Ernesto and Gisselle, born into non-Christian families, found the gospel and accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord at the age of 11. They would meet eighteen years later.

            During these years they were highly involved in church ministries. They participated in youth groups, and they later became leaders. Both enrolled in worship teams and missionary events. During their university years they were part of the Mexico chapter of Intervarsity Christian Fellowship (IVCF).

            Ernesto felt at a very young age the desire to preach and teach biblical truths. After graduating he spent several years as an IVCF part-time worker and a Bible trainer for connection group leaders. He was also a local church Mission Department lead and was involved in discipleship as a mentee and mentor.

            After accepting Jesus, Gisselle strongly desired to serve Him. She started teaching children Sunday school and later became youth director. This passion led her to spend two years in a Bible College before completing her degree as a Veterinarian. While she was at university she initiated the IVCF chapter in her faculty school and participated in evangelism crusades in small villages.

            Ernesto and Gisselle met in 1995 and married three years later. They soon felt God directing them to move to Canada. After praying for several months, in 1999 they applied for Permanent Residence.

Although there was no immediate opening in Canada, a few months later Ernesto’s job was transferred to Atlanta, Georgia. On the last Sunday before leaving Mexico, “our church prayed for us—believing they were sending us as missionaries.” In Atlanta, they participated at a local church with the Spanish outreach ministry.

            Then in 2000 God opened the door to a job in Mississauga, Ontario. “Moving to Canada has been a mission trip that is ongoing.” Soon they were deeply involved in Alliance Church GTA Spanish ministry as worship and youth leaders, and Sunday class teachers.

Although Ernesto and Gisselle are now “a mixture of Mexican and Canadian,” they believe that the lessons they learned in Mexico have relevance to Canadian churches.  They wonder if churches in Canada could become agents of change—to challenge local cultural elements little by little.

God blessed them with four children—Abby, Judith, Ernesto and Gabriel—all born in Canada. With a growing family, they recognized the need for wisdom and balance to invest in family relationships. “Your spouse and kids are part of your ministry. There is a great need in our society for people to see and hear the testimony of families that honour God.”

After 11 years in the Toronto area, God directed the Romeros to move to London in 2011. They attended several churches and in 2021 they came to Gateway. Since then, their whole family has been involved in a variety of ministries. Abby has sung on the worship team, hosted some events, helped out with Gateway Kids, and served as a youth leader. Judith has also served as a youth leader, and Ernesto Jr currently volunteers as a youth leader. Ernesto and Giselle have been involved with a Spanish connect group, a hospitality team, Sanctuary lunches, Alpha, children and youth ministry, and, recently, the prayer team.

Ernesto has an active professional career in the IT industry that spans more than 30 years through different roles, companies, and countries. Gisselle worked as a GSM Ministry Coordinator from 2023-2024. For the last seven years, she has been at Trans World Radio as producer and presenter of Bible Stories Alive in Spanish, reaching Hispanic communities across the globe, from megacities to small villages.

Having a wide variety of ministry experiences and a passion for serving God, Ernesto and Gisselle know the need for discernment. “Even mature Christians can do things in ministry that God is not asking us to do. We might see a need that matches with our gifts and skills. But we need to wait for God’s timing and anointing. If it is not the right timing, it will lack spiritual fruit.”