Ismael Abelardo Castillo, Ph.D., is the vice president for Hispanic Ministries and Spanish Evangelism for the Texas Conference. Born and raised in México, he received his bachelor’s degree in Theology from Montemorelos University in México. He also earned a master’s degree in education administration and a doctorate in curricular management from the same university.

After graduating with his bachelor’s degree, he had the privilege of working as a pastor in the central state of Guanajuato, México. He then returned to Montemorelos University, where he taught subjects such as Bible, English, Sociology and Axiology at the high school and college levels. In 2000, he received a call from the Texas Conference to work as the youth pastor for the Keene Spanish Seventh-day Adventist Church, in Keene, Texas, where he served for eight years. He then moved to  Houston, where he pastored the Houston Spanish Spring Branch Seventh-day Adventist Church for nine years. He also assisted with the Houston Spanish Mission Bend Seventh-day Adventist Company, Houston Spanish Fort Bend Seventh-day Adventist Church, Houston Spanish Southwest Seventh-day Adventist Church and Brookshire Spanish group. In 2017, he received the call to serve as an associate director for Hispanic Ministries & Spanish Evangelism at the Texas Conference. In 2021, he began his current position.

Castillo is happily married to Lizeth Castillo, his best friend and ministry companion, with whom he has two beautiful and talented children, Ismael and Ana.

His greatest joy in ministry is teaching God’s love through the Bible and serving in a team dedicated to God’s mission.