Hearing Paula Almada share the story of launching Crossroads Latino at the 2025 Lower North Island Summit sparked an idea for Geoff Lawson—who serves as Mission Partnerships leader at The Anchor Church in Whitby.
Geoff connected Paula with Jorge Edgecombe and encouraged him to start a service for the Latino community in the wider Wellington region. Jorge and his wife, Mariuxi, are from Ecuador and were keen to connect with other Latinos to worship together and support each other.
Jorge attended Crossroads Latino in Palmerston North a few times, and learned more about what worked in the Manawatū—a monthly service and fellowship entirely in Spanish, designed to connect with the local Latino community.
A year after Crossroads Latino was launched, The Anchor en Español had their first Saturday night meeting in April 2026.
Jorge says there is a small group of committed volunteers—a couple from Chile, a mixed couple (a Dominican woman married to a Kiwi), an American couple (Matt and Angela), and John Barris from nearby Tawa Gospel Hall, who was born and raised in Uruguay and is helping support the group.
The main purpose is to provide a support group for Latinos in the region and a place to worship God in their own language. “Latin people’s most common issue is that they miss their family, language, and culture... The intention is to provide a support group for them.”
The group gathers every third Saturday of the month at 6 pm. Together, they sing two or three worship songs, hear a brief Bible talk, and then split into small groups where they can share—followed, of course, by coffee!
The group has several main purposes in gathering, says Jorge: “Being a safe place where we can meet, share and grow together in the light of God’s Word. In this space, we can connect with others, learn more about God’s principles for life, and discover how to trust in Him.”
In the future, they are hoping to organise some meals with traditional food and different activities, but this is only the start, says Jorge: “We are happy and motivated.”
Twenty-five people came along to their second gathering on Saturday, and new people are starting to get in touch with them, shares Jorge, highlighting how beautiful it is to have a support group where people are able to share and where he sees God’s work.
The very first day they gathered in small groups, Jorge says he could see that people felt confident to open their hearts and share their struggles. And this is what motivates him most—that people can have a space where they can share their burdens.
If you’re keen to learn more: theanchorchurch.org.nz/the-anchor-espanol
Or learn about Crossroads Latino: www.crossroads.co.nz/latino
