Members of the Iglesia del Evangelio Emanuel stand in the Missouri between Nebraska and South Dakota. Church is going to Lewis and Clark Recreation Area to be baptized.
Courtesy photo
Children in the church stand in front. Flags, including the Mexican flag, hang on the wall.
Courtesy photo
When Carlos Santos first came to Columbus in the early 1990s, he couldn’t find any churches for Spanish speakers.
So he founded his own Iglesia del Evangelio Emanuel, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this coming weekend with special church services.
“(I founded the Church) to help people find God,” said Santos, translated from Spanish. “To find the word of God … and turn bad lives into good lives.”
The Church, 2207 11th St., will have its special services on April 17 at 7 p.m. and April 18 at 10 a.m.
Santos is also the pastor.
“God has called me to do this,” he said.
He is from El Salvador and moved to Houston, Texas in 1979. Eventually, he and his wife moved to Columbus in 1993.
Church members stand in the audience. Flags from various countries, including Bolivia, Spain, Argentina, Paraguay, Brazil, and Uruguay, hang on the wall.
Courtesy photo
When he first came to the US, Santos had to deal with the cold.
“I’ve adjusted,” he said.
When he started the Church, members met in homes. But in 1996 he found a place.
Church member Santiago Vasquez also adapted when he came to Columbus from Texas. Vasquez joined the Church 1996, a few months after Iglesia del Evangelio Emanuel found its home.
