NORTH FORT MYERS, Fla — Hispanic Heritage Month Officially kicked off on Tuesday, and over the next four weeks, we want to highlight members of the Hispanic Community in Southwest Florida.
Today we are introducing you to Pastor Ben Flecha of Step of Faith Ministry.
"Love your neighbor as thyself," Pastor Flecha said.
These few short words have been a guiding light for the Southwest Florida Pastor though his journey to the pulpit wasn't quite what you might expect.
"I'm a pastor's kid, and I did not want to become a pastor; I did not want to become a pastor," Pastor Flecher said.
But Flecha says in 2002, the call to ministry became something he couldn't ignore, so he and his wife planted a church.
"Step of Faith Ministries, Ministerio un Paso de Fe," Pastor Flecha said.
The now bilingual church was with more than 600 members, first started in Spanish only.
It was a way for the Puerto Rican pastor to help bridge the gap for one of the area's fastest-growing populations.
"I just felt that there was just a huge need here in Southwest Florida," Pastor Flecha said.
" Being that the Hispanic population was just continuously growing and back then, there wasn't as many churches."
And in these challenging days, he wants his church to be a place of hope.
"I just constantly want to encourage people and motivate them because nowadays, the society that we live in now is just so full of negativity," Pastor Flecha.
" Everything is negative. You just turn on the tv, social media. You know, obviously it's an election year, but everything is just so negative."
But that's not the only hat Flecha wears. He's also a leadership coach and mentor to other pastors.
"What my wife and I, a lot of the stuff that we've gone through, I'm like 'I don't want other pastors to go through that," Pastor Flecha said.
"And if I can help them, you know learn from my mistakes, my failures, and my experiences, so they don't have to go through it, 'why not?'"
And just when you thought he couldn't possibly get any busier in march, Flecha opened up a thrift store that serves a special purpose here in Southwest Florida, Venezuela, Cuba, and Puerto Rico.
"100 percent of the profit goes to missions," Pastor Flecha said.
It may sound like a lot, but Flecha says it's all done in an effort to spread kindness and love as far as possible.
"I just feel that people need to hear good news," Pastor Flecha said.
"And that they're able and that they're capable and they're smart, and they're beautiful, and they're God's creation and that we have so much to give and we have a purpose."
A Spanish-language version of our story is also available below.
“Ama a tu vecino como a ti mismo.”
Estas cortas palabras han sido una luz guia para el pastor Ben Flecha del Suroeste de la Florida, aunque su viaje al púlpito no es como te podrias imaginar.
“Soy hijo de un pastor y no quería ser pastor; no quería ser pastor," dice el pastor Flecha.
Pero en 2002, Flecha dice que el llamado al ministerio se convierto en algo que no podía ignorar. Así que él y su esposa plantaron una iglesia.
"Step of Faith Ministries, Ministerio un Paso de Fe," dice el pastor Flecha.
La iglesia es bilingüe y cuenta con más de 600 miembros, pero comenzó en español como una manera para que el pastor Puertorriquena pudiera ayudar a unir la brecha para una de las poblaciones de crecimiento más rápido del área.
“Simplemente sentí que había una gran necesidad aquí en el Suroeste de Florida ya que la población Hispana estaba creciendo continuamente y en ese entonces no había tantas iglesias," dice el pastor Flecha.
Pero su mission no termina ahi. También es entrenador de liderazgo y mentor de otros pastores.
“Muchas de las cosas por las que hemos pasado yo y mi esposa, son cosas que no quiero que otros pastores pasen. Y si puedo ayudarlos, a que aprendan de mis errores, mis fracasos y mis experiencias para que no tengan que pasar por lo mismo, '¿por qué no?'" dice el pastor Flecha.
Y justo cuando paresia que el no tendria tiempo para más, en Marzo Flecha abrió una tienda que tiene un propósito especial aquí en el Suroeste de la Florida, y en lugares como Venezuela, Cuba y Puerto Rico.
"El 100 por ciento de las ganancias se destinan a misiones," dice el pastor Flecha.
Puede sonar como mucho, pero flecha dice que todo se hizo en un esfuerzo para difundir bondad y amor lo mas lejos posible.
"Siento que la gente necesita escuchar buenas noticias. Y que son capaces, son inteligentes, son hermosos y son creación de Dios y que tenemos mucho para dar y tiene un propósito," dice el pastor Flecha.
