Following My Call from the Wilderness for More Than 40 Years

By Marco Güete

This past weekend, I was honored as one of the denomination’s elders at Mennonite Church USA’s Hope for the Future 2023, a gathering of people of color, in Atlanta, GA. When I was asked to share a few words during the ceremony, the following came to mind:  

More than forty years ago, at the Body of Christ Hispanic Mennonite Church in Queens, NY, a church leader approached me and called me out of my wilderness of ministry disorientation and my cave of confusion regarding my call to God’s service. The call I heard from that leader was clear, definite, and emphatic. “You must go to Goshen College (IN) and then to seminary.” I came out of my wilderness and my cave, in search of my place in the world for church service, which happened to be in the Mennonite Church.  

1st call.  Not a year had passed at Goshen College when I received a call to a specific ministry. I was called to be the coordinator of the newly formed Hispanic Ministries office of General Conference Mennonite Church. This was in 1982, and I was the only person of color on staff of the denomination. Although there was a coordinator of the Mennonite Indian Leaders Council (MILC), this person was white.   

A short time later, I was appointed as the first Director of the newly founded office of Hispanic Ministries. At the time, there were fewer than five Hispanic churches and no leaders in training for ministry. My mission was to discover, train, call, and send leaders to start new churches in the United States and Canada. I served in this position for 14 years.  

2nd call.  After serving as Director of Hispanic Ministries, I was sent for four years as a missionary along with my wife, Sandra, to Bogotá, Colombia to serve at the Colombian Mennonite Church.   

3rd and 4th called together.  While I was in Colombia, preparing to return to the US, I received the third call. Western District Conference called me to serve as an Associate Conference Minister and Church Planting Coordinator. South Central Conference called on me to serve them at the same time. I was the first person of color in these roles. I served in these positions for nine years. 

5th call.  Southeast Mennonite Conference called me to serve as Conference Minister in Florida. I was the first person of color in this position, serving for eight years.  

6th call.  Mennonite Education Agency (MEA) calls me to be the Director of the Hispanic Ministry Education Program, which I have been leading for the past eight years and continue to lead.  

7th call.  (The number 7 is very significant in the Bible, and for me.) The seventh calling in my life has been to Mosaic Conference. I currently serve as a Leadership Minister for the Mosaic churches in Florida.  

I clearly understand that God has had a purpose with my life and that He used someone to call me. I surely believe that part of our mission and God’s command is to call and send others into Christ’s mission.  I am immensely grateful to God for calling me to this ministry for over 40 years.  

And how will they preach if they are not sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!” (Romans 10:15, NLT)