Ministering to Latinos

Alex Gonzales, Ph.D.

How do you know you are Latino?

• You have at least one member of your family whose name is Jose or Maria

• Or Jesus is your uncle. • Time is relative.

Historical Background

• Six Flags of Texas:• Spain • France• Mexico• Republic of Texas• United States• Confederate States

How do you reach a Latino?

• By another Catholic?• By another Latino?• By another Missionary?• By another Christian:– who understands their beliefs– who understands their culture– who sees them as another person needing Christ

We Need More Latino Leaders in Our Churches and Seminaries!

• You mean a Latino can be a Pastor?• Tertullian the first Latin church father – used

the term Trinity• Augustine was the greatest church father who

happened to be a Latino!•

Los Americanos

•2012 - There are 53 million Hispanic people in the United States.

• Hispanic people comprise 17% of the total U.S. population.

What is a Latino?

• A. someone who speaks Latin?• B. Someone who speaks Spanish?• C. Someone who comes from Spain? • D. Some who comes from Latin America? • E. All of the above• F. None of the above.

Los Americanos

• Hispanic people are the largest minority in the United States; only Mexico has a larger Hispanic population than the United States.

• The Census describes Hispanic or Latino ethnicity as "a person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin regardless of race.“

• CNN Library, “Hispanics in the US” (September 20, 2013) http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/20/us/hispanics-in-the-u-s-/index.html

Los Americanos

• Mexicans live in North America• They call themselves Americanos• The call the U.S. El Norte• The call us Norte Americanos even though

technically we are both North Americans. • Or they call us Gringos• A person born in the U.S. is called a pocho

which can be a derogatory name.

How do you reach into the Barrio from Patmos? Is there a Latino Hermeneutic?

They are growing by

• Birth• immigration

Los Americanos

• By 2060, the Census Bureau estimates that there will be almost 130 million Hispanic people in the United States and that they will comprise 31% of the total population.

• Two-thirds of Hispanic people in the United States have Mexican origins.

Los Americanos

• There are more than one million Hispanic residents in eight U.S. states - Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, New Jersey, New York and Texas.

• According to the Pew Hispanic Center, there were 24 million Hispanic people eligible to vote in the 2012 elections, a 22% increase since 2008.

Los Americanos

• The Hispanic population grew from 35.3 million in 2000 to 53 million in 2012.

They are all different• Countries• Regions• Races (European, white, black, Asian, Indian mestizos)• Foods• Customs• Words• Historical backgrounds old and modern• Colors• Generations (natives, immigrants, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc. • Mixed marriages• Intergenerational marriages• Mixed Latino nationality marriages• Language (Spanish only, bilingual, English only)

Los Americanos

• How do Hispanic people define their race? (2010 Census) - White: 26,735,713 - 53% of the total - Some other race: 18,503,103 - 36.7% of the total - Two or more races: 3,042,592 - 6% of the total - Black: 1,243,471 - 2.5% of the total

How do you reach Latinos?

• Become all things to all men (1 Cor 9:22-23)• When in Rome, act like a Roman.• Find common ground: The New Testament• Tony Romo – Dallas Cowboys’ Latino QB!

Los Americanos

• In 2011, 37.6 million U.S. residents, or 12.9% of the population, spoke Spanish at home.

• In 2011 California had a larger Hispanic population than any other state, 14.5 million Hispanic residents.

• In 2012, New Mexico had the highest percentage of Hispanic people as part of the total population, 47%.

Do you need to speak Spanish?

• Most Latinos speak perfect English• The second generation prefers English, but is

bilingual and bicultural• The third generation begins to lose the language• The fourth generation totally loses the language,

but not necessarily the food or the culture• The males never lose the Latino name even

though they might lose the culture.

How to I share Christ with a Latino?

• Don’t attack the Catholic Church.• Do you believe in the Virgin Mary? Of course,

Jesus was born of a virgin. Leave it at that. • Do you believe Jesus is God? • Do you have a different Bible? Use their

Catholic Bible if necessary. • Share the simple Gospel (1 Cor 15:3-4). Don’t

get thrown off tangent.

Most immigrants consider themselves already Christians. They are Latinos.

What do Catholics believe?

• They believe you are saved by faith through grace.

• But• Grace comes only through the Catholic church• By means of the seven sacraments

The Seven Sacraments: are the visible signs of the invisible grace - Augustine

1. Baptism2. Communion3. Confession4. Confirmation5. Marriage6. Holy Orders7. Last Unction

Obstacles and Joys for a Catholic:

• We are saved by grace through faith alone• Not by works• It is a gift of God (Eph 2:8-9). Not earned• Is Mary the fourth person of the Trinity?

Obstacles and Joys for a Catholic:

• We can ask God directly to forgive our sins (1 Tim 2:5). We do not need an intercessor (priest).

• We can pray to God personally, we don’t have to recite repetitious prayers (Matt 6:9-13).

• We can know for sure we will go to heaven (1 Jn 5:11-13). There is no purgatory.

• We don’t have to pray to saints (Rev 22:8-9). Saints are not omniscient. There is one mediator between man and God: the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Tim 2:5).

How can I reach my neighbor?

• Make the invisible visible (Acts 10). Latinos are invisible in our society. Lift up your eyes for the harvest is ready (Matt 9:36-38).

• You can become bicultural not necessarily bilingual

• Start an Americano prayer group• Teach , sub in the schools (FCA)• Teach ESL classes

How can I reach my neighbor?

• Hire Latino staff and pastors• Network with Latino churches• Attend a Latino church.• Adopt a Latino Family.• Support Cru-Destinos, CAM, LAM,

New Tribes, Wycliffe, and other mission agencies focused on Latinos.

Los Americanos

• The mission field is here already. • Mexicans are the largest Latino group at 64.6

Texas At a Glance

• Hispanic Population 9,794,000 • Hispanics as Percent of State Population 38%

Median Age of Hispanics 27 • Median Annual Personal Earnings, Hispanics

16+ $20,000

Texas At a Glance

• Poverty Rate, Hispanics 17 and Younger 37% Hispanics Without Health Insurance 36%

• Hispanic Homeownership 57% • Hispanics as Percent of All K-12 Students 48%

• Pew Research Center, “Statistical Portrait of Hispanics in the United States,” (Feb 15, 2013) http://www.pewhispanic.org/2013/02/15/statistical-portrait-of-hispanics-in-the-united-states-2011/

Los Americanos• CNN Library, “Hispanics in the US” (September 20, 2013)

http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/20/us/hispanics-in-the-u-s-/index.html