By: Roberto Reyes, YMI Mexico Training Director

It’s hard to believe that our family has been in Mexico for over three years! We couldn’t be more thankful for this extraordinary opportunity to serve God in my home country of Mexico with Youth Ministry International.

In 2005, God called me to go to the USA to get more biblical training. Now that I have returned to Mexico with my family, it has been somewhat surreal for me to see what has changed and what has really stayed the same. However, the overarching need remains, then and now – Trained men and women to bring the gospel to, and disciple, today’s young people in this country!

My wife, Erika works at, and our children attend, Mexico City Christian Academy here in Mexico City. One day, a missionary woman, Mrs. Jenny Gentry, was at the school and getting to know Erika. She asked what type of ministry we were doing in Mexico City. Erika explained the vision of YMI and what we’re all about. Mrs. Gentry got excited and urged Erika to, “Tell Robbie to talk to my husband, Troy! We’ve been praying for help in this area and don’t have anything like this at our seminary”. Troy and his family have been serving in Mexico City since 2015. They are missionaries with One Mission Society and Troy is the director of a Wesleyan seminary called Seminario Biblico de Mexico or “SEMBIMEX” in the City – about one hour from the Baptist seminary with which YMI has had a longstanding partnership.

This connection was an exciting answer to prayer since I had been praying that God would open doors for YMI’s educational youth training program to expand in Mexico. I called Troy Gentry, and we arranged a time to discuss the seminary’s needs and what YMI has to offer. We talked about the importance of training youth workers and the great need that the Mexican church faces today. Troy wholeheartedly agreed and offered me a teaching position on Saturday mornings at SEMBIMEX. I have now been teaching at this seminary since September 2018. Troy and the academic dean, Israel Amaro, are very interested in offering their seminary students a complete Bachelor’s degree in Youth Ministry.

SEMBIMEX was founded in 1992 by One Mission Society, an organization that has a heart for the local church. Although this seminary doesn’t have a large student body, they are consistent in numbers and are serious about providing their students a formal theological education. Most of their classes are offered in the evenings and on Saturdays due to many students having bi-vocational ministries.

I have taught three courses and, praise God, all of them have been very successful. The first course was “Principles of Youth Ministry” with 15 students Everyone was thrilled and fired up about reaching the youth in their own local church!

I am excited to see where God is leading us through this promising partnership and the lives that will be changed because of this biblical training program!

I am passionate about bringing YMI’s training program to these people, both formally and informally, as there are many who do not have the opportunity that I had to travel outside of Mexico to obtain training in Youth Ministry.

Please keep Youth Ministry International and SEMBIMEX in your prayers as we are working together towards a fruitful ministry partnership to train and equip men and women in the area of youth ministry.