Living Word Ministries (LWM) of Questa has a lot to celebrate. According to Pastor Gayle Martinez, LWM regularly welcomes 85 to 100 people each week for sunday services. Additionally, this August marks 18 years since LWM successfully merged with El Buen Pastor Church. Their celebrations will take place August 2 through 4 and include an outdoor worship and picnic on Friday at the Questa Lodge, a service honoring their past on Saturday at LWM, and a worship service blessing the pastors at LWM on Sunday. Their celebration theme is centered on honoring their past and celebrating their future.
If you plan to attend a church service at LWM on a Sunday you may have a hard time finding a parking spot, but the story about getting to this point is a labor of love.
El Buen Pastor Church was established in 1934 in Questa. It was a church built by those who loved the gospel. One of those founding members was the father of Ofelia Maritnez, Federico Gonzales. As a young girl, Ofelia remembers her father applying mud plaster to the walls of the church when it was first being built. “We grew up in the church,” she says, attending services on Sunday, Wednesday and Friday. “We were always at the church and we were raised with strict rules.” Ofelia’s father was a layman in the church at the time and along with Ofelia’s mother, Carmelita Quintana, they learned to love the Lord. “I was taught that If you’re a Christian in church then you’re also a Christian in school.” As a child, Ofelia remembers waking up at 5 in the morning to prepare for church service.
Attending El Buen Pastor Church as a child is how she met her friend Julia Rolfe (then Gonzales). They would have singing competitions while wearing white blouses and long blue skirts, and then gather at Ofelia’s home after church services. They became best friends and remain so to this very day.
Julia remembers walking to El Buen Pastor Church on Cabresto Road from her family’s home on South Kiowa Road in the winter. “We would walk in pants and then when we’d get to church we would change to our skirts because pants weren’t allowed,” Julia recalls. “There was no TV, no radio, no toys; we played in the silo in the wheat,” Julia says. Both ladies remember that families didn’t have a lot growing up but they were always looking out for each other and their pastors. “If we saw someone who didn’t have something, like beans or flour, we’d make sure to share what we had,” says Ofelia.
Debbie Martinez, daughter of Ofelia, remembers that families played a huge role in the church. “Everything happened together. We focused on the youth and we had great pastors along the way,” says Debbie.
The original location of El Buen Pastor Church used to be on Cabresto Road. It later added a second church on Llano Road where the current LWM church is located; however, the original location of LWM, founded by Dan and Evelyn Quintana in 1984, was actually just north of Questa, in El Rito. The cinder block-built church started its life on donated land as a home bible study. The church saw a few pastors come through their doors, including Juan and Diana Padilla. At one point in LWM’s history, they were without pastors and Pastor Peter had visited the church service to give a presentation. At that time, LWM had three couples who were attending services and after lots of prayer and conversation, Pastor Peter and wife, Pastor Gayle Martinez, accepted positions at LWM, in 2006. They had been with Good News Christian Fellowship in Taos as associate pastors. Membership eventually grew and, with limited space, kids had Sunday school in a school bus, which they weren’t opposed to.
El Buen Pastor Church was without pastors and LWM was growing out of their space. Conversations about a merger between the two churches began. The process took about a year and services took place at both churches. “It was like bringing two families together. We were getting to know each other,” says Pastor Peter. Then after some time, the property and church was deeded over to LWM and work on renovating the building took place. The merger of the two congregations took place officially in 2016, where pastors Peter and Gayle have been serving for 18 years.
These stories are foundational to current church practices. Family is central. Youth still have a role and as a congregation they are still instrumental in the community. The LWM church building has recently gone through some renovations, making it a beautiful, inviting space.
Sunday is not the only day you see this church congregation active. There is always something that the parishioners are offering the community, whether it be their weekly bible study, grief support groups, youth basketball clinics, vacation bible school, or back-to-school events, to name a few. This church has been integral in our community, doing great things for many years. Pastor Gayle mentions that their outreach programs are focused on families, encouraging strong marriages, and having an active youth program, all of which echoes their foundation.
The leadership team is equally impressive. Their pastoral leaders include Lead Pastor Peter, co-pastor Gayle Martinez, worship pastor Celina Trujillo, and associate pastor Jimmy Rael. Church elders include Dan Quintana (Living Word founding member), Debra Martinez, Jose Martinez, and several deacons and creative art leads.
Get on their social media to discover the multitude of good things this church is doing for our community.
