The 2016 U.S. presidential election stunned many Americans. Even so-called experts--journalists, pollsters, and media talking heads--were left scratching their heads. How could their predictions have been so wrong? Amidst their post-mortem dissection of the election, pundits particularly expressed surprise in the seemingly mild response of Latino voters, the ones most affected by the inflammatory rhetoric of candidate Trump about immigration, trade with Mexico, and "the wall...a great wall-- and nobody builds walls better than me, believe me." Election preview articles and television shows held out hope for the Democratic candidate by referring to Latinos both as a "sleeping giant" within the American electorate and as Hillary Clinton's "firewall" that would assure her victory. Yet exit polls revealed that Trump's provocative comments failed to catalyze Democratic support among Latinos. In fact, Trump maintained roughly the same percentage of the Latino vote as Mitt Romney in 2012-while Clinton's notably dropped from Barack Obama's. What happened?
Part of the answer reflects that Latinos in America should not be seen as culturally or politically uniform, especially since they are experiencing profound shifts. More specifically, the cultures and politics of Latinos have been influenced by the growing numbers of Protestants in their midst. Fully 22 percent of all Latinos in the United States are now Protestant. And that percentage is growing. Pew Research Center projects that by 2030 at least 50 percent of all Latinos will be Protestant. Thus, to fully appreciate the heterogeneity of Latino-ism, it will be increasingly necessary to understand Latino Protestantism in America.
Latino Protestantism today stands out for its exceptional growth. We know that Christian leaders are concerned about the rise of the nonreligious ("nones") in the United States. Yet, Latino Protestants are increasing even more rapidly, and church leaders may be taking their increased presence for granted. After all, denominational and congregational leaders are indeed seeing higher attendance of Latinos in their churches, supporting numerous Latino sub-congregations within their buildings, and watching the proliferation of Spanish-speaking congregations in their neighborhoods-many of which are sponsored by white-dominated organizations. More than just their numerical increase, though, Latino Protestants should be more intentionally recognized and supported because their faith matters deeply for them.
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| IDEAS THAT IMPACT: CONGREGATIONAL DIVERSITY
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A young Latino pastor celebrates the church that allows everyone to be whoever they happen to be, working together to create communities of abundant life.
Read more from Isaac Villegas » |
America's growing diversity is a key not only to church growth and evangelism but also to freeing the church from cultural captivity, says a North Park Theological Seminary professor and author. Read more from Soong-Chan Rah»
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"Diversity" can mean "having some blacks attend our mostly white church." What about the Pakistani pastor working with an Iranian congregation in the Southeast?
Read more from Gerardo Marti »
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One Bread, One Body: Exploring Cultural Diversity in Worship by C. Michael Hawn
As a troubadour for global music and an instigator of cross-cultural worship for more than 15 years in a variety of denominational settings, including congregational, national, and international venues, Michael Hawn has observed many faithful people who find that a taste of Pentecost in worship is refreshing and invigorating.
In One Bread, One Body: Exploring Cultural Diversity in Worship, Hawn seeks to help bridge the gap between the human tendency to prefer ethnic and cultural homogeneity in worship and the church's mandate to offer a more diverse and inclusive experience. He offers a rainbow vision of the universal church where young and old joyfully and thoughtfully respond to the movement of God's Spirit in multicultural worship. Hawn and four colleagues from Perkins School of Theology in Dallas formed a diverse team in ethnicity, gender, academic field of study, and denominational affiliation to study four United Methodist congregations in the Dallas area that are grappling with cross-cultural ministry. Their four case studies illustrate both the pain and the possibilities encountered in capturing the Spirit of Pentecost in worship. Hawn also offers a concise and practical theological framework as well as numerous strategies and an extensive bibliography for implementing "culturally conscious worship."
This book is invaluable for congregations that want to undertake the hard work of cross-cultural worship.
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