Pedro Arrambide, 1928-2021
IMB Photo
Pedro Arrambide, an International Mission Board missionary emeritus who shared the gospel in Spain, died Sept. 24, 2021. He was 92.
Arrambide was born Oct. 25, 1928, in Monterrey, Mexico, to the late Jose Maria and Maria Eloisa Trevina Arrambide. He received a diploma in theology from the Hispanic Baptist Theological Seminary, San Antonio, Texas; the Bachelor of Arts from Hardin-Simmons University, Abilene, Texas; and the Master of Arts from Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, Texas.
Arrambide wrote when seeking missionary appointment that he began working at age 12 to support his family. He also started playing the guitar and singing, a love that led him to become a professional singer and actor. He continued that career until the Lord changed the direction of his life, he wrote.
When he was about 21, he said, he met the family of a deacon at Primera Iglesia Bautista, who invited him to their church. He was so impressed with the church that it became his church home.
He later came to the United States, expecting to pursue a career in opera, but “the Lord changed all of that when I was baptized in 1954 in San Antonio, Texas.” Then God called him to preach. He began studying at the Mexican Baptist Bible Institute, where he met Maria Elena Vasquez, who became his wife on Oct. 8, 1955.
Arrambide served as a North American Mission Board (then Home Mission Board) missionary in San Antonio, Lyrle, and Kyle Texas. He served as a minister at churches in Del Rio, Texas; Casa Grande, Arizona; Phoenix, Arizona; Abilene Texas; and Dallas, Texas. He also taught at the Hispanic Baptist Theological Seminary.
In 1984, the Foreign Mission Board (now International Mission Board) named the Arrambides missionaries to Spain, where they served eight years. His work was to promote evangelism and missions, visiting and preaching at churches in Madrid, La Palma, Tenerife, Gran Canaris, Sevilla, Vigo, Cartagena, Alicante, Rota, Gerona, Albacete, Elche, Valencia, Aguilas, Ibi, Villena and Sabadell while working under Maximo Gracia, director of evangelism and missions for the Spanish Baptist Evangelical Union. He promoted Bible study, Scripture distribution and simultaneous evangelical efforts among all the national churches as well as associational rallies.
Arrambide was survived by Elena, his wife of 65 years, children and other relatives.
His wife, Elena died on Dec. 19, 2021. Read her obituary.