Built to serve: How Perkins and Custer Road UMC are preparing leaders for Hispanic communities
As North Texas communities continue to grow and diversify, Custer Road United Methodist Church in Plano is finding new ways to engage its growing Hispanic community. With a leadership team that includes several Perkins alumni and a commitment to developing future ministry leaders, the church has strengthened its relationship with Perkins School of Theology to expand access to theological education and prepare leaders to serve changing communities.
Recognizing the opportunity
“Who are we?” Knott asked. “Who are we suited to reach? Or are we missing a fast-growing demographic that we are struggling to reach?”
Asking the questions opened the door for more questions and the many people the church could possibly engage with, but Spanish became the common denominator when thinking of congregants and current leaders.
Starting in 2021, Custer Road began laying the groundwork for Spanish-language ministry. What started with small groups and English as second-language classes eventually developed into Custer Road en Español, which launched in 2023.
“It really does start with the lay leadership fully embracing a strategic mindset and intentionally incorporating it into their core leadership work,” said Knott.
Today, the ministry has become an integral part of the congregation's mission, offering Spanish-language worship, discipleship and opportunities for families to participate in church life.
“Changing communities invite us to listen, adapt, and create new pathways for people to encounter Christ and experience belonging,” Rangel said. “The goal is not simply to reach a changing community, but to become a church where that community can genuinely find a home.”
Expanding theological education
As Custer Road expanded its Spanish-language ministry, church leaders recognized another opportunity: equipping members to become leaders themselves.
Through an intentional leadership development process, Rangel and his team began introducing participants to increasingly advanced opportunities for ministry preparation.
That pathway includes Ruta 180, a discipleship program; Custer Road Leadership Academy; and Perkins' CASA program, which provides theological education and ministry pathways for Spanish-speaking communities.
Together, these experiences have helped participants explore their calling and naturally begin searching for further theological study.
According to Rangel, several participants were approved this year to begin Perkins' Master of Divinity in Spanish program.
Launched in fall 2024, the M.Div. in Spanish offers theological education entirely in Spanish through a cohort-based program designed to support students pursuing ministry.
For Rangel, who earned both his master's and doctoral degrees at Perkins, the program addresses a longstanding barrier for Spanish-speaking ministry leaders.
“For many Spanish-speaking leaders, this program removes a significant barrier by making theological education accessible in the language in which they often preach, lead, and serve,” Rangel said.
Rather than simply translating theological concepts, the program allows students to engage with theology through their own linguistic and cultural experiences while learning alongside leaders from different ministry contexts.
A shared commitment to developing leaders
Knott and Rangel are joined by the Rev. Ruben Saenz III ’24, associate minister of connections, who began serving at Custer Road in July after several years in church revitalization ministry.
Having grown up in the Rio Grande Valley, Saenz has a lifelong connection to Hispanic ministry in both English- and Spanish-speaking settings. His experience has shaped his understanding of how churches can respond to the needs of their communities.
Saenz sees theological education as an essential part of preparing church leaders to respond to those changes. “Some of the most formative moments in my ministry have come from walking alongside laypeople as they discerned a call to licensed or ordained ministry,” Saenz said.
Beyond its degree programs, Perkins has supported Custer Road through leadership courses offered locally, spiritual formation opportunities and its Course of Study School.
Preparing for the communities of tomorrow
Looking ahead, Knott envisions emerging leaders, including those pursuing theological education at Perkins, eventually serving as campus pastors or leading other congregations throughout the region.
He also hopes Custer Road's experience can provide a model for churches seeking to establish ministries that better reflect their changing communities.
For Rangel, preparing those leaders requires more than theological knowledge alone.
“We need leaders who know Scripture and theology deeply, but who also know how to listen to their communities,” Rangel said.
Through its relationship with Perkins, Custer Road is creating a pathway that connects discipleship, education and practical ministry experience.
As the church continues to grow, that investment offers a vision of how theological education can extend beyond the classroom, empowering individuals to answer their calling while helping congregations build meaningful connections with the communities they serve.