Wednesday, January 19, 2022

History behind the Iglesia Bethel Pentecostes Church in San Antonio, Texas. (Revisited)

Iglesia Bethel Pentecostes Church (Iglesia Bethel Pentecostal Church) is one of the more forgotten churches of San Antonio, Texas that has been forgotten with time. This news article will discuss and explain the history behind this church.

Iglesia Bethel Pentecostes Church (Iglesia Bethel Pentecostal Church) was also known as Iglesia Cristiana Pentecostes (Iglesia Christian Pentecostal Church), Iglesia Bethel Christiana Pentecostes, Iglesia Bethel Christiana Pentecostes Church, Iglesia Bethel Cristiana Pentecostes, and Iglesia Christiana Pentecostes Church. 



Iglesia Bethel Pentecostes Church (Iglesia Bethel Pentecostal Church) was a Hispanic Pentecostal church which operated from 1970 to 2014 in San Antonio, Texas.

Iglesia Bethel Pentecostes Church was located on land owned by Ponciano Cabrera, Andres Cabrera, and Elias Cabrera. Ponciano Cabrera was the elder of Iglesia Cristiana Pentecostes aka Iglesia Bethel Pentecostes Church and Elias Cabrera served as the pastor. Andres Cabrera was the other pastor of this church.

The building for Iglesia Bethel Pentecostes Church was moved to the Meadow Wood Acres neighborhood area in San Antonio, Texas in 1970 because Iglesia Cristiana Pentecostes was in need of a building to conduct religious services and rites. Iglesia Cristiana Pentecostes did not have a building to conduct religious services and rites at the time. (Ref: Bexar County Deeds, Volume 6547, Page 387)



According to terms from the lease deed and lease agreement from September 25, 1970, Andres Cabrera gave consent and authority for Iglesia Bethel Pentecostes Church to use their property for religious services and rites. The terms were limited to those services and rites as practiced. This was part of the lease agreement. (Ref: Bexar County Deeds, Volume 6547, Pages 387-389)


“That the services and rites so conducted in the above described premises shall be limited to those services and rites as practiced and prescribed in the Christian doctrine of the Pentecostal doctrines and beliefs. That the above described premises shall be used exclusively for purposes of conducting religious services, the preaching of the word of God, and celebrate those rites and all other approved teachings as described in the records of Iglesia Cristiana Pentecostes.”

Ownership of the property was to be transferred to Andres Cabrera as cited in the terms for/of the lease deed and lease agreement from September 25, 1970. This was due to his position of rank. (Ref: Bexar County Deeds, Volume 6547, Page 388)

“That all improvements, accessions, and appurtenances thereto shall become property of Andres Cabrera, party of the first part and owner of the above described property, his heirs, assigns and successors.”


Any improvements to the property had to be approved by Andres Cabrera cited in the terms for/of the lease deed and lease agreement and due to his position of rank. Ponciano Cabrera, Andres Cabrera, and Elias Cabrera had the right to cancel or terminate this lease agreement anytime without notice to any parties using their property on a lease. (Ref: Bexar County Deeds, Volume 6547, Page 389)



Iglesia Bethel Pentecostes Church was operated by the Unified Local Pentecostal Churches, Inc. as cited in an agreement deed between Andres Cabrera and Unified Local Pentecostal Churches, Inc from 1972. Andres Cabrera was a member of Unified Pentecostal Church. (Ref: Bexar County Deeds, Volume 6803, Page 956)



However on January 23, 1972, Ponciano Cabrera and Elias Cabrera had agreed to terminate the agreement dating back to September 25, 1970 for whatever reason. All parties involved agreed that all rights, duties, and obligations incurred under the lease agreement deed were terminated. Ownership of the property was transferred and reverted back to Andres Cabrera. Despite the lease agreement deed being terminated, the church building remained on the property after 1973. That is because Ponciano Cabrera and Elias Cabrera owned that church building. (Ref: Bexar County Deeds, Volume 6803, Page 953)


Andres Cabrera and Elias Cabrera conveyed their church property to Guadalupe H. Gutierrez, Juanita V. Quintero, Juan Vasquez Jr., and Maria R. Vasquez on a warranty deed on April 12, 1977. Guadalupe H. Gutierrez, Juanita V. Quintero, Juan Vasquez Jr., and Maria R. Vasquez were trustees of Iglesia Bethel Pentecostal Church. Andres Cabrera transferred ownership to Elias Cabrera. Elias Cabrera sold their church property to Iglesia Bethel Pentecostal Church before the summer of 1977. (Ref: Bexar County Deeds, Volume 8059, Pages 606-608)



Elias Cabrera conveyed the church property to Guadalupe H. Gutierrez on a warranty deed and transfer deed for the price of $1,250 dollars on the date of December 14, 1984. (Ref: Bexar County Deeds, Volume 3284, Page 947)

The church building which once served as Iglesia Bethel Pentecostes Church had burned in a mysterious fire sometime in 2014. Iglesia Bethel Pentecostes Church was already abandoned prior to the 2014 fire. Now how the fire was ignited remains unknown.

Guadalupe H. Gutierrez is the current owner of the church building and Iglesia Bethel Pentecostes Church (Iglesia Bethel Pentecostal Church) property. He has no plans on renovating the church building anytime soon. The church sits as an abandoned shell which is gutted. (Ref: https://bexar.trueautomation.com/clientdb/Property.aspx?cid=110&prop_id=366380)



Iglesia Bethel Pentecostes Church (Iglesia Bethel Pentecostal Church) is located at 12603 Cinco De Mayo, San Antonio, Texas, US 78252.

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