The board of directors of Iglesia Menonita Hispana (Hispanic Mennonite Church) appointed Juan Montes executive director during IMH’s annual meeting April 6 in Chicago.

Montes is pastor of Primera Iglesia Menonita in Reedley, Calif., a position he has held for 31 years. IMH is a constituency group of Mennonite Church USA.

“Pastor Juan Montes is the ideal candidate to serve as ‘director ejecutivo’ of IMH and to lead the growth of the Hispanic church in the United States,” said IMH moderator Josué González, citing Montes’ pastoral and leadership experience.

Montes is celebrating his 50th year in ministry. He served as the first IMH moderator, when the group was formed through the merger of the Hispanic Mennonite Convention of Churches and the Mennonite Association of Hispanic Churches at the 2001 Mennonite convention in Nashville, Tenn. The group represents approximately 60 MC USA churches.

Montes said it is important to continue to work on theological reconciliation.

“We need to work together to listen in love,” he said. “No matter if we agree or disagree, we need to live in the love of Jesus Christ.”