Half a Century of Faith on Broad Street
Templo Fe stands on Broad Street in Hartford, Connecticut, as one of the city's longest-running Hispanic Pentecostal congregations. The church was founded and shepherded for more than fifty years by the Reverend Julie Ramírez, who became one of the first women ordained as a pastor by the Assemblies of God. Sister Julie was a pioneer in proclaiming the gospel among Hartford's Spanish-speaking community, and the ministry she built produced pastors, teachers, and evangelists who went on to serve in Hartford, Puerto Rico, and other states and countries. In October 2016, the Templo Fe family said farewell to their beloved founder, remembering her as a woman of faith, fidelity, courage, and endurance who never gave up in the face of adversity.
The mantle of leadership passed to the Reverend Roberto Calcaño, who had grown up in the church and served as co-pastor for several years before being named Pastor Principal on March 17, 2016. Pastor Roberto and his wife Adelaida have two children, Joshua and Naomi, and two granddaughters, Daysha and Janiah. The Templo Fe family describes itself as a church of love and blessing, anchored in the teaching of Scripture, and points to the words of John 7:38 - "Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water" - as a picture of the life they hope to share with every visitor who walks through the doors on Broad Street.
Services Through the Week
Templo Fe gathers four times a week, with all services conducted in Spanish. Mondays bring a prayer service at 7:00 p.m., and Thursdays feature a worship service at 7:00 p.m. with alternating societies. Sundays begin with Sunday school at 9:45 a.m., followed by the main worship service at 11:00 a.m. The church welcomes first-time visitors as warmly as longtime members, and the regular schedule is designed to give the congregation opportunities for prayer, study, and corporate worship throughout the week.
The Four Cardinal Truths
As part of the Assemblies of God, Templo Fe teaches the denomination's four cardinal truths. The first is salvation through Jesus Christ: the church holds that every person who believes in Him and accepts His free offer of forgiveness is delivered from spiritual death and the slavery of sin. The only hope of redemption from the fallen state of humanity, Templo Fe teaches, is the blood of Christ shed on the cross.
The second truth is divine healing. Templo Fe teaches that healing is an integral part of the gospel and was provided in the atonement, making it a privilege for all believers. The third is the baptism in the Holy Spirit. The church teaches that all believers may receive this baptism and should earnestly seek the promise of the Father, with the initial physical evidence of speaking in tongues as the Spirit gives expression. The fourth is the Second Coming of Christ. Templo Fe teaches that all Christians who have died will rise from their tombs to be reunited with the Lord, that those still living will be caught up together with them, and that Christians of every age will then live forever with the Lord. This imminent return, the church teaches, is the "blessed hope" of every believer.
The Bilingual Bible Institute
Each year, Templo Fe hosts the Hartford branch of the Bilingual Bible Institute (Instituto Bíblico Bilingüe), an established theological training program now offered in its fifth consecutive year. Pastors Ramón and Nancy González direct the institute, which invites anyone who feels called by God to study His Word to enroll. The program is bilingual, and registration is open to new students each year. Applications are available in both Spanish and English and can be submitted by email or mailed to the church address on Broad Street. The institute grounds its study in the Pentecostal tradition and sees its work as preparing students for "every good work," quoting 2 Timothy 3:16-17.
A Team of Ministry Leaders
Pastor Roberto and Adelaida Calcaño oversee the ministry of the church and are supported by a team of directors who care for specific areas of congregational life. Carmen Sánchez leads the women's ministry, and Anibal Soto supervises the men's ministry. Edenice Cauley oversees the youth, and Ramón González directs Christian education. Noemí Velázquez leads the worship team, and Brenda Aponte directs communications. The Templo Fe family sums up its calling with the words of Galatians 5:13: "You, brothers and sisters, were called to be free; but do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love."
On the Airwaves on Saturday Mornings
Beyond the walls of the church on Broad Street, Templo Fe reaches the wider Hartford community through a Saturday morning radio broadcast called "La Fe viene por el oír" (Faith comes by hearing). The program airs on Radio Avivamiento 100.1 FM in Hartford and serves as an extension of the church's teaching and evangelistic ministry. It is one of the ways the congregation continues the legacy of proclaiming the gospel that marked Sister Julie's original work in the city.
Visiting Templo Fe
Templo Fe is located at 1019 Broad Street in Hartford, Connecticut. The main telephone line is (860) 525-8080, and the office is open Tuesday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Messages can also be sent to faithtemple.office@gmail.com. Tithes and offerings may be given online through the church's giving page or mailed directly to the church address. A Facebook page and a YouTube channel keep the congregation connected with members and friends of the ministry throughout the week, and a separate Facebook page carries updates from the Bible Institute.