Hope for the City: Orlando Cordero’s Story

Church Planting in Maryland: A Q&A with Orlando Cordero

Church planting is one of the most strategic ways the gospel advances in communities across North America. Behind every church plant is a story of calling, sacrifice, and a deep desire to see people come to know Christ. In this Q&A, we hear from Orlando Cordero, lead pastor of Radiant Church in Towson, Maryland, located in Baltimore County.

Orlando shares how the Lord led him into church planting, the vision behind Radiant Church, and the unique opportunities for gospel ministry in the Towson community. As a diverse and rapidly growing hub for students, families, and professionals, Towson represents both a tremendous need and a powerful opportunity for the gospel. Through this conversation, you’ll hear about the joys and challenges of planting a church, the needs of the community, and how God is already at work drawing people to Himself in the Greater Baltimore area.

Q&A with Orlando Cordero

1.  Tell us a little about yourself. How did the Lord call you to church planting?

I am the lead pastor of Radiant Church in Towson, Maryland. A husband and father of three, I came to know Christ in young adulthood after witnessing firsthand the compassion of Jesus in the midst of community suffering. I am passionate about discipleship and the local church. I previously helped plant a church in Baltimore and now lead Radiant Church with a vision to see people find rest and fullness of life in Christ (Matthew 11:28–30).

When I look back on my life, I can see that the Lord’s call to church planting didn’t come in a single lightning-bolt moment. It grew over time, in clarity, in conviction, and in community. God used faithful men and women, pastors and leaders, who invested in me, encouraged me, and modeled what it looks like to care and shepherd people well.

The first seeds of what I now recognize as a call to church planting were planted the day I became a Christian. I was by no means qualified, but when the Lord saved me, He gave me a deep love for Him, for His Word, for His church, and for people who didn’t yet know Him. Matthew 9 gripped my heart; when Jesus looked at the crowds and saw them “like sheep without a shepherd,” and He wasn’t annoyed or indifferent, He was moved with compassion. That vision and mission of Jesus: seeing people in their lostness and moving toward them in love, shaped me.

I joined a healthy local church and got connected to people who shared that same passion, including my now-wife, Tiffany. As we began to see gospel need around us, especially among young people in our community, we didn’t want to just notice it, we wanted to respond. We started a Friday night Bible study to equip and mobilize youth in our church. Around the same time, I was in graduate school and leading with CRU on campus. Through my graduate school classes, I gained experience in nonprofit development, and we eventually started a Christian nonprofit to address both the physical and spiritual needs of youth in our neighborhood.

That season deepened my compassion for the lost and vulnerable, strengthened my confidence in the power of the gospel, and unexpectedly gave me practical training that would later be essential for church planting, building teams, fundraising, networking, forming church partnerships, and gathering people around a shared mission. One of those partnerships introduced me to church planting for the first time. I met a church planter in my city and shared his story: the challenges, the joys, the vision from God’s Word, something in my heart resonated deeply. We even discussed the possibility of a church planting residency. But soon after, I was offered a job that required me to move to Baltimore. Yet in the Lord’s kindness, when I moved, I landed at another church plant. There, the lead pastor saw potential in me and began intentionally developing pastoral character and competencies. He gave me opportunities to preach, lead small groups, serve as his assistant, and observe the behind-the-scenes realities of church planting, what worked well and what didn’t. He even began talking with me about future church planting possibilities.

Then, again in God’s providence, I learned of a new North American Mission Board (NAMB) church plant launching in our neighborhood. After prayer, counsel from the pastors, and conversations with Tiffany, my pastor encouraged me to join the core team.

That church’s vision was not just to plant one church, but to see a church-planting movement across Greater Baltimore. From day one, the pastors intentionally poured into me. They brought me into planning meetings, invited me to pastors’ gatherings, to do a pastoral / church planting residency, and gave me meaningful leadership opportunities. Through those experiences, I saw firsthand what it takes, spiritually, relationally, and practically, to start and sustain a healthy church.

That time has sharpened our theological foundations and strengthened us in gospel centrality, missiology, counseling, pastoral care, and preaching. It has also confirmed that this calling is not just mine, it’s ours.

When I step back and look at the people God placed in my life, the training He provided, the churches that invested in me, and even the unexpected turns along the way, I am overwhelmed by His grace. He truly is the master weaver, threading together every season, even the ones that felt like detours, to prepare us for this calling.

Church planting, for us, is not about starting an organization. It’s about joining Jesus in His compassion for sheep without a shepherd and trusting Him to build His church.

2.  Tell us a little about Radiant Church and the Towson community.

Radiant Church is a new church plant in Towson, Baltimore, Maryland: a diverse, rapidly growing community. Towson is an economic, governmental, medical, and educational hub: home to many of Baltimore’s newest businesses, the seat of Baltimore County government, several major hospitals, and the largest university in the Greater Baltimore area. The population continues to grow as professionals, families, retirees, and refugees move into the area, and each year tens of thousands of ambitious college students arrive to study at Towson University and the surrounding campuses.

In many ways, Towson represents a snapshot of the future of our country: multi-generational, educationally driven, spiritually curious, yet often disconnected from the local church.

That’s why the spiritual need, and the strategic opportunity, is so significant.

Our vision at Radiant Church is simple but bold: to glorify God by making, maturing, and multiplying disciples and churches in Greater Baltimore and beyond. We want to see people treasure Jesus, grow as disciples, and live on mission, and to see churches multiplied across the Greater Baltimore area. We don’t just want to gather a crowd; we want to cultivate a movement. We long to see the zeal and spirit of college students and young professionals fused together with the wisdom, stability, and resources of families and senior adults, all united around the Great Commission.

Towson is uniquely strategic for that kind of vision.

With nearly 30,000 college students in the area, there is a constant influx of young leaders who will one day influence businesses, schools, churches, nonprofits, and families all over the country and the world (the Baptist Collegiate ministry has grown from 30 to 100 in these past two years and the student president is coming onboard at Radiant as our first church planting resident and two more are preparing to join an IMB South Asia team). If they are reached and discipled here, the ripple effects extend far beyond our zip code. At the same time, Towson is filled with established neighborhoods, long-time residents, and community leaders who deeply care about the flourishing of this city. We have already begun to see something beautiful: generations linking arms for the sake of the gospel.

The greatest needs in our community are both spiritual and relational. Many carry skepticism toward the church. Others carry wounds from it. Some are successful by worldly standards but quietly battling loneliness, anxiety, or a lack of purpose. There is also real physical need in surrounding areas: poverty, under-resourced schools, and families in crisis, that requires tangible gospel presence.

We believe the answer is not merely programs, but presence.

Radiant Church engages the community in several intentional ways. We prioritize community groups that meet in homes throughout the week so that discipleship happens around dinner tables, not just in rows on Sundays. We invest in local missions partnerships that allow us to serve vulnerable families and under-resourced communities in practical ways. We equip and mobilize college students to live on mission in their dorms and classrooms. And we create spaces where questions are welcomed and the gospel is clearly proclaimed with compassion and conviction.

From the beginning, we prayed that Radiant would not simply exist in Towson, but for Towson.

And by God’s grace, we are already seeing fruit. We’re watching college students come to faith and grow in boldness. We’re seeing families deepen in discipleship. We’re seeing community groups multiply. We’re seeing neighbors who might never have walked into a church begin exploring Jesus.

Towson is ripe for holistic evangelism and discipleship: heart, mind, and hands. And we believe the Lord has positioned Radiant Church here for such a time as this: to shine the light of Christ in a strategic city and to trust Him to multiply the impact for generations to come.

3.  What are some of the encouraging parts of planting Radiant Church? What are some challenges you’ve encountered?

One of the most encouraging parts of planting Radiant Church has been watching God gather His people. There is nothing quite like seeing the Lord bring together individuals and families from different backgrounds, seasons of life, and stories, and unite them around a shared love for Jesus and a shared mission. From college students to young professionals to families and long-time residents, we have seen the beauty of generations linking arms for the sake of the gospel. Every new believer, every baptized life, every community group multiplied is a reminder that Jesus is faithfully building His church.

It has also been deeply encouraging to witness spiritual growth in real time. To see people move from curiosity to commitment, from consumerism to discipleship, and from passivity to mission: that is pure joy. Watching leaders emerge, small groups multiply, and members step into local mission has been a tangible grace of God. We are constantly reminded that the work is His, not ours.

At the same time, church planting comes with real challenges. The pace can be demanding. There are constant needs, spiritual, relational, organizational, and building systems while shepherding people requires ongoing dependence on the Lord. Planting also means stepping into seasons of uncertainty, especially in the early stages when structures are still forming and teams are still developing.

Another challenge is helping people move from attending to truly belonging, from watching to participating. Discipleship takes time, patience, and intentional investment. In a fast-paced culture, cultivating depth can be slower than we’d like. We are learning daily how to balance vision with endurance, growth with health, and momentum with maturity.

Yet even in the challenges, we see God’s faithfulness. Every obstacle becomes an opportunity to pray more deeply, depend more fully, and lead more humbly. Church planting continually reminds us that unless the Lord builds the house, we labor in vain, and that truth is both sobering and incredibly freeing.

4.  How can SC Baptists pray for you and the work God is doing in Towson/the Greater Baltimore area through Radiant Church?

Thank you. We would be deeply grateful for prayer. Planting a church is not ultimately about strategy or effort, it is about the Lord’s power at work through His people, and we would love for SC Baptists to join us in prayer.

First, please pray for spiritual fruit in Towson and across the Greater Baltimore area. Pray that the Lord would draw many people to Himself: college students, young professionals, families, and long-time residents. Pray for bold evangelism, clear gospel proclamation, and genuine conversions. We are asking God to establish a multiplying movement of disciples who make disciples.

Second, please pray for our new residency program. We are intentionally investing in the next generation of church leaders: training future church planters, pastors, and ministry leaders through hands-on experience, theological formation, mentoring, and practical ministry leadership. Pray that the Lord would continue to raise up men and women of deep character, doctrinal clarity, compassion, and mission-minded courage. Pray that this residency would not only strengthen Radiant Church but would help fuel healthy church planting.

We are also preparing to launch a residency specifically designed to train up women leaders in the church and on mission. Our heart is to equip women to serve faithfully in ministry contexts, to lead in biblically faithful ways, to disciple others, and to engage the mission of God in their spheres of influence, locally and globally. Please pray that this training would produce spiritually mature, gospel-centered women who are deeply rooted in Christ and confident in His Word.

We would also appreciate prayer for our campus ministry efforts. With tens of thousands of college students in our community, we long to see campuses saturated with the gospel. Pray for open doors, meaningful relationships, courageous witness, and lasting discipleship among students who will influence future cities, churches, and workplaces.

Please pray for new believers in our church, that they would grow quickly in their understanding of the gospel, be rooted in Scripture, connected to community, and sent out on mission. Pray that their early steps of faith would become lifelong patterns of discipleship and joy in Christ.

Finally, please pray for ministry to mothers who have experienced miscarriage. This is a tender and sacred area of pastoral care. Pray that our church would be a place of deep compassion, comfort, and hope, where grieving families find the presence of Christ, the promises of Scripture, and the care of a loving church community. We long to serve families in moments of sorrow with both truth and tenderness.

Above all, pray that Radiant Church would remain faithful, faithful to Scripture, faithful in prayer, faithful in gospel proclamation, and faithful in love for one another. Pray that everything we do would exalt Jesus and advance His kingdom.

5.  What are some tangible ways SC Baptist churches can support your work?

We are deeply grateful for the partnership of SC Baptist churches, and there are several tangible ways you can support the work God is doing through Radiant Church in Towson and the Greater Baltimore area.

‍ ‍First, prayer. We truly believe gospel work is sustained by prayer. Pray for salvations, spiritual maturity, church multiplication, and endurance in leadership. Pray especially for our campus outreach, our new residencies, and our efforts to serve vulnerable families in our community

‍ ‍Second, financial partnership in key areas of ministry. There are several strategic investments that would directly strengthen and expand our mission:

‍ ‍Next Generation & Collegiate Ministry: We are expanding our kids and collegiate ministry, and equipping student leaders for discipleship and mission. Given the tens of thousands of students in our region, this is a significant gospel opportunity.

‍ ‍Local Outreach & Evangelism Initiatives: SC Baptist churches can help fund our ongoing outreach efforts, including sports camps and a gardening club for refugee and at-risk youth, Serve Baltimore service projects, and Christianity Explored–style dinner gatherings for those exploring faith. These events create relational bridges for gospel conversations and disciple-making. Also, with our new space, we are also looking into organizing larger events where we could utilize missions teams.

‍ ‍Leadership Development: We are launching a residency program to train future church planters and ministry leaders: including a residency focused on equipping women in the church and on mission. Supporting this initiative helps us invest in long-term leadership development. The annual need for this program is $30,000, which covers theological resources, coaching, and participant stipends.

‍ ‍Church Infrastructure: As our ministry grows, we have moved from renting space on Sundays, to renting it all week long and so our rent has gone up quite a bit. I am working on fundraising an additional $24,000 for the year. An answer to prayer: a South Carolina church helped us purchase 120 new folding churches to accommodate our growing gatherings and ministry events.

‍ ‍Finally, relational partnership. We would love opportunities to connect with SC Baptist churches, whether through mission teams, leadership exchanges, internship pipelines, or future church planting collaboration. Strengthening ties across state lines helps fuel a broader movement of gospel multiplication. My in-laws live in Simpsonville, SC, so I visit often.

Every tangible gift, whether prayer, finances, volunteers, or partnership, directly contributes to disciple-making and church multiplication in a strategic city.

‍ ‍

How Will You Get Involved?

Stories like Orlando’s remind us that church planting is never a solo effort. Behind every church planter is a network of believers who pray, give, and partner together so that new churches can be planted, and the gospel can be proclaimed in communities that need it.

One of the most important ways Southern Baptists support church planters like Orlando is through the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering. This offering, supported by churches across the country, helps fund the work of the North American Mission Board and provides critical resources for church planters serving in cities and communities throughout North America.

When you give to the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering, you are helping make stories like Radiant Church possible. Your gifts support training, resources, and ministry efforts that allow church planters to focus on sharing the gospel, discipling new believers, and building healthy churches. To learn more about the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering and to give, visit https://anniearmstrong.com/

Consider how your church might pray, partner, and give so that more communities—like Towson—can experience the hope of Christ through new churches. Together, we can play a part in seeing the gospel advance and lives transformed across North America.

To learn more about Radiant Church and how God is at work in Towson, visit https://www.radiantchurchtowson.com/

You can also follow Radiant Church on social media: Facebook, Instagram, YouTube

To learn more about the work of the North American Mission Board in Baltimore, visit https://www.namb.net/send-network/send-city/baltimore/

‍ ‍