In recent years, sociologists and Latin American scholars have documented the positive role of Protestantism throughout Latin America. Is it possible that the rise of Protestantism among U.S. Latinos heralds future social blessings for this nation?
There was a time when a question like this was pure rhetoric. That time is past. Demographics from polls and U.S. census data indicate that more than five million U.S. Latinos adhere to some variety of Protestantism. Twenty five years ago that number was less than 100,000. But parallel to the rise in immigration throughout the 1970's and 1980's was rapid growth of Latino membership among the Assemblies of God, Southern Baptists, Apostolic Assemblies of Faith, Seventh Day Adventists, Church of God, Methodists, Presbyterians, Nazarenes, and many other denominations and independent churches.
The reality of five million U.S. citizens who are Latino and Protestant invites immediate speculation. How do they vote? How do they spend their money? But focusing on political will and economic power might cause us to miss an important characteristic of this group: their ability to accomplish positive social transformation.
Already Latino Protestant churches and believers are making significant gains in drug rehabilitation, community development, educating youth, and training future leaders--in your own backyard.
Citing Latino-dominant Victory Outreach churches in Texas and New Mexico, 1994 Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist William Raspberry argues that state government red tape should not hinder churches that "transform alcoholics, drug addicts and hustlers into worthwhile citizens: in religious terms, save them." In Philadelphia, a city-wide coalition of Latino clergy combines evangelism with advocacy for the poor, economic development, even federal lobbying for an enterprise zone in North Philadelphia. In Chicago, La Villita Community Church mobilizes middle-class Latinos to serve the urban poor even while building coalitions with African Americans and Anglos in racially-divided West Chicago. Nationally, associations form around the theological education of pastors and the needs of English-language-dominant, second and third generation Latinos. All these activities occur alongside feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, housing the homeless, raising the orphaned, and caring for the sojourner, practices historically associated with Latino Protestant churches.
Now, in a move to increase their visibility, Latino Protestants from throughout North America are gathering in November to form a "big tent" of Latino Protestantism. From every region of the U.S. (also Canada and Puerto Rico), most major denominations, and all Latino ethnic sub-groups (Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central and South American), Latino Protestants will explore key issues of unity at an unprecedented gathering in Los Angeles.
This big tent of Latino Protestantism should have been created ten years ago. The anticipated benefits of unity -- affirmation, networking, leadership development -- were great needs then. Today this lure of benefits approaches necessity. With a new millennium just six years away, Latino Protestants join other U.S. citizens in struggling with U.S. problems. Consider urban ills like crime, drugs, and crowded schools: We are mostly urban people. The economy: The majority of us are middle, lower or underclass. Immigration: We are simultaneously immigrants, descendants of immigrants, and people whose jobs are threatened by immigration. Ethnic diversity: In a society obsessed with black and white, can the weary national psyche tolerate brown entering the debate? The crisis in values: Our kids are growing up in this society, too.
In light of these national dilemmas, what do Latino Protestants bring to the table? We bring a wholistic spirituality that bridges the gap between church and community. In the general public, confusion over church/state separation and over the role of faith in public life keep spirituality out of daily affairs. On the church side, many people of faith either accept a schism between their Sunday morning behavior and what they do the rest of the week, or they outright shun the world. But what many see as separate concerns, Latino Protestants see as inseparable. Ours is a "civic spirituality," demonstrating divine grace on Sunday and good works on Monday. Those in Texas, New Mexico, Philadelphia, Chicago and throughout our nation are motivated by the belief that the God we serve is deeply concerned about the body as well as the soul, about where we live as well as our spiritual condition, about the quality of our lives here on earth as well as our eternal destiny.
The spiritually-motivated works of social transformation mentioned here are just a few culled from the community of five million Latino Protestants. Efforts such as the November conference uniting Latino Protestants from around the nation will undoubtedly raise the visibility of many more. And given the rapid growth of Latino Protestants in the U.S., we can expect a multiplication of these works. It is in effect the autonomous creation, ex nihilo, of networks capable of altering their social, economic and spiritual positions. Not just for the benefit of Latino Protestants, but for all Americans.
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