Austin is playing host to the largest gathering of Hispanic Baptists in the United States.

The Hispanic Baptist Convention of Texas is meeting this year at Austin's Hyde Park Baptist Church.

People are celebrating friends, faith and a new ministry.

It's called ISAAC: Immigration Service and Aid Center.

"What this is is a church based mission to provide legal, high-quality immigration services through accredited representatives at churches," said Suzi Paynter, director of the Baptist General Convention of Texas Christian Life Commission.

Monday, officials with the Baptist General Convention of Texas announced the new partnership with Buckner International - a childcare and human welfare agency.

It's the first nationwide church-based effort to help immigrants become U.S. citizens.

"What we've done has really touched the human side of the problem," says Alex Camacho, a pastor in McKinney, Texas.

His church is already accredited.

"I have seen hundreds of people coming to my office on a weekly to monthly basis," adds Camacho.

The new ministry, "ISAAC," will train pastors on how to legally help people through the process of becoming a citizen - offering an alternative to what's available now.

"There are notarios and immigration consultants who scam people out of thousands of dollars and give them no help," said Paynter.

Baptist leaders say more and more people faced with immigration problems are coming to pastors for help.

"There are a lot of laws being proposed and bills being looked at, and the immigration system will probably change. But just to negotiate the system, as it is, people need a guide, and they need a guide that they can trust," said Paynter.

The training takes about a year.

The BGCT has seven Texas churches already working on accreditation. They are hoping those numbers grow throughout Texas and the nation.