KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Bobby Sena, a trailblazer in Hispanic ministry in the SBC, is retiring.

Sena’s many roles include missionary church planter in New Mexico, senior pastor in Texas and Georgia, Hispanic evangelism associate at the Baptist General Convention of Texas, national multi-ethnic evangelism consultant for the Home (now North American) Mission Board, Hispanic relations consultant to the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) Executive Committee (EC), co-chair of the Hispanic Advisory Council for the SBC EC and most recently, professor and director of the Spanish-language program and Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (MBTS).

He held all these roles while mentoring Hispanic leaders in the U.S. and abroad.

“I am so grateful for Dr. Sena’s life of faithful service. From the local church to a national seminary, Hispanic Baptists have been blessed to have his leadership, influence and impact in our community,” said Jesee Rincones, director of the Convención Bautista Hispana de Texas and chairman of the board for the National Hispanic Baptist Network (NHBN). “We pray God’s great blessings on his new season.”

Ramon Medina is a former student of Sena’s who pastors more than 3,000 Hispanic believers at Champion Forest en Español in Houston.

“He has accompanied us, formed us and reminded us that our calling to serve God is valuable and urgent,” Medina said of Sena. “Dr. Sena has been a key part of the journey we have taken as Hispanic Baptists.”

Hispanic leaders across North America, Central America, South America and the Caribbean claim MBTS as their alma mater because of Sena’s mission to help people get a Christian education at a Southern Baptist seminary.  

“He has been, and continues to be, a clear and committed voice among Hispanic Baptists in the United States,” Medina said. “Not only has he worked tirelessly to bring the gospel to our community with clarity and power, but he has also invested deeply in the new generations [and] shaped our lives with his example, his faith and his vision.

“With passion, love and patience, he has encouraged us to prepare, to grow, to believe that we can serve God with excellence and faithfulness. He has challenged us in the past, encourages us in the present and his influence projects powerfully into the future.”

After six decades of service to the Southern Baptist Hispanic community, Sena retired from his full-time ministry position at MBTS. He will be succeeded by Arnaldo Achucarro, who will also serve as assistant dean of the program.

Achucarro, born in Paraguay, said, “Dr. Sena has been a great mentor to me. … I had the privilege of working under him in the Spanish Studies Office at MBTS, and that’s where I learned the most from him, as I was able to make the most of his blend of wisdom and ministerial experience. For me, he’s a great leader and educator, but he’s also a great servant of God and, personally, an excellent friend.”

Sena will continue serving as professor of ministry at MBTS and as vice chairman of the Board of Directors for the National Hispanic Baptist Network (NHBN).

Bruno Molina, executive director of the NHBN, expressed his gratitude for Sena’s “decades of faithful service to and through Southern Baptists.”

“His fruitfulness as a pastor, denominational leader, seminary professor and director of the Spanish Language Program at Midwestern Seminary has impacted the lives of so many and will continue to do so for generations to come,” Molina said.

Molina, along with Gus Reyes, director of Hispanic Partnerships at Dallas Baptist University (DBU), presented Sena with the NHBN’s Leadership Award, sponsored by DBU, for his longtime excellence in leadership among Hispanic Southern Baptists, during the NHBN’s annual celebration in Indianapolis last June.

“Thank God for Dr. Bob Sena and his visionary leadership!” Reyes said. “Dr. Sena’s ministry and educational contributions impact the Hispanic community today as well as in future generations.”

Emanuel Roque, Hispanic multicultural catalyst for the Florida Baptist Convention, said Sena’s enthusiasm and vision were inspiring.

“He is an example of servant leadership across the country, continually seeking out connections that facilitate and empower Hispanic Baptists within the greater Southern Baptist family as an integral part of the mission we all share together,” Roque said.

Sena attributes his availability to serve God and the Southern Baptist community to his wife Priscilla.

“She has been a wonderful wife, ministry partner, mother and grandmother,” he said. “We have been married for 59 years. She has devoted her life to family and ministry.”

Priscilla retired from the Department of Federal and Special Programs Gwinnett County Public Schools in Georgia.

Sena expressed gratitude to his ministry partners, including Daniel Sanchez at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and Rudy Gonzales at MBTS, who helped him develop a Hispanic Christian Education in the United States and in many Latin American countries, including Cuba.

Sena graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Wayland Baptist University, received a Master of Religious Education from Southwestern Seminary, and a Doctor of Ministry from Gateway Seminary (formerly Golden Gate Seminary). He also coauthored the book “Reaching Hispanics in North America” as a church-planting resource.

Sena prepared MBTS Español to educate the next generation of Hispanic leaders. If you are interested in getting more information about MBTS educational programs, visit, mbts.edu.  

(EDITOR’S NOTE — Clara Molina is a member of the National Hispanic Baptist Network.)