Congregationalizing Hispanics Part III

Powerful Reasons Why Hispanic Church Planting Is Desperately Needed Reason # 1: The Size Of The Hispanic Population In North America 56 Million (including Canada & Puerto Rico)

Powerful Reasons Why Hispanic Church Planting Is Desperately Needed Reason # 2 Hispanic Growth Is Outpacing Church Planting Rate Year Ch to Population Ratio :13, :16,181.

Powerful Reasons Why Hispanic Church Planting Is Desperately Needed State Ratio 1. Wisconsin 1:174, Washington 1:131, New York1:116, New Jersey1:114, New York1:116, New Jersey1:114, Minnesota1:86, Oregon1:77,678

Powerful Reasons Why Hispanic Church Planting Is Desperately Needed State Ratio 9. Hawaii1:63, Iowa1:52, Utah1:46, Illinois1:46, Alaska1:42, Arizona1:41:474 15California1:39,234

Powerful Reasons Why Hispanic Church Planting Is Desperately Needed StateRatio 16. Pennsylvania1:37, Michigan1:37, Indiana1:33, Massachusetts1:30, Montana1:30,502 Twenty two states in which the Hispanic church to population ratio is over 30,000

Powerful Reasons Why Hispanic Church Planting Is Desperately Needed Challenge in 5 of top 10 Hispanic Cities CityRatio New York City1:100,000 Chicago1:69,458 Phoenix1:60,458 Los Angeles1:40,276 San Francisco1:24,276

Powerful Reasons Why Hispanic Church Planting Is Desperately Needed Reason #3: The Number Of Hispanic Un- churched Areas There are 19 counties with a Hispanic population ranging from 48,000 to 748,000 with no Hispanic Baptist churches:

Powerful Reasons Why Hispanic Church Planting Is Desperately Needed CountyHispanic Population 1. New York, Bronx County748, New York, Kings County506, New Jersey, Middlesex County153, Wisconsin, Milwaukee County129, California, Ventura County82, Minnesota, Hennepin County79, Washington, Pierce County76, New Jersey, Bergin County76, New York, Orange County69,166

Powerful Reasons Why Hispanic Church Planting Is Desperately Needed CountyHispanic Population 10. Pennsylvania, Lehigh County 68, Washington, Snohomish County66, New Jersey, Monmouth County62, New Jersey, Morris County58, Utah, Utah County58, California, San Luis Obispo New Jersey, Mercer County57,061

Powerful Reasons Why Hispanic Church Planting Is Desperately Needed CountyHispanic Population 17. New Jersey, Union County49, Delaware, New Castle County48, New Mexico, Sandoval County48,279 Richie Stanley, Research Report, Hispanic Trends Population and Southern Baptist Congregations, Center for Missional Research, North American Mission Board, April, This is based on the latest information that has been reported.

Powerful Reasons Why Hispanic Church Planting Is Desperately Needed Reason #4: The Hispanic Population In Major Cities 20 Million Hispanics in the 32 Send Cities targeted by NAMB; 14,344,345 in 30 other cities with a Hispanic population ranging from 100,000 to 2 Million Almost 35 Million in Major Cities

Strategic Considerations # 1: The Absolute necessity of concerted prayer Reaching Hispanics (with their socio- religious background) is a difficult task Many will face pressure, alienation from their families There are many obstacles Prayer is absolutely essential

Strategic Considerations # 2: Need of Culturally Informed Strategies Catholic scholars maintain that a principal cause for defection of Hispanics from the Catholic Church is that the church is not equipped or structured to meet the diverse needs of the growing number of Hispanic believers. They insist that the church lacks sufficient numbers of Spanish-speaking clergy who understand and appreciate the Latino/a community’s diverse cultural and religious idiosyncrasies…

Strategic Considerations # 2: Need of Culturally Informed Strategies Two significant questions for SBC 1. Do we have culturally informed strategies at every level of SBC life (churches, associations, state conventions, SBC agencies) to reach Hispanics? 2. Are there sufficient Hispanics in empowered positions in SBC agencies to provide the input needed to have culturally informed strategies?

Strategic Considerations # 2: Need of Culturally Informed Strategies Those who attend Hispanic-Oriented Churches: 77% foreign born Latinos 48% native born Latinos. There is a crucial need to start Hispanic-Oriented Churches across North America

Strategic Considerations # 2: Need of Culturally Informed Strategies Evangelical and Pentecostal churches become an effective bridge for Latin American Christianity, which is shaken by the challenges of modernity. In other words, these new faith communities provide a new orientation for ordinary people seeking to deal with the stresses involved in transition involved in the rapid change brought about by immigration, urbanization, and secularization. Source: Miguel de la Torre, Hispanic American Religious Cultures, 366

Strategic Considerations Strategic Consideration # 3: The need for specialized types of churches to reach all segments of Hispanic Population 1. Spanish Language, Hispanic Culture Churches 2. English Language – Hispanic Culture Churches 3. English-Speaking, Anglo-Cultural Churches with Hispanic Culture Sensitivity

Strategic Considerations Strategic Consideration #4: The Hispanic population is experiencing exponential growth therefore exponential church planting methodologies are desperately needed. Strategic Consideration #5: The Use Of Small Groups In Church Planting.

Strategic Considerations Strategic Consideration #6: The need for all churches to be involved in church planting Strategic Consideration #7: The strategic importance of partner churches

Vital Recommendations 1. That a national strategy with bold goals be designed and communicated to reach unprecedented numbers of Hispanics and gather them into biblically sound and culturally relevant congregations.

Vital Recommendations 2011 Hispanic population 51,875,706. This gave us a ratio of one Hispanic Baptist church for every 16,181 Hispanics. 544 new Hispanic churches a year are needed over the next 10 years to arrive at a ratio of 1 Hispanic church for every 6,000 Hispanics

Vital Recommendations 2. That Hispanic pastors and churches intentionally seek to partner with SBC entities (NAMB, State Conventions, Associations) to reach the 34 million Hispanics in the urban areas of North America, including the 20 million in the Send Cities and the 17 million in non-urban areas.

Vital Recommendations 3. That SBC entities continue to expand their networks and partnerships with the Hispanic churches and church planting centers that are being most effective in training people to start multiplying congregations.

Vital Recommendations 4. That the officers of the Executive Committee be instrumental in the formation of a Hispanic Leadership Network for the purposes of communication, encouragement, and promotion in church planting and other aspects of Hispanic work.

Vital Recommendations 5. That all individuals, churches and entities involved in Hispanic Church Planting continue to study the best church planting practices in Hispanic setting and take these into account in designing its Hispanic church planting strategies, especially those that focus on church multiplication.

Vital Recommendations 6. That Churches, Associations, State Conventions, and NAMB continue to utilize a variety of church planting models in order to reach the various segments of the Hispanic population with the gospel.

Vital Recommendations 7. That established churches across North America adopt Unreached and Under-reached Hispanic Groups living in areas where there are no Hispanic churches (e.g., counties with no Hispanic churches) and areas where the ratio of Hispanic churches per Hispanic population is over 50,000.

Vital Recommendations Conclusion: In light of the powerful reasons listed above acknowledging the explosive growth of the Hispanic population and the fact that there are hundreds of Hispanic communities without churches to reach them in their own language and culture, the members of the Hispanic Advisory Council earnestly pray that all Southern Baptist churches and entities commit to an unprecedented effort to reach lost Hispanics with the Gospel message and enable them to start vibrant congregations thus contributing to truly reaching North America for Christ.