Rev. Dr. Angel M. Reynoso

Angel’s ancestors were persecuted for their Christian Protestant faith in Mexico, due to this, his family ended up in Orizaba Veracruz, Mexico. It was there that he was born on September 26, 1936. His parents were Eustacio Reynoso and Neftali Macías. By God’s grace he was born into the Presbyterian Church, where God called him to saving faith in Jesus Christ and also as a pastor, a Minister of the Word and Sacrament. Consequently, from Orizaba, he went to study at the seminary in Mexico City (Seminario Teológico Presbiteriano de México). Eventually, God blessed him with a beautiful lovely, resilient and resourceful wife, Matilde Macías (now Matilde Reynoso), one of the daughters of the President of the Seminary in Mexico City, Rev. Dr. David Macías who was married to Esther Salas.

Angel and Mati were married on April 16, 1966. Soon after, they went to the Presbyterian seminary in Decatur Georgia for Angel to continue his studies. While there, Mati came back to Mexico for their first son to be born, Miguel Angel; Angel joined her at a later time. Miguel Angel has been blessed by God with a beautiful family which lives in Houston, TX. His wife’s name is Blanca, their first born, a lovely daughter is named Neftali, in honor of Angel’s mom, their second child is a son, Miguel Angel, just like his dad, and their third child is named Daphne Virginia, in honor of Angel’s grandmother.

When Angel and Mati went back to Mexico from Georgia they lived in Orizaba Veracruz, where their second son, Hector, was born. Hector has been blessed by God with a lovely family and they live in Mercedes TX. His wife’s name is Carmen and their only child, a lovely daughter, is named Bella Carmen, which means beautiful song. Hector is a Presbyterian pastor, he and his family serve the Lord at Genesis Presbyterian Church (EPC) in Mercedes TX. Since 2004, after his retirement and 4 years of teaching at the seminary in Mexico City, Angel and Mati moved to Mercedes where they have lived just down the block from Hector. God blessed Hector (and Carmen) by giving him the privilege of watching over his parents since then.

After Hector’s birth, Angel and Mati moved back to Mexico City, where Angel was the pastor at Iglesia Presbiteriana Jerusalén, in colonia Moctezuma. In Mexico City, their third son was born, Alejandro, also known as Alex. The Lord has blessed Alex with a lovely family; he was the first of all the children to marry. His wife’s name is Shellki and they have 3 sons. The oldest is Warren Alexander, then Erek, and finally Spinsir; they all live in Phoenix Arizona. Alex and Shellki moved to Mercedes TX a couple of years ago, where Alex was blessed with watching over his dad.

After Alex, God finally blessed Angel and Mati with a lovely daughter, Aida. Although Angel’s dream was to have 12 children, in order to have a soccer team, this is where God’s blessing of children stopped. Aida was the only daughter, and the youngest of them. She is a tough cookie, she grew up wrestling and fighting her brothers, who would even take her food if she closed her eyes to pray. Aida married Dan Abshere, an air force pilot, and God has blessed them with two wonderful daughters, Emily and Gabriella. They now reside in the state of Washington.

In México City, God Almighty granted Angel Reynoso the privilege and honor of pastoring several churches, Iglesia Presbiteirana Jerusalen in colonia Moctezuma, Iglesia Presbiteriana Jesús de Nazaret in colonia Álamos, Iglesia Presbiteriana El Divino Salvador in downtown Mexico City, and after his retirement he helped at Iglesia Presbiteriana Puerta de Salvación. Besides the churches he pastored in Mexico, in the United States he was a pastor in Fresno, CA, at La Nueva Iglesia Presbiteriana (while there, he finished his doctorate at Austin Theological Seminary) and in Houston, TX at Juan Marcos Presbyterian Church. Besides having the blessing of pastoring 6 churches he was also a professor and academic dean at the Seminary in Mexico City (Seminario Teológico Presbiteriano de México), and also a teacher in several theological institutions; he loved teaching, he especially enjoyed and loved his time at the seminary in Mexico City, both, as a student and a teacher. Although several articles which he authored were published, he never kept track of them.

In 1976, while pastoring at Iglesia Presbiteriana Jesus de Nazaret, when all his kids were still children, he was called by First Presbyterian Church of Hanford California to explore the possibility of beginning a Hispanic Ministry. The Presbyterian Church worked with Angel, his family, and the US embassy in Mexico City, so that by the time the family entered the United States, they had all been granted permanent residency. Thus, the Reynoso family is thankful to God for two countries, Mexico and the Unites States. Angel was also referred to as El Mensajero Bilingüe, The Bilingual Messenger.

The last time he preached was at Genesis Presbyterian Church. After his last sermon, for several years, he led the prayer of confession at Genesis PC. In order to lead the prayer, first he slowly walked to the microphone, over time, when he could no longer walk to the microphone, he used a walker; at some point the walker was not enough, thus, this was followed by the use of a wheel-chair and the assistance of several people, then… the microphone was brought to him…a few weeks ago he could no longer attend church. He served His Lord and Savior Jesus Christ until the end… even if he had to be dragged to church. To his family, he wished to be remembered as the trunk of a tree, always worried and praying for each of his children, grandchildren and wife; the roots of the tree being Christ and His Holy Word, Angel being the trunk, and his family the branches, leaves and fruit. To the church he was an example of serving the Lord until our last breath.

“ For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”