original faith
gospel tabernacle
PASTOR
Testimony
Thoughts on my late Dad, Gervasio Robledo When I think of my father, I think of him as a big man. My Dad was small in stature but big in my mind! My Dad came to this country from Puerto Rico when he was a young man to work in the farms of Ohio. One day he visited his sister in New York, where he met my mom, who recently had come from Puerto Rico also. They fell in love and married. They started a family and began attending a Spanish-speaking Pentecostal church on 20th Street in Manhattan. My sister, Esther was born first, followed by myself, and then Naphtali, Ruben and Jesse.
Brother and Sister Robledo
My parents were very involved in the church. My Dad went to Bible School to learn more about God. Eventually my father became the Assistant Pastor, my mom was involved in the Ladies Association in the church and we attended Sunday school where we learned stories of the bible and scriptures. My Dad worked as a barber in NYC. My mom stayed home to raise us. I remember my father coming home every night with a gallon of milk, a loaf of bread and a little bag of candy for us.
One day he came home very excited. A message-brother by the name of Sam Lisi (his client) told him that God had sent a prophet to our age. Could it be? He gave him some books and my dad started reading and the more he read, the more excited he got. He believed everything. My Mom was skeptical. The pastor tried to convince him that all this was false and that he was being deceived. My father was convinced and decided to leave the Pentecostal church. My mom wasn’t so sure but God gave her a dream where she saw the Pentecostal church full of caskets. That did it.
It was 1964 and we started attending the Local Christian Assembly in New York City. The pastors were Bro. Coleman and Bro. Hunte. I was eight years old, my sister Esther was nine, Naphtali seven, Ruben six and Jesse was four. A few years later, we welcomed our youngest sister, Damaris.
Sam Lisi
My Dad studied Bro. Branham’s message fervently. I forgot to mention that my parents spoke Spanish only. My father spoke a little bit of English which he learned while working as a barber. So studying the message was not easy. He highlighted every word he didn’t understand to later look it up in the Spanish/English dictionary. He also translated for my mom. But he was determined. Eventually the church got translators for the Spanish population was growing. My Dad was very happy at the Local Christian Assembly. He served as an usher for many years. He loved the people. I remember my father inviting brothers and sisters to our home for dinner every Sunday. He was a praying man. We would hear him crying out to God every day. He made sure that we knew about this message also. As we grew up, he would sit us all down, every Saturday, before we could go outside and play. He would open his bible and speak to us about the message and what Bro. Branham said. Yes, my Dad was a big man! We didn’t understand it then but he gave us this marvelous gift, this message, that has kept us throughout our lives. Written by Rachel Colon (Robledo)
THE EARLY YEARS
Brother Jesse Robledo was born in 1960 into a wonderful Christian family, the fifth child of six siblings. Brother Robledo’s Dad at that time was an Associate Pastor of a Pentecostal Church and then received the Message in 1964.
On October 6, 1974, Brother Jesse gave his heart to the Lord at a young age of 14. Brother Jesse was blessed to serve in various positions throughout his young Christian years. He served God’s people as a Musician, Song Leader, Usher, Deacon, Youth Pastor, Trustee and Evangelist.
Jesse Robledo 1964
In December of 1980, Brother Jesse was asked to minister his first sermon at a Youth Service while in South Africa. On June 8, 1983, the Lord Baptized Brother Jesse with the Baptism of the Holy Ghost and he has continued to minister to God’s people both locally and internationally. Brother Jesse has traveled extensively around the world ministering and proclaiming the Message of the Hour to God’s people everywhere. Today Brother Jesse Robledo is the Pastor of the Original Faith Gospel Tabernacle and feels blessed to have been able to be a witness for 38 years of this end-time message as delivered to us by Malachi 4. By the Grace of God Brother Robledo has personally lived for Jesus Christ for 43 years and is thankful to have been raised in this end-time message for close to 50 years. Brother Jesse has been married for 38 years and has been blessed with three daughters and four grandchildren.