On a quiet stretch of SW 97th Avenue in southwestern Miami, Iglesia de la Trinidad opens its doors as a Spanish-speaking Baptist congregation rooted in the Baptist Faith and Message and known across the neighborhood for its weekday food outreach. The church sits at 3520 SW 97th Avenue and has made the surrounding community the center of its ministry: Sunday morning worship in Spanish, weekday food for those who are hungry, and Friday nights for prayer, Bible study, and the youth. The motto "Una iglesia para toda la familia, donde el amor prevalece" (a church for the whole family where love prevails) is taken literally in the way the building is used.
Sunday on SW 97th Avenue
Sunday is the busiest day at the church, and the schedule is built so that families move naturally from one gathering into the next. The day begins with Clases bíblicas at 10:00 a.m. in Edificio B, a separate building on the property. These Bible classes are the Sunday school hour, and they are listed on the calendar simply as "Clases bíblicas," running until about 10:50 a.m. While the adults settle into their classes, a brief Tiempo de oración runs from 10:30 to 10:55 a.m., giving the worship team and prayer partners a moment to gather before the main service.
At 11:00 a.m. the congregation moves into the sanctuary for the Servicio de alabanza y predicación de la palabra, the weekly service of worship and preaching. This service runs until about 1:00 p.m. and is the central gathering of the week. It is held entirely in Spanish, and the name itself signals what to expect: a blended time of congregational praise ("alabanza") followed by expository preaching of the Word. The service is led by Pastor Carlos M. Gonzalez and the church's worship team.
At the same hour, in Edificio A on the other side of the lot, the Culto del ministerio Infantil begins. The children's church runs concurrently with the adult service, from 11:00 a.m. to about 1:50 p.m., and gives parents the freedom to attend the main service while their children receive age-appropriate teaching. The split-building arrangement - Sunday school in Edificio B, children's church in Edificio A, the main service in the sanctuary - is one of the practical details that shapes a first visit.
Pan de Vida: Five Mornings of Food for the Neighborhood
The most distinctive ministry of Iglesia de la Trinidad runs Monday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. under the name Pan de Vida, the Bread of Life. Each weekday, volunteers at the church prepare and distribute food to people in the community who are hungry. The calendar lists the program five days in a row, with the simple description "Llevando alimentos a los necesitados" - bringing food to those in need. A separate note labels the activity "Distribución de alimentos."
The Pan de Vida program is anchored in Matthew 25:35 and 40, a passage the church quotes on its blog: "Because I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink... and the King will answer: Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me." The same program is mentioned in the church's giving page, where donors are invited to support feeding, drinking, and assisting anyone in need: "Dar de comer, dar de beber y asistir a todo el que necesite."
The five-day-a-week rhythm is unusual for a church of this size and reflects how seriously the congregation takes its calling to the surrounding neighborhood. Visitors who arrive around lunchtime on any weekday from Monday to Friday will see the lot in use, with food being distributed to families who have come to depend on the outreach.
Friday Nights: Prayer, Bible Study, and the Youth
Friday evening is the second major rhythm at the church. After the weekday Pan de Vida distribution ends at 1:00 p.m., the building reopens at 7:30 p.m. for the Culto de oración, a half-hour prayer service that runs to 8:00 p.m. The prayer gathering is intentionally short and focused, a way to close the working week in the presence of God.
At 8:00 p.m. the evening splits into two parallel gatherings. In one, Pastor Carlos Gonzalez leads the Estudio bíblico, a Bible study that runs until 9:00 p.m. and is the deeper-teaching hour of the week for adults. In the other, the Programa de jóvenes gathers teenagers and young adults for the youth program, running until 9:30 p.m. This means parents can attend the Bible study while their teens meet separately, and the whole church is on the property at the same time on a Friday night.
The Friday rhythm - Pan de Vida in the early afternoon, prayer at 7:30, Bible study and youth at 8:00 - turns the building into a community hub two days in a row and gives the congregation multiple natural entry points throughout the week.
What the Church Believes
The beliefs page is titled Fe y Mensaje Bautistas - the Baptist Faith and Message - and the congregation holds to the historic Baptist confession of faith. The church affirms that all of Scripture, the entire Bible, is the trustworthy truth of God. It teaches that there is only one true God, who is Creator, Redeemer, and Ruler of the universe, and that this one God exists eternally as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in the Trinity.
On humanity, the church teaches that man and woman are the crown of God's creation, that by their own decision humanity fell into sin, and that only by the grace of God can people draw near to Him again. Salvation, in this view, is the total redemption of the human person and is offered freely to everyone who accepts Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior; the blood of Christ obtained eternal redemption for the believer.
The church understands itself as an autonomous local congregation of baptized believers, joined together in a covenant of faith and gospel fellowship, keeping the two ordinances Christ gave - baptism by immersion and the Lord's Supper - and seeking to preach the gospel to the ends of the earth. Baptism by immersion is described as an act of obedience that symbolizes faith in a crucified, buried, and risen Savior, the believer's death to sin, burial of the old life, and resurrection to walk in newness of life. The Lord's Supper is a remembrance of the Lord's death and a proclamation of His return.
Three additional commitments are stated plainly. Evangelism and missions are described as the duty and privilege of every follower of Christ and every church, with the goal of making disciples of all nations. Stewardship is taught as the recognition that God is the source of every blessing, temporal and spiritual, and that all that the congregation has and is belongs to Him. The family is described as the union of one man and one woman in a lifelong covenant of marriage, with parents modeling God's design for marriage and children honoring and obeying their parents.
Mission, Discipleship, and Community
The church's stated mission is to show the love of God and to guide people into a living, active relationship with Him, so that the kingdom of heaven becomes visible in daily life. The mission in Spanish: "Mostrar el amor de Dios y cómo guiar a tener y desarrollar una relación con Dios activo y visible del reino de los cielos."
Around that mission, the congregation describes itself as guided by the Holy Spirit to be God's instruments in the community, working so that people of every age may see their present and future conditions improved, and proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ for repentance and forgiveness of sins while fostering Christian fellowship for spiritual growth. The discipleship language is intentional. The church teaches and disciples people so that they become an active and visible part of the kingdom of heaven, rescuing the lost and integrating them into the family of faith, while building up believers and integrating them into the active ministries of the church.
The congregation is also clear about why community matters. The Spanish word used on the site is "comunidad," and the teaching is that the Christian faith is not meant to be lived in isolation. People were made for relationship with God and for relationship with one another. Believers do not simply belong to a local church; they belong to a people. This framing shapes both the small-group life and the outreach ministries, including Pan de Vida.
Pastor Carlos M. Gonzalez and Leadership
The church is led by Pastor Carlos M. Gonzalez, who serves as Pastor and as the organizer of church events. He teaches the Friday night Bible study and is the public face of the congregation. The church has a single named pastoral leader, who is listed as an Elder, with a link to his Facebook profile. Contact for the church runs through him and through the office email at iglesiadelatrinidadmiami@gmail.com, with the church office reachable by phone at 305-221-0566.
The structure is intentionally lean. The pastor preaches, teaches the Friday Bible study, and oversees the ministries; volunteer teams run the children's church, the Sunday school classes, and the weekday Pan de Vida distribution. The "Next Steps" section of the mission page invites anyone who has decided to follow Jesus to be guided through what comes next in the Christian walk - a typical Baptist pattern of incorporation through baptism, teaching, and ministry placement.
Ministries for Every Age
The blog categories on the church's site list the active ministries by name. The categories include Alabanza (worship), Años dorados (a seniors ministry), Educación Cristiana (Christian education), Evangelismo (evangelism), Infantil (children's ministry), Pan de Vida (the food outreach), Clases Escuela Dominical (Sunday school classes), Estudios Bíblicos (Bible studies), Programas especiales (special programs), Hombres (men's ministry), and Jóvenes (youth). The Misión (missions) and Programas (programs) categories round out the structure.
The presence of a dedicated seniors ministry alongside the children's, youth, and men's ministries shows the congregation's multi-generational character. Años dorados in particular reflects the reality that many of the adults who attend on Sunday are older believers, and the church organizes gatherings for them. The men's ministry is similarly named as a category, and the youth ministry is large enough to have its own Friday night program.
Worship, Music, and the Spanish-Language Service
Every listed service is in Spanish, and the church's identity as a Spanish-speaking congregation is one of its defining features. The worship category on the blog is "Alabanza," the praise and worship ministry, and the main Sunday gathering is described as "Servicio de alabanza y predicación de la palabra" - a service that pairs congregational singing with the preaching of the Word. The Friday evening prayer service, the Bible study, the youth program, and the children's church are all conducted in Spanish.
Worship at Iglesia de la Trinidad follows a contemporary pattern, with a worship team leading congregational singing, followed by the preaching of Scripture. The Friday night prayer service and the program's emphasis on the work of the Holy Spirit give the gathered life a warm, expressive character that matches the surrounding Miami-Dade community. Visitors who arrive on a Sunday can expect a full two-hour gathering that includes extended praise and a clear expository message.
Sermons, Giving, and Staying Connected
The church posts audio recordings of the pastor's messages on the site and shares video clips of recent worship and preaching on the church's YouTube channel. A dedicated "Último sermón" page collects the most recent video sermon, and the "Mensajes del Pastor" page archives recent audio messages from Pastor Carlos Gonzalez, with new entries appearing on a regular cadence.
Giving is handled online through a dedicated page on the church's site. Donors can give through PayPal or by credit card, with options to give anonymously. Every offering is appreciated and is used to expand God's kingdom; donors may change their giving amount at any time; online donations are protected by the security of the online platforms and donor information is never shared with any other entity; and all transaction fees are absorbed by the church itself.
Visitors who want to know more about upcoming events can subscribe to the church calendar in Google Calendar, iCalendar, Outlook 365, or Outlook Live, with all four export options linked on the events page. The church's Facebook page carries announcements and photos alongside the blog, and the contact page lists the address, phone, and email for newcomers.
What a First-Time Visitor Should Know
Iglesia de la Trinidad is a Spanish-language church. The address is 3520 SW 97th Ave, Miami, FL 33165. Parking is on the church lot, and the buildings are labeled - Edificio A for the children's church, Edificio B for the Sunday school classes, and the sanctuary for the main service. Visitors arriving at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday should head to Edificio B for the Bible classes; visitors arriving at 11:00 a.m. should go directly to the sanctuary for the main service.
Dress is informal and varied, as is typical in a multi-generational Hispanic congregation in Miami-Dade. The atmosphere is warm and the doors are open to anyone, with the church's invitation: "No importa en qué etapa, edad o temporada te encuentres, ¡Iglesia de la Trinidad es para ti!" (no matter what stage, age, or season you find yourself in, Iglesia de la Trinidad is for you), and newcomers are welcome to come as they are.
The single most important thing to know before a first visit is the rhythm of the week. Sunday is for worship and the whole family. Monday through Friday at lunchtime is for Pan de Vida, the food outreach, and the building is open to anyone in the neighborhood who needs a meal. Friday evening is the second gathering of the week, with prayer at 7:30 p.m., Bible study at 8:00 p.m., and the youth program at 8:00 p.m. Knowing that rhythm in advance helps a newcomer arrive at the right door at the right time.
A Church Defined by Its Neighborhood
Iglesia de la Trinidad is, in its own words, "una iglesia para toda la familia, donde el amor prevalece." What that looks like in practice is a building on SW 97th Avenue that is rarely empty. Sunday brings the worship and the preaching of the Word. The workweek brings five mornings of food for the hungry under the Pan de Vida banner. Friday night brings prayer, Bible study, and the youth back through the doors. Around all of it runs a teaching ministry rooted in the Baptist Faith and Message, a commitment to the Trinity, to the authority of Scripture, to baptism and the Lord's Supper, and to the proclamation of the gospel in the language of the people who live around the church.
For a first-time visitor, the simplest summary is this: Iglesia de la Trinidad is a Spanish-speaking Baptist church in Miami that meets to worship on Sundays, feeds the neighborhood Monday through Friday, and gathers again Friday nights for prayer and the Word - a small, active congregation whose life is shaped by the rhythm of the people it serves.