Nathan Cranson – Montrose, Colorado … Eric Cervantes, a former gang member, was baptized at the Montrose Seventh-day Adventist Church in Montrose, Colorado, July 20.
“This summer, I had the privilege of baptizing Eric Cervantes and welcoming him into membership at the Montrose Seventh-day Adventist Church,” remarked Nathan Cranson, lead pastor at the Montrose Church.
Cervantes grew up in a Catholic family but explains that he doesn’t ever remember going to church. In his teen years, he joined a local gang. He did leave the gang some years later. Cervantes commented that most of his friends in the gang were not so fortunate and either ended up in prison or were killed.
Since then, Cervantes has been married and had two daughters. His wife returned to Mexico leaving him to parent alone for the last 15 years.
Cervantes explains that it was like his spirit awakened in 2020, and, for the first time, he wanted to know about God. One of his close friends had been listening to Three Angels Broadcasting Network (3ABN) radio and had attended Montrose Church a few times. His friend invited Cervantes to attend with him. He was apprehensive since he had never stepped foot in a church before, but he gathered courage knowing his friend would be there with him.
After church, Cervantes’s friend explained that he was going to be out of town the following Sabbath but that he should still attend. Cervantes said that he would just wait for him to come back and join him next time, but his friend insisted, explaining that it wasn’t about his friend it was about God.
The next week, Cervantes was sitting in his truck in the church parking lot deciding what to do: do I do what is comfortable and drive home, or do I do what I believe God wants me to do and walk into church? “By the grace of God, Eric walked into church that day and has seldom missed a Sabbath since,” reminisced Cranson. “His friend attended with him until his work began to occupy his Sabbaths. Now it is Eric who is encouraging his friend to come back to church. Please pray that God’s grace will prevail once more.”
Cervantes started attending a Bible study led by retired former pastor Fritz Krieger on Sunday nights. Cervantes also started bringing his younger daughter to church and Bible study. He then began to study with Cranson for baptism.
“It was purely by the grace of God that the former gang member has now become beloved member of the Adventist family of God,” Cranson commented. “What a glorious Sabbath morning it was to see Eric’s friend with his two kids, both Eric’s daughters, one of their boyfriend’s, and his mom, all there to witness Eric dedicating his life to Christ. God’s Spirit is truly still at work.”
—Nathan Cranson is the lead pastor for the Montrose, Gunnison, and Paonia Seventh-day Adventist Churches. Photos supplied.
