Rich Walter
Member care Pastor
Rich was born in the small town of Easton, Pennsylvania, and grew up in a home dedicated to loving and serving Jesus. His family moved often throughout the United States and even to Spain, where he developed a deep appreciation for the Spanish language. Later, during his time in Honduras as a young adult, that appreciation grew into a desire to master it.
At 19, Rich moved to Brownsville, Texas, to serve as a Christian missionary through Mennonite Voluntary Service. While attending a small Spanish-speaking church, he felt truly at home within the Hispanic community. It was there that he met a beautiful young woman named María Plata—his “María Mía.” Five years later, they were married, and more than forty years later, they are blessed with two children, their spouses, and seven grandchildren. As Nacho Libre says, “My life is good… really good!”
Rich has been serving Jesus for over 55 years, including the last 44 alongside María Mía, leading and mentoring students. He gave his life to Christ at nine years old and was baptized at fourteen. Rich loves Jesus, loves people, and is passionate about sharing God’s Word. In his free time, he enjoys camping with his family, woodworking, climbing trees, birdwatching, hiking, kayaking remote rivers, and eating nopales—or anything else Mexican!