{"id":13517,"date":"2020-08-04T07:52:16","date_gmt":"2020-08-04T12:52:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/messagemagazinetesthome.wpcomstaging.com\/?p=13517"},"modified":"2021-08-12T20:58:03","modified_gmt":"2021-08-12T20:58:03","slug":"new-church-plant-prayer-chapel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/openbiblemessage.org\/es\/2020\/08\/new-church-plant-prayer-chapel\/","title":{"rendered":"Open Bible Welcomes a New Church Plant: Open Bible Prayer Chapel"},"content":{"rendered":"

Open Bible Churches is excited to welcome a new church plant, Open Bible Prayer Chapel in Wesley Chapel, Florida, founded and pastored by Rev. Calbert Mark. Open Bible Prayer Chapel was affiliated with Open Bible Churches in May of 2020. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Calbert Mark, who serves as the field director for Open Bible Churches in Venezuela, and his wife, Beverly, are prolific church planters. Sent out from Trinidad more than 27 years ago, the Marks established 12 pioneer works in Venezuela and brought many other churches under the umbrella of Open Bible Churches. They were also instrumental in planting churches in Trinidad with Pastor Cecil Quamina and in Monteria, Colombia, with missionaries Annel and Lumaira Perez (who came to Christ under the Marks\u2019 ministry).  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Calbert Mark has always had a strong passion for church planting and leadership training, which was wrapped up in the call God gave him when he was sent out from Trinidad. So even though the urging from the Lord to start another new church did not really surprise him back in January of 2016, he did not expect the call to take him outside of Venezuela into the U.S.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In August of 2015 the Marks\u2019 son Joshua had traveled to Charlotte, North Carolina, to attend an intensive youth training program. It was while visiting him that Pastor Calbert received a call to start a new work in the U.S. This impression was strongly confirmed by the great number of Venezuelans and Hispanic peoples they found in the States who were unchurched. The surge of Venezuelans in the U.S. increased as life in Venezuela got worse.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Marks felt the real affirmation of God\u2019s divine plan was seen in the fact that a pastor of a church in Tampa applied for their religious visa so that the Marks could come to the U.S. to help him, and for the past three years the Marks have assisted the pastor and his church. However, instead of being approved for a religious visa, the Marks\u2019 entire family was approved with full residency status for ten years. The immigration department can seem to be a formidable opponent, but if you ask Calbert and Beverly, they will affirm that God is still in the miracle-working business. They received their permanent residents\u2019 cards in 18 months!  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When the couple arrived in Tampa, Florida, they ministered to the Hispanic community there because of their deep connection to Venezuela, but through one disciple that Calbert won at his local bank, Carlos Castro, and his wife, Zenia, they were able to reach six American families, most of whom live in Wesley Chapel. While the search goes on for some space in which the church can meet, church members join during the week in small groups for prayer and Bible study and on Sundays in a bit larger group to celebrate Jesus. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Church planting does not happen without a few challenges along the way. For Calbert and Beverly there were two major obstacles: One was the search for rental space and the other was a cultural barrier, or \u201ccommitment\u201d issue, so to speak. The Marks discovered that affordable spaces for small congregations that are just starting out are mostly relegated to sharing a building with two or three other small churches because of the high cost of leases and the fact that many small malls won\u2019t rent to churches. The second challenge relates to people\u2019s willingness and ability to commit. Commitment for many people here in the U.S. is difficult as many other responsibilities compete for their time. Working hours that are unconventional is one primary hindrance. In addition, travel, school functions, family occasions, and other activities all sum up the justifications for people not committing completely. Of course, every congregation has its faithful few, so the Marks work with them and encourage them to multiply their faith in others. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Their efforts and God\u2019s blessings have paid off. Despite being a newly-formed congregation (with fewer than fifty), they have many praise reports:  <\/p>\n\n\n\n