The Maranatha Spanish Group formed in the early months of 1995 as a result of evangelistic meetings conducted by Ramon Canals, then Oregon Conference Hispanic coordinator. In March, Jorge Rico came to pastor, and by autumn, the group had already achieved company status. Over the past several years, Luis Mesa, serving as a Bible worker, and Samuel Tahay worked diligently to reach the Hispanic population of the Medford area. Currently, Khalebb Ramirez serves as pastor.
“It is a very special privilege to organize a new church,” shares Al Reimche, Oregon Conference vice president for administration. “We have been called for the mission of proclaiming the gospel,” says Don Livesay, Oregon Conference president, “and it is thrilling to see this wonderful group of people gather for that purpose.”