Flores knew Jal was God’s will

By John Earp

After over a year of being without a pastor, James Flores has been called by the congregation of First Baptist Church of Jal as their new pastor. Flores says he realized it was God’s will for him, his wife and his sons to come to Jal, after struggling somewhat about it in his heart.

Flores says that though he himself is not a Baptist, a Southern Baptist pastor-friend of his told him he needed to leave Deming, NM, to come and pastor the congregation of First Baptist of Jal. He says he originally just intended to fill in for a while as a supply preacher. He says his wife and boys really fell in love with Jal when they first visited, even though he told the church he was not a candidate when he first came.

He says he told the congregation the church needs to move forward and not look back. He was surprised the day after he had preached for the congregation that they called him and told him they had voted him in as pastor.

He says he is just here to water or plant seeds. He says, “I can’t make these things grow. I can’t make them grow fast, I can’t make them grow tall, I can’t. I can’t do nothing.”

Flores says he began training for ministry in Horizon City, Texas, at The School of the Prophets, which later was renamed, The School of the Scriptures. He says he received training at Hyles-Anderson College in Hammond, Indiana, and later earned his doctorate from Andersonville Theological Seminary, but says he never wants to consider himself an expert.

His past ministry experience has included several years of missions work in Mexico as well as on the Navajo Reservation.

The Flores family is still in the process of moving all of his family’s belongings from Deming to Jal.