Our History
Apostle Angel Maria Hernandez
1900 - 1961
Apostle Angel Maria Hernandez
1900 - 1961
The successor
And our second apostle in our Modern Era, Ángel María Hernández Esperón was born on the village of El Cano, municipality of Marianao, Havana Province, Cuba, on January 11, 1900.
Ángel María was baptized by the Apostle Daddy John (Ernest William Sellers) in the river Capellanias in Guanajay, Pinar del Río Province, Cuba on August 9, 1937.
Three years later, he devoted his life to God, as the followers of Christ did 2000 years ago. Leaving all of his earthly possessions, and giving all his time to the blessed work of the Lord, he took his oath as a Disciple on September 29, 1940.
The spiritual rise of Angel Maria Hernandez
In a Waiting of Anointment, in the promise of the Holy Spirit, in resemblance to the Biblical Pentecostal led by the Apostle Daddy John, held in Cuba, on 1941, Hernandez was blessed by God through forgiveness of his sins. He was sanctified in the Holy Spirit and Fire that would prepare him for a greater deed.
He rapidly advanced within the church, becoming Bishop at the General Conference in Cabaiguán, Cuba, on May 6, 1947. He served as Bishop in the West and Central Diocese until 1951, when he was elevated to Bishop in Great Echelon and Special Ambassador to Apostle Daddy John.
In the same year he became director of the Campaign of Evangelism and Divine Healing of our church, traveling across Cuba in a great work of evangelization.
Praying with wonderful results and a large number of converts to the Lord. He continued in this activity until February 26, 1953, when he declared his appointment to the ministry and took over as the new new director and second apostle approved by the majority with full recognition.
Expansion of the church
Ángel María Hernández was installed as the Apostle on February 26, 1953. However, his appointment wasn’t officially ratified and approved by the Provincial Government of Havana, Cuba until October 19 of that same year.
Under his leadership, despite his short ministry, the church reached considerable developments in all aspects which included but were not limited to a Disciples Preparatory School, construction of new churches and missions and reconstruction and repairs of old property throughout the country.
In the spiritual order a large growth was highlighted by the international expansion of our church to which he devoted his best efforts. He sent missionaries to found our church in the following countries: Jamaica, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras, Chile and Haiti.
Death of the Apostle Angel Maria Hernandez
The Apostle Angel Maria Hernandez died on December 27, 1961, in Playa de Baracoa, Havana Province, Cuba at 9:00 p.m. at age 61. Before his death in a General Conference, he named by divine order the Bishop in Great Echelon and Ambassador to Panama, Arturo Rangel Sosa as his predecessor. He also publicly declared in a special message received by the Lord that “he would survive one more year,” God had shown him his own death in which indeed took place a year later.
And for all his works and deeds, would not his name be written in the Book of Life?