General secretary Rev. Eddy Alemán has appointed Rev. Hanoi Avila to serve as the RCA’s next chief ministry officer. Avila, a pastor and former CEO, joined General Synod Council (GSC) staff on June 26.
As chief ministry officer, Avila will oversee the work of the Center for Church Multiplication and Ministry, which encompasses helping classes and churches with discipleship, leadership development, church multiplication, next generation engagement, women’s transformation and leadership, disability concerns, and race relations and advocacy. (The coordinators for the RCA’s four racial and ethnic councils also work within the center.) Avila will also serve on the GSC staff’s strategic leadership team (SLT).
“I am excited about the fact that I have been entrusted with the opportunity to impact God’s kingdom through discipleship making and leadership development and that my work will be instrumental in the growth of God’s kingdom and the salvation of others,” says Avila.
Avila steps into this role with 14 years of experience in ministry, most recently at Iglesia Edificadores, an RCA church in Leander, Texas, which he planted. He has served as the spiritual leader and teaching pastor there since 2013. Last fall, both Avila and Iglesia Edificadores joined the RCA, with Avila transferring his ordination and the church plant officially organizing as an RCA church.
As a bivocational pastor, Avila also worked at All Metal Performance in Austin, Texas, as chief executive officer. His 11 years with the company involved managing teams, creating and implementing structures and systems, developing and operating budgets, and ensuring compliance.
“My past bivocational experience as a pastor of a local church and a CEO of a corporation was formative and fundamental for the challenges ahead of our denomination,” says Avila. “To thrive in this position, for such a time as this in our denomination, it is seminal to have and possess the ability to understand pastors and their local congregations and at the same time be able to meet the demands of an institutional structure that exists as a beacon of support for the work of the ministry of the RCA.”
“Hanoi possesses many years of church and organizational leadership as a pastor and CEO,” says Alemán. “His impressive track record of leading successful companies and non-profit organizations and his unwavering dedication to train leaders for the work of ministry makes him an invaluable addition to our strategic leadership team.
“Hanoi brings a wealth of knowledge about leadership development and church revitalization and leadership,” adds Alemán. “His main focus will be church revitalization and leadership development [as he also leads] the Center for Church Multiplication and Ministry staff team.”
“I envision growing and thriving churches in the RCA, driven by disciple-making covenant communities, being emboldened by local and global missions, church planting, and vibrant worship communities,” says Avila. “I’m convinced that a key way to embody this vision is through the training and development of a staff that shares the same passion, values, and vision, and that is equipped and encouraged to pass on the same vision to each local church they come into contact with.”
Avila’s past experience also includes serving as the Spanish Ministry associate pastor and community outreach coordinator for Hill Country Bible Church (Austin, Texas). Avila is also currently president of Consejo de Instituciones Cristianas Independientes, a network of independent Christian churches in Texas; as a board member, Avila meets with pastors and leaders in Austin to foster unity and to spur the greater Austin church to continually reach lost people with the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Avila holds an MDiv from Fuller Theological Seminary and a bachelor’s in social work from the University of Texas (Austin).
He lives in Austin, Texas, with his wife, Hilary, and three children.
With this new leadership, Rev. Phil Assink concludes his interim role as director of the center. Assink joined GSC staff part-time in this capacity in September 2023.
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