Pastor Aaron Reyes: On Multicultural Pastoral Ministry and Resourcing Neglected Communities

Pastor Aaron Reyes joins Dr. Joshua Jipp and Dr. Madison Pierce from Austin, TX to talk about his work at Hope Community Church, the Crete Collective, and the Vida House. Aaron is an MDiv. alumnus from TEDS and continues to partner in ministry with TEDS in various ways.

Aaron begins by sharing his experiences growing up in Texas in an immigrant community, and how that had significant impacts for the shape of his ministry. Though he did not originally have intentions to return to Texas after doing his education in the Chicago area, the convictions he acquired in TEDS classes about the teachings of Jesus led him to emphasize the least of these in his ministry, especially those whose lives have been made difficult on account of bias regarding race and ethnicity. Aaron then reflects on his approach to ministry in his context, especially how it relates to knowing the particular history of his city and a sensitivity to the stories of the people around him, especially those who have immigrated to the United States. At his church, therefore, you’ll see languages and other forms of cultural expression that reflect the people who have been gathered in the community. He also shares about the work of his wife, Michelle, who has two books on engaging issues of race and culture wisely. Finally, Aaron describes his work with the Crete Collective, an association of churches that seeks to embody both justice and justification, and with Vida House, which provides theological education for the communities around him.

Along the way, listeners will discover…

• Why middle-aged people like Tom Brady
• Why Liverpool is the best football club
• The kinds of interactions that brings the most joy to a pastor working in multicultural contexts

To learn more about Pastor Aaron Reyes, visit his profile at Hope Community Church and learn about the wonderful work they are doing, read about the Crete Collective or his and Michelle’s approach to preaching in Christianity Today, or watch this news piece that highlights the work Hope did to set up hand-washing stations during COVID.