KEENE, TEXAS – Ismael Castillo, Ph.D., was elected vice president for Multicultural Ministries for the Southwestern Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists in Burleson, Texas. The election took place during the 32nd Southwestern Union Conference Constituency Session held on Sunday, April 26, 2026. More than 250 delegates and delegates-at-large met at the Keene Seventh-day Adventist Church in Keene, Texas, to elect officers, vice presidents and directors for the upcoming quinquennium of the Southwestern Union Conference. Before this role, Castillo served as the vice president for Hispanic Ministries & Spanish Evangelism for the Texas Conference of Seventh-day Adventists in Alvarado, Texas.
Castillo began his ministry in the Texas Conference in 2000 as a youth pastor at the Keene Spanish Seventh-day Adventist Church in Keene, Texas, which also included the Cleburne Seventh-day Adventist Church in Cleburne, Texas, in its district. In 2008, he became the senior pastor of the Houston Spanish Spring Branch Seventh-day Adventist Church, overseeing several other congregations in the area, including Houston Spanish Mission Bend company, Houston Spanish Fort Bend church and Brookshire Spanish company.
In 2017, Castillo joined the Texas Conference office, where he served as the associate director for Hispanic Ministries & Spanish Evangelism until 2021, when he was appointed vice president of the department. His new position for the Southwestern Union Conference began immediately following the election on April 26, 2026.
Even though Castillo is no longer with the Texas Conference, his multicultural language work will continue to further the Seventh-day Adventist mission in his new role at the Southwestern Union Conference, which includes the Arkansas-Louisiana, Oklahoma, Southwest Region, Texico and Texas conferences.
“We greatly appreciate Dr. Castillo’s dedication to the Spanish work in the Texas Conference,” said David Runnels, interim Texas Conference president. “He was my primary translator whenever I needed one for my ministry. He fostered a family spirit among our Spanish pastors, which really enhanced the ministry. His energy for evangelism and training is outstanding. I always appreciated how he incorporated the Sabbath school lesson material whenever he was asked to speak. Another thing that stands out is the growing presence on our Spanish social media channels over the years. Thousands of people viewed their posts on various subjects and Bible passages. What a wonderful way to minister to others. We solicit your prayers for Dr. Castillo and his family in this transition and for the process of finding a new vice president for Hispanic Ministries & Spanish Evangelism for the Texas Conference.”
The search for a new Texas Conference vice president for Hispanic Ministries & Spanish Evangelism will begin after the new Texas Conference president is elected. The Texas Conference Executive Committee is planning for that to happen at the end of May 2026. You can read about the presidential search process at TexasAdventist.org/presidential-update-2026.
–Texas Conference Public Relations
