEST RANCHES, FLA. — Christian Chrnicle CEO Erik Tryggestad shows off the coffee service provided by the Spanish class of the Church of Christ on Griffin Road. #churchcoffee #churchofchrist #southfloridachurch #coffeebreak ♬ original sound – The Christian Chronicle

I spoke briefly to the English Bible class about The Christian Chronicle. Anthony was teaching on “Discerning Gospel, Obedience, Liberty Wisdom and Preference.” His outline included a “classification exercise” covering topics from baptism to observing Christmas and Easter to hand clapping during worship. I had to leave, but I told them to let me know when they had it all figured out.

Erik Tryggestad speaks with David Bozdogan before worship at the West Broward Church of Christ.

My next stop was the West Broward church. I spoke to David Bozdogan, a deacon and native of Colombia. He’s excited about the possibility of church members and missionaries from the U.S. and Latin America returning to Venezuela to help the Churches of Christ there. I also spoke with deacon Juan Carlos Martinez. He was filling in for the church’s Spanish-language minister, Ulbert Romero, who was wrapping up his holiday with family in Nicaragua. I spent more time with Juan Carlos on Monday morning at a coffee shop in Weston and learned about his incredible journey from Venezuela to the U.S.

My final stop was the Sunset Church of Christ in Miami. I took communion with the Spanish-language service and caught up briefly with my friends Jeff Hinson and Bob Perkins after the English service. The amazing Jim Holway, the church’s bilingual minister, translated for me as I interviewed Venezuelan church members. The church’s youth minister, Gustavo Rivera, and his wife, Gabby, are from Venezuela. I had lunch with them and brother Holway at my favorite South Florida restaurant chain, Polo Tropical.

A roadside iguana in Miami stands still for a photo.

As I headed back to Pompano Beach, I saw two huge iguanas crossing the road near the Sunset church’s parking lot. I stopped to get photos.

Not a bad way to end a busy Sunday.

ERIK TRYGGESTAD is President and CEO of The Christian Chronicle. Contact [email protected].

Filed under: bilingual churches Colombia Florida Insight Insight Opinion Spanish-speaking churches Top Stories Venezuela