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Elgin Covenanter Receives Humanitarian Award
ELGIN, IL (January 17, 2002) - The Martin Luther King Jr. Committee and the City of Elgin awarded Covenant pastor Henoch Fuentes the 2002 Humanitarian Award for civil rights advocacy at Elgin's 17th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Prayer Breakfast at Elgin Community College's
Business Conference Center.
Fuentes was nominated for the award by his church, the Evangelical Covenant Church of Elgin. He was recognized for several outreach ministries he has started in Elgin (a city of nearly 100,000), including a bread ministry to the Wayside Mission and Interfaith Food Pantry,
clothing/food outreach to two low-income neighborhoods and family counseling to the Hispanic community. Other recipients of the award included Bettye Lewis and Ron Hopkins.
The 2002 Martin Luther King Jr. Humanitarian Awards are given to Elgin-area residents who help "preserve Dr. King's legacy of love, justice and equality." The event, co-sponsored by the Elgin Human Relations Commission and the committee, drew more than 200 city, church and community leaders.
Fuentes has been working at the ECC of Elgin for seven years. He helps run home Bible studies and teaches Sunday school classes in Spanish. He has also been part of numerous community service outreaches to the community, including work in a local apartment complex. He holds a
Master of Divinity from North Park Theological Seminary in Chicago and hopes to be a voice for the Hispanic family in the denomination at large. For now, he's brightening his corner of the world, both in community service and as a substitute teacher in the Elgin school district. He has impressed his congregation both with his vision and with his care for others.
"Henoch has two dreams for Elgin - to see the city of Elgin as a city that lifts up Jesus and lifts up Hispanic families," said Tryst Anderson, chair of the church. "He's very genuine in what he does."
Herbert Hedstrom agreed, saying, "Henoch loves people and is always looking for new ways to share that love. Sometimes it's by sharing the Gospel. Sometimes it's by sharing a loaf of bread. Sometimes it's by putting someone in contact with an agency or resource. But you know that when there is a spring in his step and a smile on his face that he's had an opportunity to show and share God's love."
Fuentes learned of the award following his arrival from Chile last week. He had been in Chile to preach and teach at Covenant churches there. Fuentes, a native of Chile, has helped connect the Covenant with congregations in Chile. He studied administration and business at the university there.
"I see the city (of Elgin) as a church, not just a particular building," said Fuentes, the minister of outreach and mission for his church. "Our community has been so mobile that it's hard to start a church ministry, but I've been able to do ministry - outreaches in different neighborhoods, doing the Jesus video movie evangelism project and working with the homeless and DCFS (Department of Children and Family Services)."
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