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Berean Bible Baptist Church

Melito Barrera: “We go out door to door every week telling people about Jesus Christ.”
Melito Barrera: “We go out door to door every week telling people about Jesus Christ.”
Place

Berean Bible Baptist Church

925 Hale Place, Suite B-9, Chula Vista




Membership: 80–100

Pastor: Melito Barrera

Age: 47

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Born: Olongapo, Phillipines

Formation: San Diego State University, San Diego; San Diego Baptist Theological Seminary, San Diego

Years Ordained: 11 years

SDR: Can you think of a time when you gave a sermon that completely flopped?

PB: There were at least two instances in the past where someone rudely stepped into the auditorium when I was preaching on a Sunday morning and loudly asked for someone to move a car because the owner had parked in the stranger’s space. We’re renting a storefront building, and we converted warehouse space into the place where we worship. So, we have several neighbors. That interruption drastically affected my train of thought. I had to pause and pray to really get back on track. That happened a couple times. We don’t have our own building yet, but we’re praying for one.

SDR: What is your main concern as a member of the clergy?

PB: My main concern is not being able to have the same liberty in the future that I have today in being able to preach the Word of God. The Bible warns us in 2 Timothy, Chapter 3, that in the last days perilous times should come. I believe we’re living such perilous times today. More and more people today don’t want to hear the truth preached or proclaimed anymore….

I think that more and more people today would rather be entertained than exhorted or edified by the Word of God.

SDR: What is the most prevalent sin you observe or hear about from your congregants?

PB: They struggle with the world today, with what society and the government are telling people what they need to do rather than what should be done in a spiritual sense. In other words, application of the Word of God is being ignored because of compromise. My congregation is struggling more with the pressure of compromise in their workplace and taking a stand for the truth.

SDR: What is the mission of your church?

PB: I believe the mission is to preach God’s Word to nourish God’s saints so they can apply the truth in their lives and to reach out to the community and reach souls for Christ.

SDR: What is the greatest strength of your church in carrying out this mission?

PB: Soul-winning; we go out door to door every week telling people about Jesus Christ.

SDR: What is the greatest weakness of your church in carrying out this mission?

PB: The greatest weakness right now is not having enough people to get involved. We need more folks to have the same conviction as we do. The Lord is always with us and even though we’re few in numbers, just like Gideon’s battle against the Midianites [Judges 7:17–22] in the Book of Judges, even though there were only 300 Israelites, they were able to defeat their enemies.

SDR: Where do you go when you die?

PB: I’m 100 percent sure that I’m going to heaven when I die because of God’s promises in the Bible. There was a point in my life when I was convicted by the Holy Spirit of my sin and in my rebellion against God, and through the preaching of the Gospel and by the grace of God, I learned the truth that He is holy and punishes sin in a terrible place called Hell.

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Melito Barrera: “We go out door to door every week telling people about Jesus Christ.”
Melito Barrera: “We go out door to door every week telling people about Jesus Christ.”
Place

Berean Bible Baptist Church

925 Hale Place, Suite B-9, Chula Vista




Membership: 80–100

Pastor: Melito Barrera

Age: 47

Sponsored
Sponsored

Born: Olongapo, Phillipines

Formation: San Diego State University, San Diego; San Diego Baptist Theological Seminary, San Diego

Years Ordained: 11 years

SDR: Can you think of a time when you gave a sermon that completely flopped?

PB: There were at least two instances in the past where someone rudely stepped into the auditorium when I was preaching on a Sunday morning and loudly asked for someone to move a car because the owner had parked in the stranger’s space. We’re renting a storefront building, and we converted warehouse space into the place where we worship. So, we have several neighbors. That interruption drastically affected my train of thought. I had to pause and pray to really get back on track. That happened a couple times. We don’t have our own building yet, but we’re praying for one.

SDR: What is your main concern as a member of the clergy?

PB: My main concern is not being able to have the same liberty in the future that I have today in being able to preach the Word of God. The Bible warns us in 2 Timothy, Chapter 3, that in the last days perilous times should come. I believe we’re living such perilous times today. More and more people today don’t want to hear the truth preached or proclaimed anymore….

I think that more and more people today would rather be entertained than exhorted or edified by the Word of God.

SDR: What is the most prevalent sin you observe or hear about from your congregants?

PB: They struggle with the world today, with what society and the government are telling people what they need to do rather than what should be done in a spiritual sense. In other words, application of the Word of God is being ignored because of compromise. My congregation is struggling more with the pressure of compromise in their workplace and taking a stand for the truth.

SDR: What is the mission of your church?

PB: I believe the mission is to preach God’s Word to nourish God’s saints so they can apply the truth in their lives and to reach out to the community and reach souls for Christ.

SDR: What is the greatest strength of your church in carrying out this mission?

PB: Soul-winning; we go out door to door every week telling people about Jesus Christ.

SDR: What is the greatest weakness of your church in carrying out this mission?

PB: The greatest weakness right now is not having enough people to get involved. We need more folks to have the same conviction as we do. The Lord is always with us and even though we’re few in numbers, just like Gideon’s battle against the Midianites [Judges 7:17–22] in the Book of Judges, even though there were only 300 Israelites, they were able to defeat their enemies.

SDR: Where do you go when you die?

PB: I’m 100 percent sure that I’m going to heaven when I die because of God’s promises in the Bible. There was a point in my life when I was convicted by the Holy Spirit of my sin and in my rebellion against God, and through the preaching of the Gospel and by the grace of God, I learned the truth that He is holy and punishes sin in a terrible place called Hell.

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4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
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