¡Bienvenidos a la Iglesia Bautista Bill Harrod!  
Welcome to Bill Harrod Baptist Church!
Remembering A Sacred Heritage
I'm not sure how many people are aware that the state of Texas recognizes March 31 as Cesar Chavez Day, but it is worthy of mention here. I am convinced that the members of Bill Harrod seek, day in and day out, to be accountable to the tradition and the aspiration that is voiced in the article below. Que viva el espiritu de humildad y amor que encontramos en estas palabras escritas mas de cuarenta anos pasados, en medio de una lucha de inestimable importancia por las vidas de tantas personas de decendencia Latina.

Enjoy!

Pastor Mark

The Mexican-American and the Church (1968)
Speech at the Second Annual Mexican Conference, Sacramento, California (March 1968)
By Cesar Chavez
http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Cesar_Chavez
When we refer to the Church we should define the word a little. We mean the whole Church, the Church as an ecumenical body spread around the world, and not just its particular form in a parish in a local community.
The Church we are talking about is a tremendously powerful institution in our society, and in the world. That Church is one form of the Presence of God on Earth, and so naturally it is powerful. It is powerful by definition. It is a powerful moral and spiritual force which cannot be ignored by any movement.
When the strike started in 1965, most of our friends forsook us for a while. They ran — or were just too busy to help. But the California Migrant Ministry held a meeting with its staff and decided that the strike was a matter of life or death for farm workers everywhere, and that even if it meant the end of the Migrant Ministry they would turn over their resources to the strikers. The political pressure on the Protestant Churches was tremendous and the Migrant Ministry lost a lot of money. But they stuck it out, and they began to point the way to the rest of the Church. In fact, when 30 of the strikers were arrested for shouting Huelga [Strike], 11 ministers went to jail with them.
The growers in Delano have their spiritual problems... we do not deny that. They have every right to have priests and ministers who serve their needs. But we have different needs, and so we needed a friendly spiritual guide. And this is true in every community in this state where the poor face tremendous problems. But the opposition raises a tremendous howl about this. They don't want us to have our spiritual advisors, friendly to our needs. Why is this? Why indeed except that there is tremendous spiritual and economic power in the church. The rich know it, and for that reason they choose to keep it from the people.
We should be prepared to come to the defense of that priest, rabbi, minister, or layman of the Church, who out of commitment to truth and justice gets into a tight place with his pastor or bishop. It behooves us to stand with that man and help him see his trial through. It is our duty to see to it that his rights of conscience are respected and that no bishop, pastor or other higher body takes that God-given, human right away.
 
What do we want the Church to do? We don't ask for more cathedrals. We don't ask for bigger churches or fine gifts. We ask for its presence with us, beside us, as Christ among us. We ask the Church to sacrifice with the people for social change, for justice, and for love of brother. We don't ask for words. We ask for deeds. We don't ask for paternalism. We ask for servanthood."
"We don't ask for more cathedrals. We don't ask for bigger churches or fine gifts.... We ask the Church to sacrifice with the people for social change, for justice, and for love of brother. We don't ask for words. We ask for deeds. We don't ask for paternalism. We ask for servanthood."
-Cesar Chavez (1968)                                                                   
May 2012