Holiness Today visited with Carlos Saenz, field director for the Spanish Caribbean Field, which according to recent figures has eight districts, 238 churches, and over 18,000 members. He shared highlights of the church's work there.

Q. Where are you from originally?

A. I'm from Panama.

Q. How did you come to the Church of the Nazarene?

A. I came to the church when I was a child. I went to Sunday School, then I became a member, then a pastor, and now a missionary.

Q. The concept of global missionaries is new to some. Explain how you came to be a global missionary.

A. Now you can come from anywhere in the world to be a missionary of the Church of the Nazarene.

Q. What countries are included on your field?

A. Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and Cuba.

Q. Let's talk about the Dominican Republic. What are keys to the church growth there as it approaches 10,000 members?

A. Well it's the pastors and leaders who are very committed in that work. We have missionaries and also we have local leaders involved in growing the church.

Q. Share some examples of that leadership.

A. We have a program called Compassion Evangelism. Included in that is Nazarene Health Care Fellowship in the Dominican Republic. We have clinics in many places, which we use to start new churches. A JESUS film coordinator from there travels with us and helps with church planting.

Q. Tell us more about the clinics. How does that system work?

A. We have our four to six medical doctors in that team along with nurses and lab people who go out every weekend and assisting with clinics around the country. For example, we serve around 1,000 people every weekend.

Q. How do the people know about the clinics?

A. They know because the church is involved. Local church members go out and invite people to come to the clinics.

Q. What do the churches do for follow up to the ministry of the clinics?

A. Together with the clinics we have teams who show the JESUS film to them. We have people who take the names and make the contact with them after the presentations.

Q. It seems to be a holistic approach. You are helping to heal the body, mind, and spirit.

A. We also have teachers who hold Sunday School for the children.

Q. Have you been able to do this in other countries beyond the Dominican Republic?

A. Yes, in Puerto Rico we do the same thing.

Q. A lot of people think of the Caribbean with palm trees, sunshine, and beaches. Yet we are talking about people who need Jesus Christ in their lives. What can you tell us to help us understand the great burden that you see?

A. The Caribbean Region has only 45 million in population, but we are in second place with AIDS. This is a big need in our countries.

Q. What is the church doing to help fight this pandemic?

A. In some places we have Nazarene Compassionate Ministries teams who work with the people who have AIDS.

Q. What is one of their primary tasks?

A. They try to teach people how to avoid the disease through prevention.

Holiness Today, November/December 2004

Please note: This article was originally published in 2004. All facts, figures, and titles were accurate to the best of our knowledge at that time but may have since changed.