Marco Güete is willing to go the dis­tance to support Hispanic pastors and leaders as they answer their call to ministry. And he’s ready to prove it — again.

Güete, director of Mennonite Church USA’s Hispanic Ministries, and his wife, Sandra, will begin a pilgrimage Sept. 6 along El Camino de Santiago, walking over 18 days from Portugal into Spain. Their 143-mile journey will raise awareness and funds for MC USA’s Hispanic Ministries and its Spanish educational programs.

This will be Güete’s fourth pilgrimage in support of Hispanic Ministries. Now in his 70s, he has walked nearly 500 miles and raised more than $43,000 to support theological education and leadership development for Hispanic Mennonite pastors and leaders.

Güete is inviting fellow Anabaptists to “Step Forward in Faith” with him as he seeks to raise $25,000.

The pilgrimage is more than a fundraising effort for Güete. It is an expression of his lifelong commitment to ministry in the Hispanic Mennonite Church and to making theological education accessible to emerging leaders.

A native of Colombia, Güete worked and raised a family while attending college and seminary in the United States — a balancing act familiar to many of today’s students and bivocational pastors.

“We are not walking for ourselves,” he said. “We are walking so others can be equipped to serve Christ with faith, knowledge and hope. Together, we can open doors for those God is calling to lead and serve.”

Thousands of students have participated in Hispanic Ministries’ educational programs, and many have completed certificates or diplomas. Many graduates are serving as pastors and leaders in Mennonite churches.

“It is hard to capture, in words, what Marco’s leadership has meant for Hispanic leaders and churches within MC USA and beyond,” said Michael Danner, associate executive director for church vitality. “His passion for affordable, accessible and effective education and his love for the church fuel his ministry, and MC USA Hispanic Ministries is the fruit of that work.”

Donations supporting Hispanic Ministries marked EB 263 can be mailed to Mennonite Church USA, 718 N. Main St., Newton, KS 67114, or online at secure.myvanco.com/YM1N/campaign/C-16GWH.