From Dance Studio to Diverse Church
One Reason Church | Pastor Junior & Jenna Perez
What began as a Latin dance studio has grown into a thriving, multicultural church in Minneapolis, Minnesota, showing that when God plants a vision, He makes a way. At the heart of this story are Pastors Junior and Jenna Perez, whose ministry began in missions, but as the Lord opened new doors, their calling took shape through dance and community.”
Jenna grew up in Duluth, Minnesota, and felt called to missions from a young age. She served with AGWM in Venezuela, where she met Junior, a professional table tennis player and dancer who owned multiple studios. Junior carried a powerful testimony of redemption, having encountered Jesus after a traumatic childhood marked by abuse, violence, and repeated brushes with the law.
As a teenager, Junior found himself in and out of trouble, eventually landing in jail. He cried out to God, vowing to change his life if given another chance. The next day, someone with military connections intervened and arranged for his release, an event Junior believes was divine. That moment marked the beginning of a slow but life-changing journey toward Christ. Years later, overwhelmed by depression and contemplating suicide, he wandered the streets until he stumbled upon a church service being coincidentally held outside. There, he gave his life to the Lord.
“From that day, everything changed,” Junior shared. Within weeks, he was using his gifts as a choreographer in church services and soon began leading and discipling others. He would go on to serve as a youth and creative arts pastor, experiences that laid the foundation for future ministry.
Jenna and Junior connected on her first Sunday in Venezuela, where Junior was serving on staff. Their relationship grew as they served together, eventually leading to marriage. Two years later, they relocated to Minnesota with plans to return to the mission field. “But through a series of closed doors and divine conversations,” Jenna said, “God began planting something new in our hearts.”
Encouraged by leaders like Roger Stacy and Clarence St. John, the couple began exploring church planting. It was Stacy who posed the question that reshaped their future: What if Junior’s gift of dance could be used to reach unchurched people?
That idea became One Reason. In 2017, they opened One Reason Dance Studio, and in 2019, launched One Reason Church in the same space. Initial funding came through The Waters Church and Church Multiplication Network. While the grand opening drew more than 100 people, attendance quickly dropped, but the vision endured.
Today, One Reason is a bilingual, multicultural church with members from across Latin America, Asia, Europe, and the U.S. About 25% of attendees came through the dance studio. Outreach events, authentic relationships, and a strong sense of community define the ministry. “It’s not about sitting in an office,” Junior said. “Here, growth happens when we’re with people.”
Now preparing to move into a 17,000-square-foot facility, the church is stepping into its next chapter. “Church planting is the hardest thing we’ve ever done,” Jenna admitted. “But we’ve seen the harvest. It’s worth it.”
