Josh asked a good question this weekend about how to begin an outreach with Latinos when the church has little to no interaction with the Latino community. I offered some suggestions, but would like to spend some more time this week exploring that question.
I will say that a monolingual church reaching out to a community that speaks little to no English would be next to impossible. I can’t envision such a scenario, especially given the number of Latinos in the U.S. that are functional in English, but if that scenario existed, I don’t see any immediate solution.
So let’s address a much-more-likely scenario: a church that has few if any Spanish speakers and a community with a growing Latino community. How do we begin to reach out?
I’ve asked that question before and even offered some answers, but would like to hear your ideas again before we proceed.
How does an Anglo church begin a ministry to Latinos?
I think the first and foremost question is, “does the anglo church want a hispanic ministry?” and secondly, “what should this ministry look like initially and long term?” There are a number of elements that need to be considered and a study is recommended. I did something similar for one fo the churches here in Dallas.
Excellent points, Rafael.
First, to be very clear, Latinos want the same things that Caucasians do… it is fundamentally silly to ask how to appeal to Latinos as if they were barnyard chickens. Having said that…
You are not going to like this answer, but the way to change people’s minds about religion is by force.
All those Latinos are Catholic now, but they used to belong to a different religion. We don’t even know the name of that religion, because it was totally stamped out by Catholic conquerors of the Maya and other indigenous people.
It is very rare for people to voluntarily change their religion without force. Everywhere Christianity has been successfully introduced, it was by force.
So the most effective way to change the religion of Latinos is to force them to change at the point of a gun.
But forcing people to adopt our religion feels “icky” so we’ve tried the second best method, marketing.
When we were less sophisticated, marketing meant going door to door to sell our religion. Then we started advertising and bringing in Christian Rock and making the services shorter ;-) None of that has worked in the Caucasian world, church membership continues to decline, but those things will be resurrected and trotted around the track as solutions for Latinos also…. It won’t work. Radio ministry? No. Tracts? No. Self Study Bible Courses? No. TV Ministry? No, no, no.
The reason none of it works is because none of it addresses the real excitement and passion of real life. When the message of the church is that you cannot “dance, drink, smoke, curse, have sex, listen to music, participate in culture, question authority, rebel against your parents, be a homosexual, make up your own mind, etc, etc, etc,” you are always going to lose to an educated populace. Even within the Christian community, the “anti” groups (one cuppers, no kitchen, one room) are always fragmentally small and perceived as ignorant.
The best way to reach Latinos is the best way to reach Caucasians and every other group. Speak about and teach FREEDOM in Christ…. Stop preaching conservatism.
The message of Jesus was freedom and the power to improve ourselves and others via intellectual ideas.
The religion of conservatism was added by men later. The religion of subservience was added by men later. The religion of dogmatic adherence was added by men later. Christ was not conservative, subservient or dogmatic.
Latinos want the same thing as everyone else…. Freedom and better ideas.
So if the church wants to reach out to Latinos, stop preaching conservative nonsense and start talking about Christ’s message of Freedom and knowledge.
>>—–Archer—>
OK, when the comments are longer than the post, it’s not easy to keep up. But I’ll try.
1) Sorry the post was unclear. It’s about how a church with little contact with the Latino community can establish that contact. As a student of culture, I have major quarrels with the idea that “Latinos want the same things that Caucasians do,” but that’s another post. (Just for the record, my Latina wife would strongly disagree with you on that point)
2) Force is a good way to change people’s religious behaviors, not their religion. Tends to lead more to syncretism than actual change (Latin America being an excellent case in point). And it’s not an option in this case, so not much point in discussing it.
3) Sorry you had such bad experiences with church. I can’t begin to relate to what you describe, but I know there are churches like that. Fortunately your limited experience is nothing more than that.
4) Actually, the message you describe as being of Jesus was actually that of the Greeks. They were all about improving yourself through intellectual ideas. (This came into the church through what was known as gnosticism, “knowledge-ism”) Jesus’ message was NOT a humanistic one. It was about change through the Spirit of God, not the enlightened spirit of man
5) That being said, I do agree that the Latino community needs a Savior, not a religious system.
Grace and peace,
Tim
Ok.
I seldom agree with your replies, but I appreciate the energy ;-)
One of these days, you are gonna realize that you and I should do a “point/counter point” blog and really tackle some of these issues in detail. It’s impossible to formulate a coherent response to a shaky premise (that “white” churches should be reaching out to “latino” people).
1) I would LOVE to hear what your Latina wife has to say for HERSELF. My bet is that she identifies greatly with “educated, refined, mother” and much less so with “Latina”. Quick, name 5 intelligent people who self-identify as “ethnic” (… I said intelligent, not, noisy people/politicians). Now I will name 125 intelligent people who self-identify by achievement. Do you self-identify as “white”? No, you do not. Self identification by ethnicity indicates a denigrated status, not an uplifted one.
2) All those South American Catholics prove that force DOES work. NONE of the extended family of your Latina wife worships the Mayan Diety Kukulcan, But LOTS of your wife’s extended family are Catholics (defense rests)
3) I had a GREAT experience with the church! But I also loved my first computer… it ran DOS. I loved that great old computer and have wonderful, warm memories of using it. But I stopped using DOS long, long ago.
4) Let’s make this the first point/counterpoint topic!
5) The Latino community already has a Savior, have had for as long as you have. I thought your topic was getting Latino’s to attend a “white” church?
Seriously sir! Point/Counterpoint!
>>—–Archer—–>
Kevin,
I’ve lived in Latin America for 15 years. Traveled there regularly for the last 25 years. The Catholic church has not reached the population. Yeah, they get baptized as babies. But it’s not part of their lives. Actual, practicing Catholics count for about 10% of the population, if that.
I can’t think of any of my wife’s family who are devout Catholics. Good thing the defense rested, because it has no case.
Spiritism has had a much greater impact. While never an official religion (though close in Cuba), it reaches Latinos in a way that a religion imposed by force and tradition never did.
That’s part of the reason why Pentecostalism has impacted Latin America in a way that it hasn’t impacted the U.S. The cultures are different.
Grace and peace,
Tim
Oh, and Kevin… when you start a blog, I’ll be glad to do point/counterpoint with you there.
I do all my blogging here! ;-)
If my comments are ever disruptive to your goals, just let me know. I’m interested in discussion, not disruption!
>>—–Archer—->