“The mission of the church requires more than preaching—it requires intentional training,” Juan Osorio, Hispanic Region director of the Southern California Conference (SCC), said to summarize Ellen G. White’s emphasis on “less preaching, more teaching.”
This is the foundation of the Lay Evangelism School of SCC’s Hispanic Region, which was created to train active disciples, equip members, and mobilize the church.
The region’s commitment to evangelism has been demonstrated in a progressive five-year plan that began last year. Each year, a new curriculum is developed that matches the designated theme. In 2025, the theme was discipleship; this year, it’s equipping. In the coming years, the themes will be empowering, mobilizing, and multiplying.
The lay evangelism school is connected to two annual evangelistic cycles each year (in spring and fall), which are connected to five phases: prepare the soil, sow, cultivate, harvest, and consolidate.
The Hispanic region, comprised of 50 congregations, is organized into four areas: San Fernando Valley led by Pastor Oliver Enriquez; Glendale led by Pastor Carlos Granados; South Central led by Pastor Arturo Escudero; and San Gabriel Valley led by Pastor Franklin Grant. Each area develops the program to cater to their local churches, where pastors and leaders in those areas serve as instructors of the curriculum.
“We firmly believe that God has provided the resources and opportunities for the growth of His church,” Osorio said. “Today, we see clear evidence in the development of committed lay leaders and in a united fellowship focused on mission.”