You have suggested that the Hispanic church in America is enjoying significant growth. Can you flesh that out a bit more?
According to Pew Research, the Hispanic born-again community represents approximately 20 percent of the Latino community. That would be 20 percent of 60 million, or about 12 million. David Kinnaman and Barna have a different figure, and others will put the number at closer to 16 million. In any case, it is a very strong church. It is the fastest growing religious demographic in the American Christian world. That’s confirmed by both Pew and Barna. So the growth of American Christianity is tied to the growth of the Hispanic church.
The Hispanic megachurch is also on the rise.
There has been an explosion of Hispanic megachurches over the past 10 years alone. In 2000 you could count the number of Hispanic megachurches maybe on two hands. One decade later, you will now find a Hispanic megachurch in every major Hispanic population area. And these are not just Hispanic megachurches; these are Hispanic megachurches that get the vertical and horizontal. These are holistic churches, and they integrate first, second, third generations. Some of them have Spanish services, some of them English services, and some also offer bilingual services, so Mom and Dad and the children can worship together. They’re going beyond Latino and they’re reaching everyone in their community, lending to the rise in Hispanic-led multiethnic churches.
So the movement is maturing?
Yes, and here’s another indicator. Before, the Latino church was the recipient of services, products, missionaries, resources, funding. We are now donors. This is critical. No longer is the Latino church extending a hand saying, Can you help me live out my vision? The Latino church is reaching out with something to give, saying, It is our time to lead the way in helping others fulfill their mission.
Latinos were the recipients of missionaries in Latin America, for instance. Now Latin American and Latino churches in the United States are sending missionaries out to Europe, to Africa, to India, to Asia. Which I think is very powerful.
This is a new narrative, where the tail has become the head. I do believe there is a leadership transfer that’s taking place in America where the Latino church and Latino pastors are now emerging where we no longer have to say these are the Latino versions of Rick Warren, Joel Osteen or T.D. Jakes. We just stand on the very grace of God, and the growth of the movement in the church gives us an identity; we no longer suffer from identity moratorium, but we are clear of who we are in Christ and who Christ is in us. And now we have Anglo pastors and leaders following us. So we’re no longer segregated by ethnicity. The optics of the Latino church are of such a biblical stature and revitalize the collective American Christian experience to such a degree that it merits following. So I think it’s a new day.
