Ruben Burgete: Roots, Family, & Faith
Updated: Jul 19
by J. Tyler Clark Co-Editor of The Front Porch Magazine, Estate Planning and Probate Attorney in Burleson County, Texas.
Ruben Burguete was not the sort of person who came to Caldwell with a master plan. The simpler answer, he says, is that God has not told him to move. And in a town where people still value roots, family, and faith lived out in everyday ways, that steady sense of calling has made Ruben and his family feel right at home. Ruben serves at First Baptist in Caldwell with the Spanish congregation, preaching, teaching, and discipling believers week in and week out. His rhythm is not flashy.
A typical week starts early, with Sunday's sermon already on his mind. He begins with prayer and Scripture, resisting the urge to jump straight to commentaries. Later comes deeper study, then structure, then the hard work of shaping the message so it can be heard and lived. Ministry also means hospital visits, mentoring, staff meetings, and long conversations that do not fit neatly on a calendar. It includes Thursday Bible study, a men's study at 6 a.m., and careful preparation for those who want baptism, so that the step is taken with understanding and sincerity.
Ruben's story stretches well beyond Caldwell. Raised in Matamoros, Mexico, he grew up in a pastor's home and saw up close that the Christian life has to be real at home, not just from a pulpit. He credits his parents for modeling a faith without a "persona," and for making church feel like family, not just a place. That kind of upbringing did not guarantee he would enter ministry, Ruben notes. A pastor's child is not automatically called. But over time, God's call became clear.
His training took him from San Antonio to Baylor for graduate study, and later to complete a doctorate at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Those years were not easy. As an international student with a family to provide for and limited options to work, Ruben remembers months of discouragement, financial strain, and the lonely feeling of being "nobody" in a place where no one knew his history or character. Then Caldwell happened.
Through Pastor Steve and a clear need for shepherding among Spanish-speaking families, Ruben and his wife, Karem, prayed and stepped forward. It did not take long before Caldwell became home. Family is central in the Burguete household. Ruben and Karem met in high school in Matamoros and now have three children, close in age. Friday nights are family nights, often with a movie, sometimes board games, and plenty of time spent at sports and outdoor activities. Like many parents, they juggle practices and games with the deeper commitment they want their children to learn: God comes first. Sports will pass, Ruben tells them, but the Lord remains.
Ruben's heart also beats for missions. After years of trips to Guatemala, he and church leaders began seeking places with fewer believers, committing to relationships rather than "vacation trips." That conviction has led to work in Uruguay and now a new effort in northwest France, where evangelical believers are estimated at less than two percent in the region. The plan is simple and relational: meet people in parks, play games, share meals, and open doors for the Gospel. Ruben and Karen even hope to host Mexican cooking classes as a way to welcome neighbors and start conversations.
Why does Ruben believe? He answers without hesitation: he has seen God's faithfulness. Sometimes that faithfulness looks ordinary, like provision at the right time. Sometimes it looks extraordinary, like a child's burned feet healed overnight after prayer on a mission trip in Brazil. For Ruben, miracles are "signs," not tricks to be used, but reminders that God is living and present.
In the end, Ruben is convinced God delights in using small places for great purposes. Bethlehem was small. Fishermen were ordinary. And Burleson County, too, is the kind of place where God can do more than people expect-through a steady pastor, a devoted family, and a faith that keeps answering the call to come.
From the Editors...
Thank you Ruben for all that you do for our community. May God bless you, your ministry, and your family. In Christian love, Sandi and Tyler.
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