Gloria a Dios, Su Reino Está Aquí: The Prophetic Voice of the Hispanic Experience of the United Methodist Church in The United States

“You can try and teach us what us what you think the scripture says, and we will listen. We can teach you how to live the scripture. Will you listen?”1

Making up just a small percentage of The United Methodist Church (00.4 %), the Hispanic community of believers offers significant gifts and challenges to the denomination.2 There are about 17 Latino churches in the Northern Illinois conference that have Latino pastors and a Latino majority in the pew. They are traditionally small. Five Latino families can make up a congregation. Yet, on the one hand, they possess rich cultural and religious traditions that can inform the ways in which we do church. On the other, the systematic discrimination that is committed against Spanish-speaking immigrants and their descendants in the Unites States gives them a privileged vantage point from which to see the Kingdom of God.3 Following the leads that the Hispanic community demonstrates in dealing with social justice issues, we can better learn how to be church. Therefore, it is essential that the greater church look at ways to ensure the health of the Hispanic United Methodist community, as well as open itself to the gifts of transformation that it offers.

The religious tradition of the Hispanic community is composed of two strands. The first is Roman Catholicism, which is the most predominant faith of people in Mexico and South America, as well as amongst Latin Americans living in the States. The Hispanic flavor of Catholicism tends to be focused on ritual observances, mystery, the Saints, and Mary. As a result, members at Humboldt Park United Methodist Church, El Divino Redentor United Methodist Church and Adalberto United Methodist Church all cited a co-involvement with local Catholic Churches. Walter L. Coleman, Senior pastor at Adalberto commented, “Sometimes you come in here and you'll see the place is filled up out to the streets. This has usually been when we're doing something around the Virgin Mother. And this summer we haven't really had Sunday service because we've been spreading out throughout all the Catholic churches doing various different things with them.”4

Just as the Wesleys did not particularly want to stray too far from the Anglican Church, but rather be a reform movement within it, many Hispanic United Methodists have an elective affinity with the Catholic Church. Coleman notes, “What we have seen is in one sense spiritual discipline, intentional groups and such things combined with the very concept of sanctification and justification and social principles [which is] an overlay that works well on the Catholic Church. So, the mission and our reach are done in terms of Catholic Churches.”5 For all of its similarities to American Catholicism, though, the Latino American Methodist Church is a Mexican Catholic culture. According to Colman, “We see a lot of Mexicans and Puerto Ricans who have left the Catholic Church because the traditions are foreign to them compared to what they were like in their own country. The Catholic experience in the United States is as different to the Catholic experience in Mexico as it is from United Methodism.”6

Yet, by nature of their general economic status, there is also a similarity between Hispanic United Methodist’s and many of Wesley's initial followers, offering a renewal within United Methodism as well. “The Anglican Church is not very much different than the United Methodist Church today. You could imagine the church---a great big church with mostly middle-class folks and most of the seats are empty but they have an organ and stuff like that. Then some pastor wakes up next-door and sees 3000 guys from the local factories that want communion. And he must have been, like, you want me to get up and give communion to a bunch of dirty guys?”7 Needless to say, the similarity does not offer a favorable representation of United Methodism. Maria De La Cruz, a member of Adalberto, repeated this message. “So many pastors go from their middle class church to their middle class car and into their middle class house and they never see any day-to-day realities that the Latino community lives with. So the Latino community would challenge them to get out of their comfort zone to experience what it would be like to be one of their Latin American brothers and sisters.” She went on to observe, “With a grass root reality of what it is like to be with these people comes an experience of what it is like to be in the Kingdom of God. To realize that there are people in the Latino community who do not have anything to eat every day. What does that do to our Gospel of being brothers and sisters in Christ all across race boundaries.” 8 The economic status of our Hispanic brothers and sisters should shake us from our comfortable complacency and renew our social activist heritage, as well as reawaken our enthusiasm for worship. I attended three services, for a total of ten hours, with every minute of each one being engaging. Instead of sermons on how to be polite, I was inundated with images like “the horseman of the apocalypse is galloping up Division St. as we speak!” and given mandates on how to spend my money justly, and my Christian duty to participate in a large variety of causes from immigration law to protesting the wars.

When asked about the Hispanic United Methodist experience, two church members mentioned that for many Mexican-Americans who have been in this country their whole lives, they simply attend the mainstream United Methodist churches, bringing only cosmetic changes (such as the occasional Mexican song in service). These Latinos reportedly tend to be more liberal in their interpretation of the gospel and church doctrines. Pastor Coleman believes that there is a Methodist tradition from Latin America, which is more ‘evangelical’. Within this group, he cites a tension between those who are progressive, (e.g. Bishop Juan Vera Mendez of the Puerto Rico conference “which is both spiritual and socially active.)”9 And the more rapidly growing ‘Pentecostal’ movement of churches supported by “United States corporations who have wanted missions down there” and who “tend to be what we call American Zionism.”10 Although the latter is (an unfortunate) part of our heritage, the United Methodist Church officially broke from the idea that this nation was somehow chosen by God. Nonetheless, the former group offers the greatest challenge to how the church views itself. As several million more people enter this country, many whom see the US as their oppressor, the United Methodist church will have to clarify its stance even more. One voice is coming from Emma Lozano who, at a consultation on immigration ministry held at Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary last year, charged the religious community to legalize undocumented workers and be consistent with the stand that we took in Bosnia, Liberia, Rwanda, and Kosovo, in our own back yard.11 Another witness is coming from Adalberto United Methodist Church, which has developed community services such as a Latino Parent Teachers Association in the Chicago area, a utility bill ministry, organized 100 congregations to speak out against the impending War in Iraq and, like many Latino United Methodist are active in immigration rights.12 13 14 According to deacon Eduardo Hernandez, churches like El Divino Redentor in Chicago provide the service of bridging the cultural rift that exists between natives of Latin America and their American born decedents. In 1998 Chicago, Iglesia Methodist Unida Betania administered a $19,000 grant to the Bethany/Adalberto Immigrant Defense Fund.15 In addition to the mission work that individual Latino congregations are doing, groups like Methodists Associated Representing the Cause of Hispanic Americans (MARCHA), which has had agendas as diverse as establishing churches to demanding an apology for the arrogance of 19th c. Methodist Missionaries to Latin America, are making important advances. MARCHA was also influential in promoting The Council of Bishops to recognize the “Sojourners in Our Midst” “who find themselves in a country whose language they do not speak, whose immigration policies declare them illegal.”16

On the other hand, the “Pentecostal” trend, according to Coleman, “thinks that God is working nearly exclusively through the United States. This is the history of the institutional church, but it is more blatant when it is exported to Latin America and back again.” This trend demonstrates the fragile nature of a dominant group helping to establish a minority in its midst.

This is in part why it is essential that the future of the Latino church is motivated and sustained by a new generation of preachers from its own community. Unfortunately, there are several obstacles that must be faced to accomplish this, not least of which is funding. Recognizing the difficulties faced by minorities that are in a traditionally low-income demographic (as well as other factors that only allow the privileged to attend school), the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry (GBHEM) offers an alternative tract for individuals “who are certified candidates for ordained ministry, who have successfully completed the Studies for License as a Local Pastor or one-third of their work for a master of divinity degree, who have been licensed by the bishop after approval by the district Committee and Board of Ordained Ministry, and are unable to attend an approved school of theology” which would allow them to become ordained as elders.17 GBHEM underwrites both the tuition and the transportation costs for about 150 students to attend Garrett-Evangelical, one of only three schools were this program is available in Spanish, each summer to go to this “Course of Study” (COS) program. This, and the fact that the Board of Trustees of Garrett-Evangelical established the Center for Hispanic Ministries in 1988 “In response to the urgent need for more ordained and diaconal leaders for churches in the Hispanic community” are encouraging signs that the seminary is part of a prophetic movement to enfranchise the Latino community within United Methodism.18 However, the success of the center in achieving its stated goal to bring “Hispanic culture and experience into the life of the seminary” is debatable. The unfortunate reality is that there has not been a single Latino students enrolled in one of the Masters programs at Garrett-Evangelical for at least two years. This is significant because, not only is the quality of the education arguably less extensive through the COS tract, it can take seven years for enrollees to become a local pastor.19 This puts the individual in a precarious situation, since they are not guaranteed a position, they cannot vote at conference, and are not guaranteed their pension. Furthermore, if they do lose their post in the church, they would not have an accredited degree that would be recognized outside of the church.

There is a certain level of commitment by the church to support future leaders within the Hispanic community. For example, The North Georgia conference is supporting A Leadership Development Program for Hispanic Students called LAOS — "Latinos on to serve": which includes full tuition (plus stipends) to the undergraduate program at Reinhardt College.20 Also, one member of Adalberto United Methodist Church believes that he will be accepted to Garrett-Evangelical next year on a full scholarship. However, Whether the Latino community will have adequate ‘native’ clergy leadership in the future is not limited to financial issues. Those families that are fortunate enough to be able to support their child through seminary face the challenge of maintaining a cultural link. As Minerva Carcaño notes, leaving home for college can also mean, “adopting new and different lifestyles. It even could mean losing the language.” Furthermore, “There is no cultural support system and they are cut off from their families and communities.” Over time, this disconnect may result in the student not returning to the community after they graduate.21

It is essential that we work out creative ways to overcome obstacles that face Hispanic United Methodists called to ministry. We must be able to “read the signs of the times and discern ways to enable diverse people…to experience the riches of tradition that are this denomination’s precious gifts.”22 As the demographics of this country change and the majority of its citizens come from Africa, the Middle East or Latin America, it will be increasingly tempting for the Anglo culture to attempt to colonize or annex a church just because we built the building and Latinos happen to be there. As Ruben Saenz reminds us, “We must be careful that our motivation for evangelizing the Hispanic community is not born out of a need to sustain the institution nor should it be done out of xenophobia…”.23 There is always the danger of making these churches “in the role of being objects of mission and not as being part of the national church.”24 Instead, we need to remind ourselves of Wesley's vision of renewal. The United Methodist Church has become an institution with privilege. Yet, God has proven himself in Christ and the cross with a very different model. By allowing the Hispanic United Methodist Church to inform our theology and way of doing church “from the underside,” we can be a more genuine witness to the Gospel. But as long the delegates to our annual conference meetings are 97 percent English-speaking and white, we are constantly at risk of falling. The problem before us in this next century is to seek the balance between co-opting, like we have in our missionary history, and segregating, like the white Methodists did to their African-American sisters and brothers. Nonetheless, “Would we not be more likely to find a happier and more Christian solution to these questions if we approached them not from the standpoint of problems but from the standpoint of opportunities?”25

May the church be a vehicle for Christ Jesus to do his Abba’s work through the Holy Spirit. Amen.

1. Betti Guevera, Asst Pastor of Iglesia Metodista Unida Adalberto. Personal interview. 22 Sep. 2002.

2. According to figures collected for the 1996 General Conference, Hispanic members comprise 42,797 out of a total membership of 8,654,699. http://www.umc.org/genconf/struct.html

3. Although there are significant numbers of economically ‘successful’ Hispanic immigrants, especially in Texas, nearly a third (27.9) lived in poverty (compared to 8.6 percent of non-Hispanic whites) in 1997. Improving the Collection and Use of Racial and Ethnic Data in HHS: Joint Report of the HHS Data Council Working Group on Racial and Ethnic Data AND The Data Work Group of the HHS Initiative to Eliminate Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health. December, 1999. page 2. http://aspe.os.dhhs.gov/datacncl/racerpt/

4. Walter L. Coleman. Pastor of Iglesia Metodista Unida Adalberto Personal interview. 23 Nov. 2002.

5. Ibid.

6. Ibid.

7. Ibid.

8. Maria De La Cruz. Personal interview in Spanish. Trans. by Teran Loepke. 22 Sep. 2002.

9. Coleman

10. Ibid.

11. Michael Wacht. “Hispanic Methodists tackle justice issues at assembly”. General Board of Global Ministries Archives. Nov 28, 2001. http://gbgm-umc.org/global_news/full_article.cfm?articleid=680

12. Personal e-mail: “Testigo En Contra De La Guerra”. 20 Oct. 2002.

13. “Bishops award 31 Children and Poverty grants” United Methodist News Service Feb. 27, 2002

14. Newsletter. Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights. http://www.icirr.org/newsandaction/PressReleaseInterfaithimmigranteventforWTC.htm

15. http://umns.umc.org/98/mar/123.htm

16. Alice Lucy Cobb. A Tapestry of Service: 100 Plus Years Along the Way in Church and Community Ministry. 2nd ed. (J & J Printers; Nashville, 1999). 87.

17. Jim Noseworthy. Handbook for Ordination, Ch 11. (Division of Higher Education). 1996. http://www.gbhem.org/gbhem/chap11.htm

18. Osvaldo Vena. Informational pamphlet for Center for Hispanic Ministries.

19. This comparison between COS and MDiv in no way reflects on the capabilities of Rex Piercy and Melissa Guerin!

20. http://www.gbod.org/hispanic/articles.asp?act=reader&item_id=2993

21. “Observations from the African-American, Hispanic-American, and European American
Perspectives”. Brief notes from a panel discussion by Daphne Wiggins, Minerva Carcaño and
Richard Boyer. Doing Ministry on Campus with People of Color: Resources for Intervention in Higher Education. Hicks, Richard ed. Published by the Campus Ministry Section, Division of Higher Education, United Methodist Board of Higher Education, 1991.

22. Thomas E. Frank. Polity, Practice and the Mission of the United Methodist Church . (Abingdon; Nashville, 1997). Page 28.

23. Ruben Saenz Jr. “Evngelism within the Hispanic Community: A Complex Calling.” Circuit Rider Nov/Dec 2002.

24. Celsa Garrastegui. “Hispanic Women Want No Melting Pot.” The Methodist Experience in America vol II. Ed. Russell E. Richey et al. (Abingdon; Nashville, 2000). Page 648.

25. Methodism’s Racial Dilemna. James S. Thomas. (Abingdon: Nashville. 1992). Page. 80.