The IMB has been impacting Hispanic and Latin countries for more than 160 of our 175 years. For many of those years, countries in South America, Central America and the Caribbean were the mission fields for IMB. The first Southern Baptist missionary arrived in Brazil in 1859. While his work was short lived, sustained work began in Brazil in 1879 with the arrival of  William and Anne Bagby. Work in Mexico opened quickly thereafter in 1880, and from there, the FMB/IMB continued to invest in people throughout South and Central America and the Caribbean.

In 1946, the IMB appointed the first Hispanic missionary, Alfred Celso Muller, a native of Mexico. He served until his death in 1962. ​​​​​​​

For more than 160 years, our organization has been key in the formation of various conventions, seminaries, and Bible institutes across the Americas to help plant churches, proclaim the good news, and train and send missionaries. ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

In addition to giving and going, many Hispanic church members in the U.S. also return to their countries of origin. Their efforts have also helped expand the gospel in the Americas.

Most exciting is that today, because of the work IMB started 160 years ago, thousands of Hispanic missionaries are being sent from Hispanic and Latin countries to reach the unreached people of the world.

As part of the National Hispanic Heritage Month, the IMB celebrates what God is doing through and among Hispanic peoples to further His kingdom.