A Future for the Latino Church: Models for Multilingual, Multigenerational Hispanic Congregations

Many assume that Hispanic ministry in North America still necessarily focuses on Spanish-language congregations. But over 60 percent of all American Latinos were born in the United States and are now English dominant.

Daniel Rodriguez argues that effective Latino ministry and church planting are now centered in second-generation, English-dominant leadership and congregations. Based on his observation of dozens of cutting-edge Latino churches across the country, Rodriguez reports on how innovative congregations are ministering creatively to the next generations of Latinos. In-depth case studies reveal how gifted leaders are reaching beyond their own demographics to have lasting impact on their wider communities.

The future of the Latino church is multilingual, multigenerational and multiethnic. Those who "live in the hyphen" between Latino and American can become all things to all Latinos, sharing the gospel in ways that language is no barrier.

Daniel A. Rodriguez (Ph.D., Fuller) is associate professor of religion and Hispanic studies at Pepperdine University in Malibu, California. He serves on the board of directors for the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference and on the steering committee for the Global Missions Conference of the Churches of Christ.

Manuel Ortiz (1938–2017) was professor of ministry and urban mission and director of the urban program at Westminster Theological Seminary. His books include The Hispanic Challenge: Opportunities Confronting the Church, One New People: Models for Developing a Multiethnic Church, and Urban Ministry: The Kingdom, the City and the People of God (coauthored with Harvie Conn). Ortiz was passionate about integrating urban ministry, education, and the gospel, and he spokeand consulted around the nation. For fourteen years he ministered to Hispanics in Chicago, founding five urban congregations, two elementary schools, and an extension school for theological education. He was also the founder and senior pastor of Spirit and Truth Fellowship (Christian Reformed Church), a multiethnic congregation in Philadelphia, and the codirector of the CRC Philadelphia Initiative for Church Planting.