Christian Education

Journal
Special Focus Article

Christian Education Journal:

Research on Educational Ministry

Spiritual Formation of 2018, Vol. 15(3) 422-446

© The Author(s) 2018
Article reuse guidelines:
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DOI: 10.1 177/0739891318804829
Protestant Churches journals.sagepub.com/home/cej

in the United States

Orbelina Eguizabal
Talbot School of Theology, Biola University, California, USA

Abstract
Latinos have been in the United States for many centuries. Gradually they have made
their presence more known, but it has been only in the last five decades that Latinos
have experienced a conspicuous growth. As the Latino population grows in the
country, the percentage of Latino Protestants grows, too. Latinos are very diverse as
they represent a variety of ethnicities, cultural identities, religious identities, age
dynamics, social classes, levels of acculturation citizenship or legal status. Latinos
express their faith and religious commitment in different ways, including attending
church, involvement in religious activities, reading the Bible, praying, evangelizing,
and having a sense of mission, among others. Most Latino churches are giving
attention to the spiritual formation of their churches’ members and are following
strategies that work in their context. Some of them include Sunday worship service,
Sunday school, Bible study, prayer, discipleship, cell groups, youth, women and men
groups, evangelism and leadership training. Predominantly white American churches
need to reevaluate what they have been doing with Latinos, keeping in mind that
Latinos are very diverse, that they do not represent just recent immigrants to the
US, as well as their religious commitment and sense of mission. The growth of Latino
Protestants in the US conveys educational ministry implications for Anglo-American
churches and other institutions of theological education.

Keywords
Latinos, Latino Protestants, Latino church, Christian, evangélico, evangelical, faith,
conversion, Catholic Church, mainline churches, Pentecostal movement,

Corresponding author:
Orbelina Eguizabal, Talbot School of Theology, Biola University, 13800 Biola Avenue, La Mirada,
CA 90639-0001, USA.
Email: orbelina.eguizabal@biola.edu
Eguizabal 423

megachurches, spiritual formation, educational ministries, evangelization, religious

commitment, theological education, ministry philosophy, leadership development,
Sunday school

Introduction
The Latino population in the United States is considered the largest minority group.
A steadfast growth of Latinos in the last five decades has gained the attention of
research centers and scholars concerned with understanding Latinos and their
diverse cultures, language, values, politics, and religious identification. Although
the immigration rate has decreased in the last two decades, the Latino population in
the US continues to grow. Krogstad and Lopez’s (April 29, 2014) report on
“Hispanic Nativity Shift” (Pew Research Center) states, “among all Hispanics, the
share foreign-bom was 35.5% in 2012”, which indicates that 64.5% were bom in the
US. Martinez (2018) concurs: “This percentage will continue to grow as the number
of US-bom Latina children continues to outpace the number of new immigrants”
(p. 4). According to Passel & Cohn , “The Hispanic population, 42 million in 2005,
will rise to 128 million in 2050, tripling in size. Latinos will be 29% of the popu-
lation, compared with 14% in 2005” (Pew Hispanic Trends, February 11, 2008, ii
population-proj ections).
As the Latino population grows in the country, the percentage of Latino Protes-
tants grows, too. The Pew Research Center 2013 National Survey of Latinos and
Religion reports that “About 22% are Protestant (including 16% who describe them-
selves as bom-again or evangelical) and 18% are religiously unaffiliated” (p. 5). Out
of the 22% who identified themselves as Protestant, 5% reported they belong to
mainline churches.
Some scholars claim that Latino Protestantism “has been gaining momentum
and will only continue to expand in significance in the coming decades” (Mulder,
Ramos, & Marti, 2017b, p. 3). Based on their Latino Protestant Congregations
(LPC) ethnographic research project, Mulder, Ramos and Marti (2017b) maintain,
“As the number of Latino Protestants increase, their presence will continue to have
greater consequences in the larger culture... [T]he rise of Latino Protestantism will be
one of the most important trends in U.S. religion in the coming decades” (p. 3).
To date, there exists considerable research on Latinos in the United States, in
general, and a more reduced number of recent studies and publications on Latino
Protestants or Latino Protestantism. However, the focus continues to be on aspects of
history, immigration, growth, identity, diversity, involvement in social activity and
political views, community issues, and a small portion on aspects of worship and
liturgy practiced among Latino Protestant congregations (Martinez, 2018; Mulder,
Ramos, & Martí, 2017b; Pagán, 2016). Thus, for the purpose of this article I do not
intend to be exhaustive on the broad topic of Latino Protestants. I aim to share a brief
overview of their ongoing growth in the US, what Latino churches are doing for the
424 Christian Education Journal: Research on Educational Ministry 15(3)

spiritual formation of their members, and some implications for white American
denominations’ leadership and academic administrators serving in theological edu-
cation institutions. The discussion and reflections on the topic emerged from
research on existing literature, personal experience and observation, and personal
communication with four pastors serving the Latino Protestant community in dif-
ferent regions in the country and Denver Seminary’s Associate Dean for Program-
ming with Ethnic Communities.

Brief Overview of Latino Protestants in the United States

This section provides a very brief overview of the development of Protestantism in
the United States. To begin, it is necessary to understand whom we talk about when
we speak of Latinos. Martinez (2018), who has done significant research on Latino
Protestants in the United States, provides the following definition: “Latinas come
from varying national backgrounds, have become part of the United States in
different ways, have different levels of Spanish-language ability, relate to the
dominant culture in different ways, and maintain a distinct ethnic identity at
different levels” (p. 2).
It is important to note that typically the two terms used to refer to Latinos are
“Hispanic (pi. Hispanics)” and “Latino (pi. Latinos),” which are used interchange-
ably. Moreover, people and scholars refer to them as Latinas, the Latino population,
or the Latino or Latina community. Still others use “Latin@” or “Latinx” (pi.
Latinxs), arguing that it establishes “gender neutrality” (Mulder, Ramos, & Marti,
2017b, p. 13). However, Mulder, Ramos, & Marti (2017b) point out that the majority
of participants in their LPC study expressed that their preference was using the term
“Latino,” which is also argued to “serve as a gender-neutral descriptor” (p. 14). For
the purpose of this article, and to be consistent with recent literature, I use Latino or
its plural Latinos.
In addition, it requires an understanding of how Latino Protestants identify them-
selves. Martinez (2012) points out that one of the Latino Protestant’s characteristics
is the use of “Evangélico Self-Identity,” indicating that,

Most Latina Protestants use evangélico as the self-designation that they share with
other Protestants, including those of different theological traditions. This usage has its
roots in Latino Protestant history and reflects how the terms are used in Latin America,
but often create confusion in the U.S. setting. Evangélico is not synonymous with
evangelical (p. 3).

For this reason, literature on Latino Protestants in the US uses the term
“Protestants” to refer to evangélicos/bom-again Latinos to avoid confusion with the
use of the term evangelical as used in the US.
According to Martinez (2018), Latino presence in the United States should not be
attributed to only immigrants and their descendants, because Hispanics began to
Eguizabal 425

settle in the Southwest during the sixteenth century. Thus, their history in the US
runs during the course of the following centuries to the present time. “Their anees-
tors settled in the region and later generations became US citizens when the Treaty
of Guadalupe Hidalgo (1848), ending the Mexican-American War, granted them US
citizenship” (p. 3). During those centuries Catholic orders of Spaniards, who settled
in different regions in the country, carried out evangelization efforts to Latinos.
However, Latino Protestant participation in the US dates back to the nineteenth
century, especially in the Southwest. Matovina (2013) claims, “In the Southwest,
generally short-lived outreach efforts to Mexicans during the antebellum period
subsequently evolved into the more enduring establishment of Hispanic Baptist,
Congregational, Disciples of Christ, Methodist, and Presbyterian foundations by
1900” (p. 128). Moreover, “in that year a reported 5,632 adult church members
formed 150 Spanish-language congregations in the Southwest, nearly 90 percent
of them in Texas or New Mexico” (Matovina, 2013, p. 129). Matovina adds,
“Congregations that date from the nineteenth century are a living legacy to early
Latino Protestants, such as El Rito Presbyterian in Chacon, New Mexico; La Trini-
dad United Methodist in San Antonio; and the Primera Iglesia Presbiteriana in
Rosemead, California” (p. 129).
González (2018) points out, “Earlier histories of Latino Protestantism tend to be
regional, dealing for instance with Mexican American or Puerto Rican
Protestantism” (p. ix), which “was typical of the twentieth century but is rapidly
changing in the twenty-first” (p. ix). Similarly, Matovina (2013) states, “Currently
the historical trend of growing diversification in Latino religious affiliation is
expanding more than ever” (p. 130). The Latino immigration to the US from the
nineteenth century, “quickened over the course of the 20th century, further expand-
ing the diversification of national origin and religious groups among Latinos in the
U.S.” (Matovina, 2013, p. 129).
The conspicuous growth of Latino Protestantism in the US during the twentieth
century and first two decades of the twenty-first century has been greatly influenced
by the Pentecostal movement, which, according to the Christian Assemblies Inter-
national (CAI) (n.d.), “is by far the largest and most important religious movement
of the twentieth century” (https://www.cai.org/bible-studies/history-pentecostal-
movement). Since its establishment, Latino Protestantism was associated with main-
line denominations, such as the Methodists, Presbyterians, and Baptists. However, it
started to experience a dramatic change with the rise of the new Pentecostal move-
ment during the first years of the twentieth century, as Matovina (2013) states:
“After the Azusa Street Revival, Pentecostal growth ensued and, along with the
increase of evangelicalism, became the mainstay of Latino Protestant affiliation
over the course of the 20th century” (p. 130). Consequently, mainline Protestant
churches at the beginning of the twentieth century witnessed the rapid advance of
this new movement or revival that marked a substantial change in the growth of
Latino Protestantism in America.
426 Christian Education Journal: Research on Educational Ministry 15(3)

The Pentecostal movement experienced some breakups during its first years,
which resulted in three key sectors including “Holiness,” “Finished Work” and
“Oneness”; yet, churches, which identify with any of them “believe in the imminent
return of Jesus Christ, and therefore are highly evangelistic and missionary driven”
(World Council of Churches, n.d., https://www.oikoumene.org/en/church-families/
pentecostal-churches). Pentecostalism is characterized by its explosive growth
worldwide, and nowadays “It is the largest non-Catholic Christian presence in Latin
America” (World Council of Churches, n.d.). Warner (2004) argues that Latin
American churches indigenized Pentecostalism, because it has the capacity “to
absorb and express local cultures - which are then brought to the U.S. by Pentecostal
immigrants” (p. 23).
The explosive growth did not take place until the second half of the twentieth
century, when Pentecostal and neo-Pentecostal churches started to emerge in the
1970s in Puerto Rico and Central America with the establishment of large
churches and megachurches (Martinez, 2018, p. 9). Many megachurches
emerged in Latin American countries during the last three decades of the twen-
tieth century. Moreover, at the same time that the megachurch phenomenon was
happening in Latin America, Latino immigration to the US reached the highest
rates in history, which also contributed to the establishment and growth of many
large churches and megachurches in the US. With respect to this, Martinez
(2018) explains, “As people who had become converts in these movements
migrated to the United States, some of them brought their churches and leaders
with them” (p. 9). As a result of the growing numbers of immigrants in the
decades of the 70s, 80s and 90s, many US denominations “began importing an
increasing number of pastors from Latin America, as the number of new immi-
grants into new parts of the United States seemed to overwhelm many churches
and denominations” (Martinez, 2018, p. 9).
The World Council of Chinches (n.d.) reports, “For the most part of the 20th
century, Pentecostals have tended to identify with the Evangelical movement and to
join Evangelical structures.” Pentecostal churches keep experiencing the large num-
bers of adherents because “Pentecostalism has been able to meet the needs of many
on the margins of society and church. It has been effective in bringing people into a
personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ, in the power of the Holy Spirit”
(CAI, n.d.).
For a more detailed discussion of the history and new reality of Latino Protestants
in the United States, I recommend the following recent publications: Martinez
(2018) The History ofLatino Protestants in the United States‫׳‬, Mulder, Ramos, and
Marti (2017) Latino Protestants in America: Growing and Diverse‫׳‬, Pagán, Samuel,
and the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference (2016) The Hispanic
Evangelical Church in the United States: History, Ministry, and Challenges. The
publications represent the authors’ ongoing scholarly work, based on literature and
empirical research.
Eguizabal 427

Expression of the Latino Protestants’ Faith

Literature asserts, “Latino Protestantism is growing rapidly in the United Sates”
(Mulder, Ramos, & Marti, 2017b, p. 1). While Latinos professing the Catholic faith
continue to be in decline, the Pew Research Center (May 7, 2014) reports that those
who have left Catholicism tend to move in two directions: “Some have become bom-
again or evangelical Protestants... At the same time, other Hispanics have become
religiously unaffiliated - that is, they describe themselves as having no particular
religion or say they are atheist or agnostic” (pp. 6-7). Information on how those
religiously unaffiliated take care for their spiritual needs is very limited. However,
the PRC (May 7, 2014) report on Religious Commitment and Practice among His-
panics states, “Hispanics who are religiously unaffiliated report relatively low levels
of worship attendance and prayer while assigning less importance to religion in their
lives” (p. 44).
The PRC (May 7, 2014) report indicates that Latino Protestants exhibit their
faith through,

very high levels of religious commitment. On average, Hispanic evangelicals - many

of whom also identify as either Pentecostal or Charismatic Protestants - not only report
higher rates of church attendance than Hispanic Catholics but also tend to be more
engaged in other religious activities, including Scripture reading, Bible study groups
and sharing their faith.” (pp. 6-7)

Speaking of the Latinos’ faith, Mulder, Ramos, and Marti (2017a) state, “Simply
said, faith matters more to Latino Protestants than it does to white evangelicals or
Latino Catholics - perhaps due to conversion: many Latino Protestants are converts,
and converts tend to be more zealous” (Post 87). Similarly, Martinez (2012) high-
lights their “Conversion-Oriented Faith Commitment” as one of the distinctive
characteristics of Latino Protestantism: “Most Latino Protestants have had a clearly
defined conversion experience. They can tell others about when they ‘accepted
Jesus,’ when they were baptized and, if they are Pentecostals, when they ‘received
the Holy Spirit’” (p. 3). In contrast with their personal experience with the Catholic
Church, which requires infant baptism to identify them as Christians, “Their faith
became real in their own lives when they made a personal commitment and sought
baptism” (Martinez, 2012, p. 2), giving them a different perspective of the church.
Another important aspect highlighted by Mulder, Ramos, and Marti (2017a) is that
“the saliency of their beliefs and behaviors has significance beyond mere church
attendance; it permeates all aspects of their lives” (Post 87).
Religious commitment is another clear manifestation of the Latino Protestant’s
faith. Based on the results from the Index of Religious Commitment, the PRC (May
7, 2014) report on Religious Commitment and Practice among Hispanics highlights
“the importance of religion, frequency of worship service attendance and frequency
of prayer outside of worship services” as key indicators of “overall religious
428 Christian Education Journal: Research on Educational Ministry 15(3)

commitment among Latinos.” Finally, their openness to share about their faith with
others is a vibrant expression of Latino Protestants’ faith.

Spiritual Formation of Believers among Latino

Protestant Churches
The Latino community across the US is exceedingly heterogeneous “in terms of
race, ethnicity, age dynamics, social class, level of acculturation, citizenship or legal
status, and country of origin” (Marti, 2015, p. 149). Latino Protestant churches are
composed of members who represent a large number of nationalities and cultural
identities, including México, the Caribbean, Central and South America. To date,
México continues to send more immigrants than any other Latin American country
(Warner, 2004, p. 20). Not all Latino Protestant congregations in the US own a
sanctuary to worship together and many of them are not prominent or widely
noticed. However, there are large and high profile congregations across the country
categorized as megachurches, where thousands of congregants “worship in conspic-
uous multimillion-dollar sanctuaries” (Mulder, Ramos, & Marti, 2017b, p. 16).
Some of them are located in California, Texas, Florida, New York and Illinois
(Mulder, Ramos, & Marti, 2017b, pp. 16-17). Megachurches have the capacity to
provide more programs during the week and “tend to not limit themselves to week-
end worship services” (p. 17). However, the reality for most Latino congregations is
different.
The majority of Latinos who immigrate to the United States bring with them their
cultural values and religious identities. A high percentage of them are Christian
evangelicals, who have left behind their home churches. Many of them have trans-
planted their worship and liturgical practices and have established churches that
resemble their home country churches and culture. Warner (2004) recounts, “More
broadly, immigrant Protestant congregations are carriers of home-country cultures in
matters of music, language, dress and food, if not in specific religious symbols” (p.
23). Others join churches, where friends or relatives attend, and a number of them
become Christians through evangelization efforts of Latino churches in the United
States. On the other hand, Latinos bom and raised in the US, who currently represent
a higher percentage than that of Latin American immigrants, make the Latino
population more complex and diverse. They attend churches, where their parents,
grandparents, or relatives attend, adding a large number of members to Latino
churches. Martinez (2018) comments on this phenomenon, “Latino Protestant
churches grow in three ways: through converts, through Latin American immigrants,
and through biological growth. These three represent very different experiences and
framings of Protestantism” (p. 9). For instance, the ones bom in the US speak
English, are educated in English, and make it their preferred language to commu-
nicate with their peers and friends. This has pushed churches to offer programs in
English. Nonetheless, not all of them remain in Latino congregations, because when
Eguizabal 429

they are able to make their own decisions, they choose to attend English-speaking
churches.
Latino churches also show their heterogeneity in their leadership, because
with the exception of large congregations and megachurches, not all congregations
have the capacity to hire a pastor who can serve the church full time. Such is the case
in the great Denver area with a high percentage of Latino population, where
bi-vocational pastors volunteer their time to lead about 85 percent of the congrega-
tions. Since most of them are employed full time in organizations and commerce,
they cannot devote all their time to care for the spiritual formation of the members.
Those churches usually lack a stated philosophy of ministry as well as specific
programs designed to minister to church attendants. Hence, the main effort to help
church members in their spiritual growth centers on their Sunday service (W.
Ramirez, personal communication, June 7, 2018). Similar to this case, Latino
chinches in other regions in the US lack programs to minister to the different age
groups in the church, which creates the need to get help from other organizations
and theological institutions in the area. Latino congregations with full-time pastors
have more opportunities to design and implement programs and materials that
meet the needs of their members. This allows them to ensure the spiritual forma-
tion of their members.
Although it is not possible to generalize what churches do to foster spiritual
growth in their congregations, the following are some of the more common strate-
gies practiced by churches countrywide, which also were confirmed by the pastors
with whom I conversed.

Sunday worship service

Sunday services play a key role in the spiritual formation of the church members.
Worship takes a variety of forms. Latino churches encompass “a range of con-
gregations, from megachurches that pulsate with flashing lights and nightclub
atmospheres to intimate 10-tech [.v/c] gatherings in basements that feature children
playing instruments for worship” (Mulder, Ramos, & Marti, 2017a, post 87).
Moreover, Mulder, Ramos, and Marti (2017a) found that “many Latino Protestant
congregations embrace charismatic worship, others practice more restrained,
ordered liturgies with set agendas accomplished at a measured pace” (post 87).
Although the services are an expression of the “Latino cultural flavor” (Mar-
tinez, 2012, p. 2), they are not just a “fiesta” (party), as some authors refer to it,
when speaking of Latino churches’ Sunday service. Spiritual formation evolves
around the activities that are held on Sunday morning or afternoon, because the
Sunday gathering is the main activity for members. Church leaders try to make
it work for everybody’s needs. Their time together includes extended times of
prayer, worship service, Sunday school, and a time of fellowship in between
programs, as they shift to another activity, or at the end of the service. The
fellowship time consists of refreshments, greeting each other with warm hugs,
430 Christian Education Journal: Research on Educational Ministry 15(3)

conversations, short prayers in the middle of conversations, and, for special

occasions, a complete meal is served. This extended time together helps adults
and children get to know each other, encourage each other in their walk with the
Lord, and build community.

Sunday school
Latino churches have Sunday school combined with their Sunday service, because
that is when there is a high attendance. Chinches that do not have their own
facilities get together only on Sunday, hence they try to offer thematic series that
help their members learn the word of God and grow spiritually. Classes are offered
in Spanish in most congregations; however, there are some churches that offer
classes in both Spanish and English to reach out to second and third generations of
Latinos bom in the US, attending the church. Pastors who are aware of the chai-
lenges to retaining the youth are intentional in giving more attention to them,
otherwise they will leave the church to attend an English speaking church or they
will simply lose the sense of belonging and identifying with one church and start to
go from church to church.
Churches that have the capacity to train church members, who volunteer to teach
in the Sunday school and other educational programs, provide training on a regular
basis. They require volunteers to attend training seminars, which usually are led by
the church leaders (F. Paredes, personal communication, June 7, 2018) or outsiders.
The curriculum materials are in English and Spanish.

Bible study
Bible study is one of the most used strategies among Latino churches for the spiritual
formation of their members. Usually it takes place once a week in the evening and
includes time to pray together for the church and personal needs. With the exception
of some churches that meet in their temple, Bible study groups meet in homes. For
example, Pastor Vásquez, who serves in a Covenant Church in Southern California,
said that they meet once a week in their temple (A. Vásquez, personal communica-
tion, June 8, 2018), while Pastor Paredes said they meet once a week in homes
(F. Paredes, personal communication, June 7, 2018). With the exception of congre-
gâtions, where the pastor leads the Bible study at church, a group leader leads Bible
study groups in homes. They rely on published Bible study series in English, trans-
lated into Spanish. Some churches offer both English and Spanish Bible studies.
Large Latino churches, or those who have pastors and leaders with ministry and
theological training, develop their own curriculum and materials. Megachurches,
too, develop their own curriculum. Participation in Bible study groups or prayer
groups is a demonstration of Latino Protestants’ religious commitment. Martinez
(2012) points out that one of the characteristics of Latino Protestants in the US is
their commitment to the word of God. He refers to them as “A people of the book”
Eguizabal 431

and explains that, “The Bible has always been a key part of Protestantism. The
people’s access to the book and the belief that individuals could understand its
meaning, through the power of the Holy Spirit, were key parts of the Protestant
Reformation” (p. 3).

Discipleship programs
Discipleship remains a key strategy among Latino evangelical Protestant con-
gregations. Most churches establish discipleship groups for new believers or
people who are new to the church to help them understand their place in the
church, their privileges and responsibilities as a church member. Usually, they
meet in the church facilities to provide opportunities to fellowship with other
believers, as it is an important part of the meetings. However, those churches
that do not have a facility meet in venues that are convenient to the group. Other
churches use the one-on-one discipleship model, which consists of assigning
new believers or those who express their desire to be discipled to a deacon or
a mature believer to help them grow and learn how to follow Jesus and live their
Christian life. This model helps the ones who are discipling to evaluate the
growth of the disciple. Most congregations rely on materials used in the denomi-
nation or local association to whom they are affiliated, which are written in
English and translated into Spanish.
Churches do not have specific instruments to measure if the disciple has reached a
level where he or she is able to live his or her spiritual life alone. Thus, they use
criteria, such as aspiration to serve in the church, evidence of sharing their faith with
others, their commitment to Christ in the workplace, commitment to their family, the
church, and ways in which they relate to their community (F. Rodriguez, personal
communication, June 7, 2018).

Prayer
Prayer is very important to Latino Protestants. They believe in the power of prayer,
as Martinez (2012) points out: “Prayer and the belief in God’s interventions in daily
life is part of the Latino protestant experience. People pray expecting God to inter-
vene” (p. 3). Churches encourage church members to pray individually and coop-
eratively. Prayer is an expression of their faith and their religious commitment. The
PRC (May 7, 2014) report on Religious Commitment and Practice among Hispanics
revealed that, “about six-in-ten Hispanics (59%) say they pray at least once a day
outside of attending worship services” (p. 46).
Regarding corporate prayer, churches hold prayer services on Sundays
before they start the programs that they offer to the entire congregation. Most
churches combine Bible study service with prayer, while some of them cele-
brate prayer vigils once a month. Some pastors and church leaders use networks
with other fellow pastors serving across the country to socialize, exercise, and
432 Christian Education Journal: Research on Educational Ministry 15(3)

pray for each other at a specific time (A. Vásquez, personal communication,
June 8, 2018).

Cell groups or growth groups

Cell groups have been part of the intentional efforts of megachurches since they
started to emerge in the US in the 1970s. To date many churches follow this strategy,
which has been very effective for the spiritual growth of the members and to reach
out to non-Christians in the neighborhood, where church members get together. Cell
groups are composed of people who share the same interests, or by convenience of
location, and generally meet in the homes of the church members. Meetings include
various components, such as eating together, time to share and pray, worship and
Bible study, with the purpose of enhancing community among themselves.
“Likewise, a majority of megachurches employ intentional efforts at enhancing
congregational community, such as home fellowships and interest-based small
group meetings” (Hartford Institute for Religious Research, n.d., http://hirr.hartse-
m.edu/megachurch/definition.html). These strategies also seek to promote personal
commitment among their members.

Youth, women and men groups

Similar to what Latin American churches do, a number of Latino Protestant
churches in the US offer some types of programs to the different groups in the
congregation. The main purpose of those programs is to foster spiritual formation
according to the age and unique experiences and circumstances of each group.
However, one of the main challenges that churches face is that “young Latinos in
the second and third generation after immigration are less likely to participate
actively in churches” (Hernández et al., 2005, p. 8). A reason for that is that many
Latino congregations “lack the resources for age-specialized ministries targeting
youth” (Tucker & Koessler, 2018, p. 199). For example, churches that have
pastors are under too many “competing demands” and do not have the “time and
energy” to minister to the young generations in their congregations (Hernández
et al., 2005, p. 8). On the other hand, many congregations do not have full-time
pastors and staff and rely on volunteers to lead and care for the needs of the
different age groups. Nonetheless, the programs and activities that some churches
offer to youth include Sunday school; weekly meetings at a venue outside the
church to fellowship, study the Bible, eat, watch a video or movie; and youth
camp or outreach trips.
Another group that usually is very active and involved in the church is the
women’s group. Usually, they meet weekly or twice a month for Bible study and
fellowship. They also have other activities, such as breakfast once a month or every
three months with a special guest, retreats, mission projects, and programs for
special occasions. In general, women are very supportive to the teaching ministry
Eguizabal 433

of the church, prayer times, and social activities, and if allowed they participate in
leadership positions in the congregation.
Programs for men in the congregation are more limited since not every church
offers programs that are specific to men. Some churches offer Bible study and prayer
times for men and women together once a week or twice a month. They also have
men breakfasts and retreats, yet they are intermittent.

Evangelism and a sense of mission

Evangelism is a central part of Latino Protestants’ life. As new Christians are
discipled, they are able to understand the important functions they play in the body
of Christ. Thus, for them evangelism is an inherent part of being a Christian.
Martinez (2012) explains, “Because a high percentage of Latino Protestants are
converts or from conversion-oriented... evangelism and witness tend to be more
crucial for them than for the Protestant population at large” (p. 3).
Mostly, Latinos show a strong evangelistic fervor and commitment to missions.
It is worth noting that when a Latino Protestant congregation is established it
immediately becomes a church in mission. Latino churches in the US are making
a noticeable impact through mission work within the country as well as worldwide.
Latino Protestants, aware that the time for missions is now, are getting involved in
cross-cultural missions going to Latin American countries, to support church
planting. For example, Pastor Vasquez shared that his denomination Iglesia Del
Pacto (Covenant Church) is supporting Latino missionaries serving in church
planting in the US and many new congregations have emerged in the last few
years. They also send out missionaries to other parts of the American continent and
currently they are planting churches in Mexico, Brazil, Nicaragua, Ecuador,
Colombia, Chile, Uruguay, and Paraguay (A. Vásquez, personal communication,
June 8, 2018). Pastor Paredes mentioned that they have outreach projects in
Tijuana, Mexico (F. Paredes, personal communication, June 7, 2018), and Pastor
Rodriguez shared that his church wants to expand the leadership training programs
that he is leading to the Dominican Republic (F. Rodriguez, personal communi-
cation, June 7, 2018).
There are other Latino churches and ministry organizations that partner with local
churches and leaders in Guatemala, Honduras, and other Latin American countries
to support low-income communities, social help projects, prevention of human
traffic, leadership training, among others, such as the Ministries of Alberto Mottesi
(A. Mottesi, personal communication, June 27,2018). Martinez (2018) claims, “This
sense of mission to the world will likely expand as Latino Protestants link up with
mission agencies and efforts from Latin America to send missionaries to other parts
of the world (p. 203).
434 Christian Education Journal: Research on Educational Ministry 15(3)

Leadership training
It is worth noting that the four Latino pastors I talked with, while writing this article,
expressed that they are training their church members to serve in their congregation.
For example, Pastor Rodriguez, who serves a Latino church in Massachusetts, said
they are providing training at two levels: a basic level that consists of courses that
help people know more of Jesus as well as teaching them Biblical doctrine and
training them to do evangelism. The second level, which they call School of Theo-
logical Formation, is an advanced program that aims to form those who serve the
church, providing them with foundational aspects to live their faith and serve.
Although the training is to church members, they have opened it to other chinches’
members and leaders who want to take it. Currently, Pastor Rodriguez is offering the
advanced training to a council of thirty-four Latino Pentecostal churches (F. Rodri-
guez, personal communication, June 7, 2018). Pastor Paredes, too, shared that they
are training people in his church in California; they offer a certificate to church
members who desire to obtain advanced training to become church leaders (F.
Paredes, personal communication, June 7, 2018). Pastor Gómez mentioned the
formation of the church elders and leaders as part of the spiritual formation programs
in his church (L. Gómez, personal communication, June 9, 2018).

Other educational ministries

Educational ministries and strategies followed by Latino Protestant churches to
ensure the spiritual formation of their members cannot be generalized to all because,
due to their identity and diversity in age, nationalities, language, educational level,
economic status, and access to available resources, programs that work for a con-
gregation may not be effective for other congregations. Thus, the strategies included
below do not attempt to represent all churches and congregations.

Bible reading. This consists of either following a program designed by the pastor and
church leaders or following a reading program developed by other churches or
Christian ministry organizations. This requires a leader who is available to assist
and encourage those committed to follow the program. Churches that follow reading
programs meet once a month to celebrate their progress and discuss questions that
they may still have. Usually, it is the pastor or a teacher with biblical and theological
training who answer the questions.

Reading groups. Similar to Bible reading, some churches form reading groups mainly
among the church leaders, but it is open to other members who want to participate, to
read books that will enhance spirituality in their lives. They meet frequently to
discuss the readings.

Vacation Bible school. The Vacation Bible school (VBS) has been a vital part of
church’s ministry with children in the US. Most Latino churches offer VBS. It has
Eguizabal 435

two main purposes: intentional outreach to children in the community and a focused
time to enhance the spiritual formation of children who are already Christians.
Teachers who are in charge of the children’s ministry in the church get involved
in the planning and carrying it out. However, churches also use volunteers to help in
the different parts of the program during a summer week. Churches which have the
resources develop their own curriculum, including the lessons, learning activities
and materials needed. Generally, Latino churches use curriculum already published
by some publishing houses that design VBS curriculum to aid churches. Many
parents attend the closing activities and some families start to attend the church
after the VBS because their children want to continue coming to church.

Financial independence from mainline denominations. Leaders in Latino congregations

that function under mainline denominations, aware of their reality, are helping
members to understand aspects that can help them to improve their situation and
consequently their spirituality. For instance, teaching them financial independence
from the denomination or mission helps them to take financial responsibility for
their local ministry as well as to support mission work going out of the United States
to Latin American countries and other parts of the world (L. Gómez, personal
communication, June 9, 2018).

Focus on the Latino community. Although Latinos are criticized that they do not get
involved in the community, most Latino churches are committed to reach out to the
Latino community. For example, the PRC (May 7, 2014) reports that one of the
reasons why Latinos switched religion (left the Catholic Church) has to do with
feeling welcomed by Latino Protestants: “nearly 31% say they found a congregation
that reaches out and helps its members more” (p. 14). However, not all Christian
evangelicals are involved in the broader community issues, because “Similar to the
outstanding diversity found in their congregational life, Latino Protestants also
demonstrate significant diversity in their social and political life” (Mulder, Ramos,
& Marti, 2017a, post 87). Currently, this matter is an ongoing discussion among
some Latinos and non-Latino leaders.

Food bank. This strategy mainly focuses on the community, where congregations
are located, but it is also available to members who need help. It opens
opportunities to those volunteering to provide counseling and evangelize com-
munity people, who come seeking food (L. Gómez, personal communication,
June 9, 2018).
Latino church leaders need to have a clear knowledge and understanding of the
needs among their congregations and use strategies and teaching that are suitable to
the spiritual needs and other needs of the members as well. Mulder, Ramos and
Marti (2017b) summarize it well: “Latino Protestant congregations span a wide
range of activities and organizational acumen - from intimate living room
436 Christian Education Journal: Research on Educational Ministry 15(3)

gatherings to massive congregations with highly developed educational and social

service delivery programs” (p. 17).

Reflections on what white American Protestants can

Learn from Latino Protestants
This section includes some reflections in light of what I have discussed earlier in
this article.

Latinos in the US involve more than immigrants to the United States

In the introduction to this article I presented data from the PRC (April 29, 2014)
report, which showed that by 2012 the rate of Latinos bom in the US (64.5%) had
surpassed the percentage of immigrants entering the country (35.5%). Changing the
immigrant stereotype about Latinos by being aware that close to two thirds of the
Latino population in the United States are American, opens a world of possibilities
to design a new approach to ministry with Latinos.

Recognize that “One Program” does not fit all Latinos

In the 2009 two-year study report led by the Office of Latino/Hispanic Ministries of
the Episcopal Church in the US, the strategic vision committee declared, “The
Latino/Hispanic community is complex and multileveled... there is not ‘a Latino/
Hispanic community,’ but many different and particular communities, each with its
own particular communities, and cultural identity” (Episcopal Church, 2009, p. 2).
Although the report is not representative of all mainline denominations and other
denominations, the statement is representative of the Latino community’s reality.
With almost four centuries of Latino history in the US, the Latino population
represents different realities, which require different approaches to reach the
non-Christian Latinos and minister to the new converts as a result of Latino
evangelistic efforts.

Religious commitment
The religious commitment of Latino Protestants as an expression of their faith makes
an important characteristic of Latino Protestantism in the US. It has greatly con-
tributed to the outstanding growth of the Latino church. Latinos’ involvement in the
church ministry and activities show how they work their religious identity out. Thus,
as Warner (2004) articulates, “White American Protestants might learn from the
example of Latin American... ways of being Christian how enculturated their own
religious observances are...” (p. 23).
Eguizabal 437

A sense of mission
A sense of mission is another important characteristic of Latino Protestants. Once
they understand their place in society, Latino Protestants take the accomplishment of
the Great Commission very seriously. Most Latino chinches are very fervent and
they are actively involved in outreaching the Latino community through evangelism
and church planting. At present, they represent the largest number of new churches
in the United States. Latino churches are supporting cross-cultural missions and
Latinos are going to serve as missionaries outside the US. On the other hand, Latin
American churches are seeing the US as a mission field and are sending missionaries
to serve and “reenvangelize a secularizing United States” (Martinez, 2018, p. 203).
Martinez (2018) points out, “US mission agencies that are able to learn from Latin
American agencies will likely also recruit those types of bilingual and transnational
Latinas who are already successfully doing mission in many parts of the world” (p.
203). Many historical North American denominations could revitalize their sense of
mission by working and learning together with Latino Protestants.
The following section provides some implications when considering how to
continue to face the conspicuous growth of Latinos and Latino Protestants in the
United States.

Implications for Church Educational Ministry and

Theological Education Institutions
Mulder, Ramos, and Marti (2017b) assert, “the significant diversity and complexity
of this developing subset of Protestantism in the United States demands more atten-
tion from both church leaders and academics” (p. 5). Therefore, I draw some impli-
cations for both church and academic leaders in theological education institutions.

Implications for predominantly white American church leaders

Welcome Latinos in their churches. Through their history in the United States, Latinos
have experienced some type of marginalization within most denominations (Gon-
zález, 2018, p. xi). With respect to this, González (2018) states, “This is clearly true
even of those ‘mainline’ denominations that have developed strong programs for
Latino ministries and more so in those other dominations that only pay lip-service to
the new demographic configuration of the country” (p. xi). At present, there are a
large number of mainline Protestant churches, who have programs for Latinos.
Moreover, due to Latinos’ conspicuous growth, “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 pro-
liferation of Spanish-speaking congregations in their neighborhood - many of which
are sponsored by white-dominated organizations” (Mulder, Ramos, & Marti, 2017a,
post 87). Mainline church leaders need to be intentional in changing the negative
438 Christian Education Journal: Research on Educational Ministry 15(3)

experience for many Latinos, who do not feel connected to “the judicatories to which
their congregations belong” (González, 2018, p. xi).
Subsequently, mainline churches cannot continue to see Latinos only as one of
their programs or take them for granted. They need to be intentional in recognizing
and supporting them. To be able to get to know, understand and accept them as they
are, and not be afraid of them, mainline and other white-dominated churches need to
welcome Latinos evangélicos as brothers and sisters in Christ and fellowship
together (L. Gómez, personal communication, June 9, 2018). For example, they
could seek opportunities to fellowship with Latinos. Joining them when they get
together to eat, or celebrate after their service or on other special occasions, would
help them to have open conversations and experience the love, candor and care
expressed among the Latino community. Another way would be to celebrate the
Sunday worship program together. This would require programs in both the English
and Spanish languages, but this is not something completely new, because there are
already some Latino churches affiliated to local and national conventions or denomi-
nations. Pastor Paredes, who preaches and teaches in English and Spanish in his
church, shared that when both groups get together for Sunday worship service, he
presents the sermon in English and he translates himself into Spanish for those who
do not understand English (F. Paredes, personal communication, June 7, 2018).

Open opportunities to Latinos for leadership positions. Martinez (2018) points out that
with the exception of “Asian American-based denominations, the few US Protestant
denominations (and the Catholic Church) that are growing are growing because of
Latinos” (p. 202). It is clear that if the Latino growth trend continues, these churches
will find themselves with fewer Anglo members and more Latinos among their
congregations, and they need to start to consider how much participation they are
giving or are going to give to Latinos who are members in their congregations.
However, as Martinez (2018) acknowledges, “How much of a role Latinos play in
Protestant denominations depends on the percentage of the membership they repre-
sent, and not only on their numerical size” (p. 202).
At present, there are denominations who are opening more opportunities to their
Latino members: “Latino participation is already significant in denominations like
the Assemblies of God, the Church of God, and the Seventh-Day Adventist Church
where Latinas are a significant percentage of the overall membership” (Martinez,
2018, p. 202). There are a few other denominations, which have already started to
give more participation to Latinos. For instance, there are some chinches who
maintain their US Protestant names, but have passed the leadership to Latinos; such
is the case with Pastor Paredes’ congregation in which he and his team are leading
both congregations. He shared that on Sunday, the Anglo American and the Latino
congregations meet in the same facilities at a different time and he preaches in both
services. There are some Sundays in which the two congregations meet together to
worship and he presents the sermon in English and Spanish (F. Paredes, personal
communication, June 7, 2018). Like them, other denominations have been
Eguizabal 439

intentional in recent years and have become more open to Latinos, allowing more
participation in their denomination. However, the number of Latinos who have been
able to get to those leadership positions is very small and only a few of them serve in
leadership positions in Latino organizations at a national level. Therefore, there is
still much to do to keep the pace with the presence of Latino Protestants among non-
Latino denominations and congregations.

Consider long-term ministry with Latinos. As mentioned earlier, Latinos are very het-
erogeneous. Noteworthy changes in their demographics continue to take place.
Due to the growing rate of Latinos bom in the US, one can no longer see Latinos as
one group who have immigrated to the United States; Latinos can be categorized as
first, second, third and future generations. This reality demands awareness, a
mindset change, and commitment to the Great Commission, “make disciples of
all nations.”
The challenges and needs among the different groups of Latino immigrants, as
well as those bom in in the US, require non-Latino Protestant churches’ leaders
commitment to long-term discipleship. Evangelization efforts to reach out to them
are only the first step toward a long-term commitment to obey Jesus’ command-
ments. That is, helping them to obey and practice the word of God in their lives. The
heart of the Great Commission is to make disciples through a teaching process that
involves integration of faith and learning. Thus, the strategies to minister to Latinos
in the US need to be more than mere activities; they need to be established upon a
long-term vision that will help determine the most effective strategies and programs
to their spiritual formation and training, and to empower them to lead among non-
Latino and Latino Protestant congregations. For example, the report of a two-year
study conducted by a coalition of Latino/Hispanic leaders appointed by the Episco-
pal Church’s Office of Latino/Hispanic Ministries (2009) reflects how some main-
line Christian churches are becoming aware of the ongoing tension between
predominantly white churches and Latinos. Awareness of issues of power and pri-
vilege dynamics, and how Latinos have felt marginalized in their congregations, is
necessary to understand them and to minister to them effectively. Thus, although not
comprehensive, the strategies and tactics proposed by the coalition would provide
some insights to other Anglo American churches on how to expand their ministry
with Latinos, letting them teach and lead white congregations who gather in the
same facilities with them. A brief summary of the strategies includes:

(1) Create a welcoming atmosphere; (2) Create awareness of the church and its
offerings; (3) Build programs that create spiritual growth and increase self-
esteem; (4) Build programs to create empowerment opportunities; (5) Create a
National Strategic Vision Oversight Committee, and (6) Acquire and disseminate
accurate/current demographic data. (pp. 21-22)
440 Christian Education Journal: Research on Educational Ministry 15(3)

It is clear that these represent only a few of the many strategies that could help
non-Latino Protestant churches break down the present tensions, mentioned earlier.
However, each church or denomination needs to assess the reality of its local and
national contexts to be effective in serving Latinos in the US.
Implications for Academic Leaders in Institutions of Theological Education
Another important area related to the spiritual formation of Latino Protestants in the
US is the training and formation of leaders to serve the growing Latino churches.
Due to the unique needs among Latino congregations, some churches are designing
non-formal education programs to prepare their own leaders and potential ones to
participate in leading the church and caring for the spiritual and other needs of their
members. For example, some chinches offer certificates that consist of a small
number of church leadership courses for short-term training. Yet, the very practical
focus of the programs with limited biblical and theological foundations creates a
concern, because church members are not getting biblically and theologically
grounded spiritual support. Another concern has to do with churches not having
qualified Latino professors to teach the courses and having to rely on predominantly
white instructors with different theological views and inadequate cultural compe-
tence to understand the Latinos’ needs.
Therefore, some seminaries in the US, aware of the need for well-trained leaders
to serve the Latino churches’ needs, have been creating programs to provide the
training that Spanish-speaking leaders need. For instance, Denver Seminary, in the
last twelve years, has been developing programs to train Latino leaders at different
academic levels. After considering the demographic changes in the area and a period
of assessment of the Latino congregations’ needs, visiting the congregations and
meeting with Latino pastors and leaders of local churches to understand the type of
training that they needed, a two-year Bible Institute program was established to train
Latinos who do not meet the academic requirements to attend Seminary. The train-
ing in each year targets the specific needs of the students. Thus, during the first year
students take a “Plan Básico” (Basic Plan) that primarily consists of helping them in
their spiritual formation through courses that teach rudimentary biblical doctrine and
spiritual disciplines including daily devotional, spiritual retreats and fellowship with
students from their own church and other churches in the area, among others. The
second year, called “Plan Ministerial” (Ministerial Plan), is to build ministry skills,
such as how to prepare a lesson, how to prepare and present a sermon, pastoral
counseling and other basic pastoral functions. They also offer certificate programs in
Chaplaincy, pre-matrimonial counseling and youth ministry. The programs are
offered in Spanish and the instructors are Latinos serving in the area, or visiting
professors from Latin America. Most recently, the Seminary started a two-year
associate degree and a B.A. in Biblical Studies in Spanish, offered in cooperation
with the Central American Theological Seminary in Guatemala (CATS/SETECA)
(W. Ramirez, Associate Dean for Programming with Ethnic Communities, personal
communication, June 7, 2018).
Eguizabal 441

In light of these situations, some implications for academic leaders in institutions

of theological education in the US are as follows.

Transform the models used in theological education. One of the main criticisms of
institutions of theological education is that they keep offering traditional models
that are not suitable to the current needs of the Latino church. There are schools that
offer curricula that preserve the school’s tradition, but their curricula is old and
disconnected from the contemporary needs of the church. Academic leaders need
to keep in mind that one model does not fit all needs. For instance, Paul Clark,
Director of Education of Overseas Council, uses the “Mission Possible” metaphor to
challenge theological institutions around the globe, to be innovative in theological
education, encouraging them to accomplish the purpose of impacting the church
through theological education that responds to the continuous changes that we face
(Clark 2015).
Therefore, theological institutions need to offer models that suit the churches’
needs. Such models include the following.

Short-term church ministry programs. The fast growth that Latino churches are experi-
encing creates the need for short-term theological education programs to provide the
training that current and potential leaders can apply immediately. Therefore, theo-
logical education institutions need to change their mentality that if people do not
complete one of their formal programs, they will not be ready or will not be effective
for ministry. Instead, a careful consideration and understanding of the unique needs
of Latino churches would help them to be creative and develop short-term programs
to train church leaders who are already serving with little or no training at all. That
does not mean lowering the quality standards of theological education. On the
contrary, there are already a few institutions and organizations offering such pro-
grams in cooperation with accredited institutions of theological education that
accept the courses from those programs toward a B.A. or M.A. This type of coop-
eration model not only meets the immediate need of trained leaders for Latino
churches, but also encourages those leaders to continue pursuing formal training.

Practical training to address the churches’ needs. In general, contemporary churches in

the US are technological and need tech-savvy leaders, who also possess adminis-
trative skills and biblical and theological knowledge. Currently, there are churches
hiring pastors who come from the business world. Those pastors have the techno-
logical and administrative skills that the church demands, but they have very limited
or no biblical and theological training. This demands training programs that will
prepare them to serve the needs of the church. A possible way to address those needs
is to offer biblical and theological grounded programs with concentrations in admin-
istration/management, fundraising, digital learning, church leadership, pastoral care/
counseling, church growth, and conflict resolution, to mention some. In order to
keep up with the churches’ needs and minister to its members, pastors and leaders
442 Christian Education Journal: Research on Educational Ministry 15(3)

need to be in conversation with other disciplines that will help understand the
complexities of the Latino population.

Establish cooperation with Latino churches. Academic leaders considering cooperating

with Latino Protestant churches need to keep in mind the following:
The local church’s primary responsibility is to carry out the Great Commission,
providing Christian education programs to help its members become committed
disciples of Jesus Christ. It is also responsible for the training of those who serve
in leadership positions at different levels and Bible teachers who serve as group
leaders and Sunday school teachers. Bible study and biblical teaching are essentially
the pastor and church leaders’ task.
Theological institutions on the other hand, are responsible for establishing training
programs to aid the church in the training of pastors, church leaders, missionaries
and scholars, as well as maintain high academic quality in the teaching-learning
processes to meet all the accreditation standards.
Theological institutions are called to establish training programs in cooperation with the
churches. Seminaries and institutions of theological education need a servant attitude
to go to the churches and ask the question, “How can we serve you?” Clark suggests
“Get close to the church in your context - Listen with both ears and your heart. Read
well your context - to discover the relationship to the reality, needs, church in the
context” (Clark 2015).
To be able to cooperate with the Latino churches theological institutions’ lead-
ers need first to understand what types and levels of training the congregations
need and offer programs that are accessible to church leaders and potential leaders,
who want to serve, but do not have the appropriate training. On the other hand,
careful consideration from the churches’ leaders is required to evaluate the attitude
and motivation of institutions or organizations offering to collaborate with them.
They also need to evaluate the suitability of the training programs to their unique
context and current needs in terms of pedagogical and cultural competence of the
instructors, contextualization of current race, gender and social justice issues,
theological implications such as the institutions’ concept of missions and disciple-
ship, and cost of the training program.
Another possible way of collaboration would be that leaders of theological edu-
cation institutions, committed to provide leadership training to Latino churches,
allow them to adapt and contextualize the curricula in such a way that the programs
meet their needs. Providing them with the resources to implement the training
programs would be necessary too, since not all churches have the financial capacity
to cover all the costs.

Practical implications to the institutions' curriculum. Another challenge is that most

academic leaders in theological seminaries and Bible institutes define their curricu-
lum without taking into account the real needs of the church. In other words, we
Eguizabal 443

define the churches’ needs from our offices without asking the churches what would
be more helpful to them. If we would place the churches’ needs at the center of our
educational ministry, churches would feel as if theological institutions care for them
and are training and forming the pastors and church leaders that they need. Thus,
some practical aspects to consider would be:
The context where our graduates will go to serve. Keeping in mind where the students
we are training will go to serve or are currently serving, would help in the design and
implementation of the curriculum, internship, mentoring, spiritual formation, and
other educational experiences that the institution uses to their training. Before we
define the program contents, we would need to ask, how do we prepare them to deal
with immigration, racial, social, and justice issues? It is very important, because it
can foment an open dialogue with Latino church leaders and members in different
contexts, such as rural, urban, and inner city, to name a few.
The location and size of the churches where they will go to serve or are currently serving.
There are different needs among churches located in urban areas and ones in rural
areas. The church members’ needs and demands will vary depending on location, job
opportunities, social involvement, political preferences, and technology access. The
size of the church also has implications for those who lead and minister to the church
members. Large churches in general have more resources, at least one full-time
pastor and paid staff, while smaller churches depend more on volunteers.
Working together and considering the changes that will benefit the church, the institution
and the Christian community in general. Establishing projects together will give church
leaders a sense of participation. Another aspect would be inviting pastors and church
leaders to set the agenda for the meetings and the work that they plan to do.

Writing and publishing to the Christian Latino audience. We sometimes hear that Latino
church members do not like reading. However, the real reason is that we do not write
with them in mind or that the topics we write on are not related to their needs, and
therefore are not compelling to them. We need to seriously reflect on their specific
needs and the situations in which they live in this country, and write with practical
implications to church members. Reflecting and writing on current issues that have
an emotional, sociological, intellectual, financial, and spiritual effect on the Latino
community in the US in general as well as on the Christian community, and pro-
viding a sound biblical and theological perspective on those issues, would be very
helpful and attract more readers. It also requires publications in both languages,
English and Spanish, since not all Latinos are bilingual. It is likely that a high
percentage of Latinos, who have immigrated to the US as adults, feel more comfor-
table speaking and reading in Spanish, while the young generations bom in the US
and being educated in English-speaking schools would prefer reading in English.
Thankfully, there are a few publishing houses already producing some literature in
Spanish, written by Latinos who understand the Latino idiosyncrasy and culture and
444 Christian Education Journal: Research on Educational Ministry 15(3)

are able to contextualize the resources. These include: the Asociación para la Edu-
cación Teológica Hispana’s (AETH - Association for Hispanic Theological Educa-
tion) publications; LifeWay Publisher that has been publishing resources and
curricula in Spanish for teaching different age-groups in Spanish; and Editorial
Vida/Zondervan. However, more publications are still needed.

Insights gleaned from refecting on this topic

As I mentioned at the beginning, the work included in this article is mainly based on
personal experience, observation, and exploration of existing literature on Latinos
and Latino Protestants in the United States. Thus, I would like to highlight three
insights I have gained by doing that.
First, I became aware of the work that still needs to be done for the spiritual
formation of Latinos in both Anglo American and Latino chinches. As a Latina
scholar, serving in Christian higher education in the US and Latin America, it raised
my interest in exploring what would be more effective in helping Latino Protestants
in Latino churches in the US in their spiritual formation.
Second, trying to understand the complex reality of Latino Protestants in the US
made me aware of how critical it is to the way we speak of and minister to Latinos.
Due to our heterogeneity, we cannot generalize Latinos. Living in a country and
culture that is not my Guatemalan culture, means being aware of the cross-cultural
dynamics in terms of not only Anglo Americans. As mentioned by Tucker and
Koessler (2018), I need “an approach combining spiritual sensitivity and cultural
intelligence” (p. 200) to understand my own as well as second- and third-generation
Latinos’ cross-cultural dynamics.
Third, I found that although there are various recent publications on Latino
Protestants, literature addresses very similar topics. A reason for that may be
that researchers are working in isolation from other scholars. Uniting efforts to
explore in-depth specific aspects of Latinos’ faith and spirituality, using empiri-
cal research, would contribute to literature, providing the personal experiences
and perceptions of Latino Protestants. In common with Marti (2015) who pro-
posed a research agenda that focuses on aspects of worship and liturgy, ethnicity
and identity, and community and civic engagement (pp. 145-154), I see the need
to unite efforts with the ones who are already doing it, in order to explore
aspects of Latinos’ spiritual formation from the church leaders’ as well as from
the church members’ perspectives.

Conclusion
To conclude, the purpose of this article was to provide a brief overview of the
outstanding growth of Latino Protestants in the US, what Latino churches are doing
for the spiritual formation of their members, and to provide some implications for
educational ministry to both church and academic leaders in theological education
Eguizabal 445

institutions. As I discussed these aspects throughout the article, I realized that there
exists much information about Latino Protestants and Latino churches in the US.
However, the main aspect is seeing God’s work throughout the history of Latinos
coming to the United States. Latino population and Latino Protestants have grown in
the US and will continue to grow in spite of the many challenges that they have faced
and continue to face. A significant number of Latino chinches are flourishing,
especially the large ones and megachurches. Nevertheless, in spite of size, having
or not a sanctuary to congregate, or accessibility to resources required, Latino
churches are finding their way to help church members grow spiritually and accom-
plish the Great Commission.

References
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