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Ministry as thanksgiving

“Ministry, for me, is a form of thanksgiving,” explains Pastor Eduardo G. Llanes, the nominee for bishop of the Southeast Conference. At 65 years old, Llanes has been ministering to others for over 45 years. Born in Cuatro Caminos, in Havana, Cuba, Llanes first came to know the Lord in 1958, and a year later began to pastor the BIC church in his community after missionaries left the island. Before arriving in the States in 1962, Llanes ministered in Jamaica to Cuban refugees with some other BIC workers.

Llanes met Jill Maggert at Memorial Holiness Camp in Ohio, and they married in 1966. Referring to his calling to ministry, Llanes describes the way his life has been driven by his calling: “It affected the kind of education I pursued as well as the major decisions that I have made in my life.” After earning his bachelor of arts from Malone College and two master’s degrees (in administration and theological studies), Llanes and his family planted a church in Miami in 1985.

Throughout his years of ministry, Llanes has invested significant energy into training other pastors and worship leaders: “I believe that the training of a minister is an important part of his spiritual formation. I see it as essential as it enables him/her to be an effective and faithful expositor of the Word.” Llanes has taught at Seminario Nazareno Centroamericano in Costa Rica, at Seminario Nazareno Hispanoamericano in Texas, and at Mercer University in Georgia. He currently teaches the BIC core course Teología de la Salvación (Theology of Salvation), and finds the work “both stimulating and rewarding.”

Llanes has seen God’s faithfulness in his years of ministry in the Miami area. As the associate bishop for Spanish-speaking churches, he now works with 38 BIC congregations in Florida, as well as congregations in North Carolina, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic. He reflects, “[Over time] I realized that effective ministry can take place only as we are empowered by the Spirit’s presence. These years in ministry have taught me that He is the One who transforms lives and [I should] not overestimate my part in the whole process. Indeed, ministry is all about transformation, and since God is the One who transforms people, to Him alone belongs the glory, the praise, the thanksgiving, the honor, and adoration.”

At their meeting in February, the General Conference Board confirmed Llanes as the nominee for bishop of the Southeast Conference. At the annual meeting of the Southeast Conference on April 28-29, delegates voted to confirm Llanes' election. Beginning August 1, Llanes will oversee congregations across the Southeast with the help of associate bishop John Byers.

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