Pastor in Focus – Luis Ruiz, Lead Pastor of Oklahoma City, Iglesia Bautista Gracia De Dios

Luis Ruiz serves as pastor at Iglesia Bautista Gracia De Dios in Oklahoma City. Translated into English that is “Grace of God Baptist Church.”

His testimony of going from a life of crime to new life in Christ is a “Grace of God” story.

Ruiz grew up in a Christian household as a child, but later in life got involved with the wrong people and was arrested multiple times.

“I became a person I did not know,” Ruiz said. “Drugs have a way of making you into someone you don’t recognize.”

Ruiz ultimately faced arrest and prison for his crimes. During one of his numerous times in prison, a friend visited Ruiz and told him that God had a plan for him.

At the time, he didn’t believe it. Later on, a prison chaplain came up to him and told him that God was going to change Ruiz’s life. Again, Ruiz was skeptical. Three months later the same pastor spoke again and asked Ruiz if he wanted to change. Ruiz admitted that he did want to change, but had already accepted his new life.

That night, Ruiz woke up in a panic and didn’t recognize where he was, asking himself how he had gotten there. During this panic, a portion of Rom. 6:23 came to his mind, “for the wages of sin is death…”

From that point on, Ruiz began to change drastically. He attended Victory Bible Institute while in prison, which gave him the skills he needed to start preaching. Using those skills, Ruiz began teaching other inmates about Christ. Upon being released from prison, Ruiz asked for guidance on how to navigate his new life, to which God gave him Matt. 6:33, “But seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

Fast forward to today, and Ruiz, in addition to serving as a pastor, also serves as Oklahoma Jail and Prison Ministries (OJPM) President, a longstanding, Gospel-centered prison outreach ministry in Oklahoma. Ruiz continues to lead inmates in the Oklahoma prison system to Christ, through the ministry of OPJM.

“What you are seeing before you is a new creation,” Ruiz said. “God is not finished with me. There is still so much work to do.”

Ruiz has pastored at two other churches in the Oklahoma City area. He has been at Iglesia Bautista Gracia De Dios since 2023. Ruiz had got connected to a Vietnamese Church led by An Nguyen and the Lord opened doors.

Ruiz and his wife Rosalba have seven children and eight grandchildren. They are thriving in the ministry and where God has placed them. This abundant life in Jesus is nothing Luis could have imagined years ago.

“I started my ministry at Shields Boulevard Baptist Church under Pastor Gary Boswick. Then in 2022, I got called to be the pastor of Iglesia Bautista Roca Fuerte, which was a ministry of Council Road Baptist Church,” said Ruiz.

That ministry continued for a year, then Ruiz and his family got connected with Oklahoma City, Putnam City.

“Putnam City Baptist Church opened their doors for us to be able to use their youth annex and (church staff member) Bob Shelton mentored me,” said Ruiz.

Shelton and others connected Ruiz with Pastor An Nguyen, who serves with Vision Community Church.

“There were discussions among key leaders of what it would look like for a Vietnamese and an Hispanic church to share ministry space, and the Lord opened doors for that to happen,” he said.

Thanks to Pastor An’s church allowing their property to be used by Iglesia Bautista Gracia De Dios, the congregation is now meeting for worship and outreach.

Their first service was Easter Sunday in 2023. “We are running a group of about on the Sunday anywhere from 60 to 70 attendees, and we have a youth and children’s ministry,” he said.

The congregation has several outreach ministries, including to a local shelter where they meet the needs of Hispanic families who are new to the state.

Ruiz does not allow financial constraints limit what God can accomplish. “We started a bus ministry, which has given us tremendous results; now we are in the process of thinking about purchasing a second bus because our bus ministry has grown so much. I believe that God can do anything, just put it all in His hands. You can look at our budget as an excuse, but we don’t look at our numbers as an excuse. God has been really faithful to us. He has opened those doors for us tremendously.”

Ruiz recently baptized a husband and wife they reached with the Good News.

Ruiz is now a seminary student at Southwestern Seminary, and his church leaders are all taking part in the Haskins School of Christian Ministry presented by Oklahoma Baptists.

“I can’t even say enough about what God has done in our church and in my personal life,” he said.

Truly, Ruiz’s entire life and ministry, serves as a witness to the “Grace of God.”