Daniele Fantoni – Montrose, Colorado … The Maranatha Hispanic Seventh-day Adventist Church in Montrose, Colorado, celebrated the official dedication of its new chapel with a special worship service centered on gratitude, worship, and renewed commitment to God’s mission, July 4. Hugo Guillén, pastor and Rocky Mountain Conference (RMC) Ministerial associate director and lead for Multicultural Ministries, preached the dedication sermon and led a meaningful service of consecration alongside Daniele Fantoni, Maranatha Church’s lead pastor, and the church elders.
The celebration marked the culmination of a journey that began on January 20, 2013, when a small Hispanic group first met in a borrowed classroom at the Montrose Seventh-day Adventist Church under the leadership of church member Abimael Chávez and with the support of RMC pastor Michael Shannon. The congregation was officially organized as a church in June 2021.
“In October 2022, God opened an unexpected door when the Montrose Seventh-day Adventist Church voted unanimously to donate its former school property to the Hispanic congregation,” remarked Fantoni. “After years of renovation, volunteer labor, generous support, and God’s faithful provision, the church joyfully dedicated its new chapel.”
He continued, “Throughout its history, God has blessed the congregation with more than 30 baptisms, evangelistic meetings, youth ministries, and steady spiritual growth. One of the church’s defining passions has been its commitment to young people, expressed in its motto: None of our young people will be lost to the world; all for Christ.”
The dedication service celebrated not only God’s faithfulness in the past but also the church’s commitment for the future. Those gathered dedicated themselves anew to worship God, grow as disciples, and proclaim the gospel until Christ returns—the very words now engraved on the church’s dedication plaque as a lasting reminder of its mission.
—Daniele Fantoni is associate pastor for the Grand Junction District. Photos supplied.
