Remembering Our Past: Rev. Madeline Flores-López
Rev. Madeline Flores-López, International Ministries (IM) Global Servant, partnered with Brewster Baptist for nearly two decades before she passed away suddenly in the Dominican Republic on December 18, 2023, following a brief illness. She was 58 years old.
Madeline was born on July 11, 1965, in Canóvanas, Puerto Rico. In her years before becoming a global servant, Madeline served as an Associated Youth Pastor at Iglesia Bautista de Campo Rico in Canóvanas, Puerto Rico, and an Associate Pastor at Iglesia Bautista Mediania Alta in Loiza, Puerto Rico.
In 1988, she earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Puerto Rico.
In 1999, she earned her Master of Divinity from the Evangelical Seminary of Puerto Rico. She was ordained on May 20, 2001, by the Baptist Churches of Puerto Rico.
It was during this time that we first met Madeline. In the fall of 1998, Hurricane Georges hit Puerto Rico with a vengeance. In November, Pastor Doug approached Bill Harwood and asked him if he would organize and lead a mission work trip to Puerto Rico in January of 1999 to help them rebuild.
We partnered with Pastora Irma G. de Pastrana at Primera Iglesia Bautista de Campo Rico, and she asked Madeline to be in charge of coordinating our work team with the needs in the area.
Our team of 20 BBC members and friends divided up into three groups and helped at different houses with foundation work, electrical work and taking apart sections of the houses.
Madeline would travel between these teams and help with translating and facilitating communication between the teams and the families, getting us materials and bringing us meals. In the evenings, she would plan events with some of the members of their church to help us all become more connected.
In June 2002, Madeline was appointed by the Board of International Ministries (IM) to serve in the Dominican Republic as the Coordinator of Mission Volunteers and Groups throughout the Caribbean. Madeline identified teams’ strengths and matched them with service opportunities that empowered them to make a positive impact in the world and helped them grow in their faith. During her time with IM, she facilitated service opportunities for thousands of volunteers throughout the United States and Puerto Rico.
BBC remained in close contact with Madeline during this time and had begun organizing an annual mission trip.
We received four more invitations from Madeline over the years – once to Puerto Rico and three times to serve in the Dominican Republic (D.R.), assisting with building projects at churches and homes, and serving at the bateyes.
Madeline was committed to serving the severely impoverished bateyes, which are communities of sugar workers, in the Dominican Republic. She facilitated teams to meet local needs by bringing supplies such as food, clothes, and bedding. The teams also set up medical clinics; offered training in hygiene, birth control, and domestic violence prevention; and led Vacation Bible School programs.
In 2018, Madeline wrote: “Those who are invisible to society now also need our help… they are part of the world and count. I try to make them part of my ministry here in the Dominican Republic. I make sure my visits include them!”
She spent most of her ministry in these communities, bringing hope and joy to countless families. The day before her passing, Madeline visited several bateyes in the D.R., distributing gifts to the families to celebrate the joy of Christmas.
Madeline also had a ministry in Cuba while visiting the Eastern Cuba Baptist Convention and its Baptist churches in Jiguani, Granma, and Santiago; Martin Luther King Center; the Baptist Seminary; and the Elderly Home in Santiago, among others.
Madeline was known for her strength in lifting up and loving those in need. She was persistent and worked hard to serve others. Many short-term volunteer teams speak of how their lives were transformed for Jesus because of time spent serving with Madeline.
IM gives thanks to God for the life of Madeline and remembers her through the words of Matthew 25:23, “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!”
Madeline continued to stay in contact with her friends at BBC and was one of the Global Servants BBC supported each year through the World Mission Offering.
She also visited us at BBC several times.
When she heard that BBC was planning another mission trip to Puerto Rico in 2020, she planned her trip home to visit at the same time, so she could reunite with her friends from BBC.
Bill Harwood shared
“Madeline moved on from being a youth leader to being an ABC missionary serving Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. Madeleine was involved in all our mission trips to Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. Since that original trip, I have found volunteering and serving to be much more rewarding. I have set a goal to serve with joy and compassion. What a great influence mission trips with Madeline have been. Madeline brought faith, hope, joy, and love to countless individuals and families.”
Please say a prayer for all those who are continuing the ministry of Rev. Madeline Flores-López in Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Cuba and throughout the Caribbean.
