Our Name and History

Our ministry was established in December 15, 2007 and named the Daniel F. Romero Center for Border Ministries and Strategies to honor Daniel Romero, M.Div., J.D., a former general secretary of the United Church Board for World Ministries (now Wider Church Ministries), who retired after 37 years in ministry, including 27 years in Southern California — Nevada as a local church pastor, Associate Conference Minister and Conference Minister. Romero, a graduate of UCC-related Pacific School of Religion and Loyola Law School has long been regarded as a leader in pluralistic ministry, global partnerships and Latino ministry.

Just few blocks from the ‘line” that separates San Diego from the City of Tijuana, the Daniel F. Romero Center for Border Ministries and Strategies stands as a bi-national worship ministry and community  (Comunidad de Base), and, as premier immersion and an educational program in the southwestern border region. In San Ysidro, Centro Romero is housed in a church building better known to the local community as “La Iglesita” (Little Church). In 2013, we established our second site in the City of Tijuana.

As a worship community, Centro Romero provides weekly seeker-sensitive bible study groups, support groups as well as worship services that have the unchurched person in mind. Centro Romero was designed to provide educational – life changing experiences on the border to those that come, from afar to reflect theologically in communion with our local worship community.

Dan’s uncle was an evangelist who, with his family, started three border ministries and, as a child; Dan spent his weekends down on the border. So there is a very poetic coming around to the beginnings of his life.