Ramiro Cano was elected executive secretary and ministerial director of the Central California Conference on Oct. 28, 2003. He follows Juan Rivera* who served in that position for 11 years.

The list of qualified candidates grew as conference administrators searched across the division. It was Rivera and Antonio Romero, pastor of the Madera Hispanic and Livingston Churches, who added Cano’s name to the search list. "He was serving as associate executive secretary for two years and had done very well. I thought we had the best person for the position right here," Rivera says.

Marianne Gilbert, personnel committee member and principal of Armona Union Academy, agrees. "God has gifted him with tremendous leadership ability and skills. He is an effective communicator, an inspiring preacher and a visionary," she says. Gilbert worked with Cano when she was principal of the Foothill Elementary School in Milpitas.

About his new responsibilities, Cano says, "Someone recognized gifts in me and gave me the opportunity to work for the Lord, and I want to pass that on."

Cano moved to the United States from Medellin, Colombia, in 1965. At age 14, he was baptized along with his mother, brother and sister into the Van Nuys Spanish Church. After college, he spent 19 years in various business, administrative, supervisory, project management and technical functions for several corporations and educational entities.

In 1989, God began to stir his heart with a tremendous urgency of His soon coming. "I was living the American dream in a plastic, materialistic life and felt I needed my family to go on another path," he recalls. He moved to New Mexico and used the family’s savings to supplement his teaching salary.

Joining a small country church with four members, he was soon sharing the Gospel. In four years, the membership grew to 28 and the dilapidated church building was repaired. In 1993, he was hired as a full-time pastor for the Texico Conference, eventually serving in other districts.

Since accepting the position of senior pastor of the Milpitas Church in 1997, Cano has continued his passion for evangelism and church growth. He has facilitated four Bay Area multi-church public evangelistic meetings resulting in nearly 200 baptisms, sponsored two church plants (Ethiopian and Hispanic) and led in paying off the $350,000 Milpitas Church and School Center debt. He continues his education and will complete his Master of Divinity degree this summer.

He piloted the "Can Do Model" (see pg. 22), which established a four-church district and two church plants. His responsibilities included supervising and mentoring three ministerial interns and two church planters. Add board chair of the Foothill Elementary School with its 100 students and Cano’s life has been very full.

His partner in ministry is Mary Ellen, his wife of 31 years. Their three children are Patricia, a Pacific Union College graduate; Antonio, a Union College graduate and San Jose Central Church’s intern pastor; and Sergio, a junior at Union College.

"Ramiro and Mary Ellen are a deeply spiritual and very gifted couple that our Lord is using mightily in His service," says Jerry Page, conference president. "As names came from around this union and the rest of the country and we considered all counsel and advice, it became very apparent that Cano’s gifts and experience were the Lord’s preparation for the very specific needs of the conference for the next decade."

"I’m still pinching myself," Cano says as he takes this next step. "I’m living this wonderful, spiritual adventure, and I know the Lord is not done yet."

*Now senior pastor of the Fresno Hispanic Church, Rivera looks forward to the daily one-on-one relationships with his members, bringing new people in touch with Jesus, and implementing the many ideas for church fellowship and growth he’s accumulated through the last few years.