At the service, hymns are sung and the Bible is read in Spanish. An English translator is on hand to accommodate anyone who speaks only English. Spanish-speaking immigrant farm workers in central Pennsylvania have been worshipping in a place that almost feels like home since March, when a Spanish-speaking pastor from Irwin began a weekly service for them in Altoona.

The Altoona Spanish Baptist Church meets at 6:30 p.m. Sundays at Crossroads Community Church1371 Old Route 220 S (Plank Road) Duncansville, PA 16635, behind the Sheetz gas station, at Meadows Intersection. (MR). The gathering is led by Pastor Moises Rosario, who travels about 90 miles to enlighten and foster unity through the Bible.
 
‘‘The mission of the Spanish church is to reach all of the immigrant community whose native language is Spanish,’’ Rosario said. ‘‘We seek to help them grow their family closer together through healthy and pure biblical values. The main goal of the Hispanic church is to help our Latin brothers, and all Spanish-speaking people, to strengthen their spiritual lives; that by means of the knowledge of the Gospel, they will reach a full life of faith and hope.’’

Rosario’s primary motivation is to offer the Hispanic community, many of whom live in isolation, a place of their own for fellowship, friendship and growth. One of the ways he has done that is to change the meeting time from Saturday night to Sunday afternoon so more people can attend.

More a modern-day apostle than a full-time pastor, Rosario has been planting churches for about 10 years for the Southern Baptist Convention of Pennsylvania and South Jersey. He is responsible for a church until the members install a pastor to lead them. Once a pastor is installed, Rosario moves to another town to establish another Spanish-speaking church. ‘‘The Lord blessed me with the ability and knowledge to discover leaders and to train and guide them,’’ he said. ‘‘In the East, I’ve been fortunate to put together some great pastors; the churches are now stable with their own leaders. Some are even getting ready to build their own churches.’’

The Rev. Emilia Florio, pastor of Christ Reformed Church in Alexandria, used to conduct a Spanish-speaking service in her community, but it has dissolved. She attends the Altoona service because she relishes the opportunity to participate in a service rendered in her native language. ‘‘It helps me to keep up with my Spanish,’’ she said. ‘‘I do missionary work in Honduras, so I need to keep improving.’’ But language enhancement is not the sole reason she attends. ‘‘It’s a really lively service,’’ she said. ‘‘And Moises is a very warm person. He has a way of teaching that is nonthreatening — it draws everybody in and encourages them to participate.’’

Rosario’s credo is that all sectors of society should have, regardless of their color, religion, race or financial status, the right to live in harmony and peace. ‘‘Altoona is a beautiful city, and we should continue to build in this city a community that opens its doors to all who come — with the desire to contribute to its growth and splendor,’’ Rosario said. ‘‘I’m a positive person; God has always opened the doors for me. I do not focus on the negative aspects of what’s going on around us, but rather the positive. That’s what allows me to continue to move forward. ‘‘This is what God has sent me to do,’’ Rosario said. ‘‘People from Altoona are very nice. They’re open. Everybody’s contributed to the growth of this church. Last year, we had nothing in Altoona. Now we have up to 40 people in the congregation.’’

As for the congregation, the gathering offers some semblance of family. ‘‘They’re hardworking people trying to make ends meet,’’ Florio said. ‘‘Some of the things they pray for would make your heart break. Women will talk about how they miss their children back home. They’re so family oriented: They just want to help their families. It’s sad that they have to be separated."

Dave Pullen of Duncansville, a self-employed dairy nutritionist consultant who grew up on the mission field, said, ‘‘From my experiences in foreign cultures, there’s nothing like hearing the word of God in your own language — that fellowship with others of your own culture. I think that’s very important in the worship experience. In the brief time I’ve spent with him, I can tell that Pastor Rosario has the gift of evangelism. He’s able to identify with people’s needs and empathize with them — that helps to solve problems and provide for those needs.’’

For his part, Rosario plans to sustain his mission. ‘‘Nothing can stop me,’’ he said. ‘‘When I first came to Altoona, the Miguel Padilla incident had just occurred. I didn’t allow that to hold me back from doing my work. I didn’t focus on this negative incident. “Instead, I focused on the issue of Hispanics in and around Altoona who do not know Christ. That is my work — that is why I’m here.”

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