Victor Guillermo Mérida was officially ordained June 19 during the annual Northern California Hispanic camp meeting held at Rio Lindo Academy. Mérida now serves as pastor of the St. Helena and Napa Spanish churches.

Mérida was introduced to the ministry after receiving Bible studies and was baptized Dec. 5, 1987. Supported by the encouragement of his fellow church members and pastor, Mérida graduated with a degree in theology from Antillas Adventist University in Puerto Rico. He then served at the Southeastern California Conference, pastoring in Ramona and at the Paradise Valley Spanish church in San Diego. After serving there, Mérida accepted a call to the Northern California Conference in February 2003.

At Mérida’s ordination service, Pastor Mario Perez, Hispanic ministries coordinator of the Southeastern California Conference, highlighted the power of God’s leading. Referring to II Corinthians 4:7, he spoke words of encouragement and reminded Mérida that God had entrusted him with a treasure—“the Message”—the most important component of all. He reminded him that a pastor is only the messenger. He then gave Mérida a small clay pot to illustrate Mérida’s role as a minister in the hands of Jesus.

Also present at the ordination service were Emãn Collins, who gave the ordination prayer, and Jorge Soria, who spoke of the challenges that the ordination would bring. Richard Dena, NCC director of Hispanic ministries, presented the ordination certificate.

“It is really great to have Victor as a part of the ministerial team,” said Dena. “While leading the St. Helena and Napa churches, he is also bringing the lay people in new depths of cooperation. As a result, a new group of 30 members has cropped up in the Vallejo area and are meeting in the Vallejo Central church, for which we’re very grateful.”

Other NCC directors who have worked with Mérida are also glad to have him in Northern. “It’s a real privilege to have dedicated men like Victor Mérida in our conference,” said Ralph Robertson, NCC ministerial director. “We spent some time together on a mission trip in the Dominican Republic, and he preached there near Boca Chica. He was very eloquent in presenting the gospel.”

Ed Fargusson, NCC assistant to the president, and Robertson officially welcomed the Mérida family into the worldwide organization of the Adventist family. “We’re glad he’s joining this great supportive family of ministers,” said Fargusson. “We’re looking forward to him having many good years of service here in Northern.”

An equally important role in the church family is that of the pastor’s wife. In recognition of this, Darlys Robertson, coordinator of women’s ministries, presented Melinda Mérida with an Ellen White book and a welcome to the NCC pastoral family. “I tried to express my love and gratitude to God, my children and our church family, but I was teary with emotion on this special occasion,” says Melinda.

Her husband also feels emotion for the service to which he’s been called. “What we hope to accomplish is to make disciples,” he said. “That’s my main goal. We are one for the gospel to continue to make more disciples.”