Potomac celebrated two ordinations on August 8, pastors Fismed Omar, pastor of Germantown, Damascus, Leesburg and Gaithersburg Spanish Seventh-day Adventist Churches and Luis Mancebo, pastor of Montgomery Village, Glenmont and Aspen Hill Spanish Seventh-day Adventist Churches.o.
Fismed Pastor Omar (above) was born in Santa Teresa Carazo, Nicaragua. Upon finishing high school he began his college preparation for a degree in education and shortly thereafter emigrated to the United States. He began to pursue his passion for bringing souls to Christ and felt the strong call of God to ministry and began his study at the Adventist Theological Seminary Montemorelos, Nuevo Leon, Mexico.
Before graduating, he worked as a Bible worker and later as an associate pastor at several Hispanic churches in the Potomac Conference, including planting a Hispanic church in Harrisonburg, Va.. After finishing his theological studies in 2002, he served the Lord pastoring a district in the Central Mission of Nicaragua.
In 2006, he started his work in the city of Roanoke, Va., which God prospered to become a district of three Hispanic churches in Roanoke, Lynchburg and Martinsville. Since 2013, Omar has been the pastor of the Germantown, Damascus, Gaithersburg and Leesburg Spanish churches.
Omar is currently completing his graduate studies in Pastoral Ministry from Andrews University. Together, Omar, his wife and daughters Junieth, Jarima and Jariffa are committed to the ministry God has given them. They work hard to fulfill the mission to prepare others to have an encounter with Jesus.
The family thanks God as Omar confirms his ministry and the privilege of serving others. Their desire and passion is to continue to work for the salvation of souls.
Pastor Luis Mancebo (above) was born in the Dominican Republic as part of a family of six children. Although his family were not believers, at the age of seven he was baptized in the Seventh-day Adventist Church. At ten years old, while reading the chapter “Gethsemane” from the book The Desire of Ages in preparation for a sermon, he felt the call to ministry. As a teenager he began preaching in evangelistic campaigns, and at the age of fifteen, had the opportunity to begin serving as a church elder, confirming his call to ministry.
After finishing high school, he went to the Dominican Adventist University where he earned a degree in theology. As a student, he worked as an associate pastor in several churches, including the university’s church. After graduation in 1998, he served in Puerto Rico for two years before moving to Maryland. While in Potomac, he has had the opportunity to serve in Langley Park, Arlington and Falls Church Hispanic churches.
From 2003-2007, he was pastor of the Hispanic churches in Virginia Beach and Peninsula, which were organized as churches under his leadership. It was in Virginia where Pastor Mancebo learned English as a second language, and in 2005 married his wife Heather Goodwin.
From 2007 to 2013, he served as pastor of the Hispanic churches in Beltsville (Va.), Oxon Hill (Md.), Alexandria (Va.) and DC. During this period the organization of the church of Oxon Hill took place. Luis and Heather have been blessed with three sons: Isaiah Sebastian, David Jeremiah and D’Angelo Antonio.
In 2009, Pastor Mancebo earned his Masters in Psychology Councilman Bowie State University, and is currently earning his Doctorate (PhD.) in leadership of the Adventist Andrews University.
Mancebo now pastors the Hispanic churches in Aspen Hill, Glenmont, and Montgomery Village (Md.).
