11 May 2026
S3 E13: Global Missions in the 21st Century | Interview with Daniel Gonzalez
In this episode of Global Missions in the 21st Century, Hoffman sits down with Pastor Daniel Gonzalez, the Latino pastor at First Baptist Church Opelika. Originally from Cuba, Daniel spent three decades planting churches and multiplying leaders under one of the most restrictive communist regimes in the world — starting when evangelicals made up less than 0.01% of the population. He went on to help catalyze a movement to plant 100,000 house churches and train a new generation of missionaries sent from Cuba to India, Central America, and beyond.Now, by what felt like a series of divine detours, he leads a thriving congregation of immigrants from 19 different nations right here in Lee County, Alabama — a “reverse mission” that is bringing the lessons of the Global South to the American Bible Belt.Together, they explore what persecution teaches the church about essentials: why you must put people before programs, the kingdom before institutions, and mission before mere maintenance. Daniel unpacks his philosophy of discipleship — not filling people with information, but calling them into God’s mission and training them along the way. He shares how the integral mission theology of René Padilla and Samuel Escobar reshaped his dispensational upbringing, compelling him to address not just the soul but the whole of life — work, family, legal status, and community.Their conversation turns to the complexities of immigration, where Daniel offers a pastoral challenge both to his own congregation (“do not present yourselves as victims”) and to the wider American church (“before you are a political party, you are a Christian — so form a Christian opinion”). And he reflects on the counterintuitive challenge of living by faith in a land of plenty, where the basics are no longer a daily miracle but the call to deeper dependence remains.If you want to understand the future of the North American church, you need to listen to the voices God is bringing to your own neighborhood. This conversation is an excellent place to start.--This conversation is part of Christ Our Redeemer Seminary's Global Missions in the 21st Century course and our "Learning with the Whole Church" initiative: a commitment to listening to and learning from the global Church, particularly those serving among the least-reached peoples of the world. Christ Our Redeemer Seminary is a partnership of churches in Auburn and Opelika, Alabama, equipping Christlike leaders for God's global mission.Learn more: christourredeemer.orgFind us on podcast platforms: Christ Our Redeemer Seminary Podcast
