Meet Dr. Nathan Cartagena, new Scholar-In-Residence

We are excited to share the story of Dr. Nathan Luis Cartagena, one of our former scholars-in-residence. Dr. Cartagena shares his testimony of faith, the migration journey of his family, and how he hopes to contribute to the World Outspoken community.

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More On Dr. Cartagena

A son of the US South (Mom/Madre) and Puerto Rico (Dad/Padre), I was born in Charleston, South Carolina and raised in Somerset, New Jersey. Both sides of my family have been committed Christians for generations. And both sides encouraged me to pursue my teaching gifts to edify the Church catholic. After finishing my PhD in philosophy at Baylor University, I became an Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Wheaton College (IL), where I teach courses on race, justice, and political philosophy, and am a fellow in The Wheaton Center for Early Christian Studies. I serve as the faculty advisor for Unidad Cristiana, a student group working to enhance Christian unity and celebrate Latina/o cultures, and a co-host for the forthcoming podcast From the Underside. I am currently writing a book on Critical Race Theory with IVP Academic, and am excited to join World Outspoken as a scholar-in-residence committed to loving God and neighbor through my work for and from the Church. I look forward to contributing neighbor-loving resources through WOS.

Meet Dra. Itzel Reyes, new Scholar-In-Residence

We are excited to share the story of Dra. Itzel Reyes, one of our new scholars-in-residence. Dra. Reyes shares her testimony of faith, how language shapes the experiences of the marginalized, and how she hopes to contribute to the World Outspoken community.

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More On Dra. Reyes

As an academic from el barrio, I strive to engage in scholarly work that honors and gives visibility to my community. My identity as a U.S. Latina woman of faith and as a daughter of immigrants who was a first-generation college student and a teenage mother is an integral component of my academic formation. My faith drives my passion for justice as I seek to reveal the ways in which certain language ideologies are constructed to operate unjustly against our communities. My work acknowledges language as a powerful tool and promotes linguistic diversity in its different manifestations. Bicultural and bilingual identities are at the center of my work. I am a Spanish professor by vocation and truly enjoy teaching my family’s language as a second language, to students who might not have a strong background in Spanish, and as a heritage language, to Latina/o students who are relearning or enhancing their skills in their heritage tongue. These passions, understood from an academic and experiential perspective, will drive my contributions at World Outspoken.

Abuelita Theology with Hna. Matilde Serrano

Bienvenidos to The Feature, a podcast where we highlight individuals who are doing great work in the culture, bearing witness to the Kingdom, bringing about justice, or addressing a cultural change. In honor of Women’s History Month, we partnered with scholars Sito and Ina Esquilin to bring you the stories of two Latina ministry pioneers of the Hispanic church in the US. As second and third generation Latin@ church leaders, we need reminding of the rich heritage of faith and theology that was given to us by our abuelitas. To honor the legacy of these women, the following interviews are en Español. We hope that these stories will remind you to treasure the history of the brown church in the US.

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English Translation

Introduction

Greetings, dear family! My name is Ina Esquilin. In this opportunity, I will be with my sister in the faith, Matilde Serrano. Who has become, lovingly, a grandmother figure to many in the fellowship of Assembly of God in Manhattan, of which I’m, currently, also a part. Our sister Matilde is an example worth following because, in spite of the adversities, she remains faithful to the Lord. In the 70s, after the death of her husband David Serrano, she moved to the big city, where she started a new phase of her life, as a single mother. Here, is where she helped her children grow, get an education, and become professionals. After her oldest son invited her to church, she gave her life to the Lord and that’s where the importance of this interview lies. From that moment on, the Lord has blessed her mightily. Four of her children became pastors of Assembly of God churches, while her other children help, not just the community in general, but mainly help the faith community by providing social services. Currently, our sister Serrano is a tremendous blessing because she shares her knowledge with humility and joy wherever she goes.

In times, such as the ones we are living in, with social distancing being our everyday norm now, it is refreshing to find a person who is always so willing to open her arms and, with everything she has in her heart, warmly embrace anyone she can reach.

Our sister, as a single mother, a Latina mother, a Christian mother, can show us it is possible to make a difference in this world, truly, passionately, and with longevity by believing in Christ.

Interview

I was born on September 5th, 1926, in the quaint small town known as Toa Alta in Puerto Rico.

We were a family of 7 siblings, 4 men and 3 women, of which only I remain alive; all my siblings went to be with the Lord.

I’m second to last among my siblings.

I grew up in a Christian environment but Catholic because my parents were Catholic.

I used to go to church, but I wasn’t really familiar with the Bible. In the Catholic church they didn’t teach much about the Word, but I always went to that church.

I realized that families went to church a lot; the fathers, the mothers, and all the children, they all went to church together. There was a lot of unity too, the neighbors always were willing to help, if one of them had something they would always share it with their neighbors. If anyone was sick, people would go to their house to help that person, if the lady of the house was sick, neighbors would go to her house and do the laundry, make the food, and clean her house for her. The environment was very nice, it was a community of unity and love.

My husband was a baseball player, he used to play with the double A class (AA). He was also a painter, carpenter, electrician, everything! He did it all! But one time he broke a foot and he couldn’t run anymore, because of this he couldn’t play baseball anymore. So then he focused on work, working as an electrician with my brother. He always said to me that maybe, some time, in the future, we were going to live, perhaps, in a better place; that God was going to give us a better life.

But for that moment, God was giving me everything I needed to live a quiet and content life. Living with my husband and my children, we were happy. He was a very good man, a very responsible father, and husband; he was good.

God gifted me 10 children.

All of my children were born there (in Puerto Rico). So once my husband died, my older children moved to the States to be able to help me. In 1970, they asked for me to be brought here with the rest of my children.

4 of my children are pastors. My son Luis was a pastor and chaplain for the New York police department — he went to be with the Lord. My son José, my son David and my son Ricardo are also pastors.

My son José is the pastor of the Jehova Jireh church, and my son David is the pastor of Tesalónica church, and my son Ricardo is the pastor of Tabernáculo de Gracia church. (13) I also have a granddaughter who is the pastor of a church in Florida.

When I and the rest of my children moved here, my son Luis already lived here and was married to his wife, Abigail. They both went to Macedonia church, and they brought all my other children and me, to that church. That’s where I found the Lord. At that time the pastors of that church were Reinaldo and Blanca Romero. They helped me so much in studying the Bible. They helped me so, so much! So that I would have a better life, because I was still a little sad since I was missing my husband so much. These pastors helped me understand that God was with me, that He was going to help me. They told me to be faithful to the Lord and that He was going to provide anything I could ever need, and that has been true in my life.

All of my children serve the Lord.

I believe they have seen me being faithful to God, as a testimony, how I’ve always been faithful to Him. I’ve taught them that the best way to live is being close to God, because He can help us! The same way he helped me when I became a widower, and He provided for me, and I never lacked anything. I always tell them that God is going to help them. They started going to church too, and little by little, they gave their lives to the Lord as well. Now they are all faithful to the Lord and serve him, all of them do.

I went to study in the Juan 3:16 Institute when sister Carmelia was the principal there.

My children were teachers in the institute too. My sons Luis and Ricardo were teachers at the institute. My son Jaime and my daughter Sonia also studied at the institute, and I also got to teach a class there. When I finished my 4th year, sister Carmelia allowed me to teach the Pauline epistles class. That’s what I was teaching for more than a year, after that I didn’t continue because I was taking care of my grandchildren, by then and I was also working here, in New York.

I worked for 10 years at a school; I was working as a teacher’s assistant.

Sister Carmelia always used to tell me: you have a gift, the gift of teaching! She always used to tell me that.

Well, what I always them is that they need to be faithful to the Lord. That’s my main advice to them, to always be faithful to God, to never stop being honorable and responsible. I tell them, “If God has given you a ministry, be responsible in that ministry God has given you!” And they truly are responsible. “Always go to church, teach your children in the ways of the Lord. Just like God has helped me, He is going to help each and every one of you too.” I tell all of them the same things, even the pastors. Because my son Luis and his wife, my son Ricardo and his wife, all of them are Christians, and all their families too. They all go to church with their children. Seeing them all, like a momma hen with their little chicks, that makes me so happy!

I am happy, but most of all thankful to the Lord. That’s the first thing for me. I thank God for everything He’s done with my family. Every day I tell Him: “Lord, my words are not enough to thank you for so many blessings you have given me and my family!” And my prayer is always, “Lord, cover each one of my children, my grandchildren, and my great-grandchildren with your protection!” I pray for each one of them every day. I keep on placing them in God’s hands. That is the happiness that has allowed me to live for so many years because my children make me happy. They buy for me everything I may need; they visit me, they are very good to me. I believe that is what has kept me alive all these years, their love for me.

I would like to see a change in this world. I would like to see people being better people, and more love and unity in this world. A lot of times I feel a little sad because I don’t know why people’s love has grown colder, like the Bible says it would. One of my goals is to reflect love in the lives of the people I know. Even in those that I don’t know, I just want to see that— more love in this world, more unity.

I’m constantly praying, not just for my family, I pray for the whole world. I always tell God, “Lord, rebuke this pandemic, rebuke it in the whole world!” I know that there has been a lot of sadness and so much death. That’s why I’ve been asking God, I always pray, at all times of the day, and that’s what I ask God now, for this pandemic to disappear.

I would tell them to draw closer to God, to walk away from those things that can harm them. There’s a saying that goes “whoever leans on a good tree would be covered by a good shade” That’s the saying that my dad taught me when I was little. What I’m saying is that you should look for people that will help you, instead of people who will harm you. One should always follow the path of goodness and not the bad path. If we take the wrong path we will stray. If we follow the right path, we’ll see that God will help us, that God is there! God is always waiting for us to talk to Him, to ask Him for anything. Because He always gives us everything we want as long as it’s something beneficial for us.

I always say that we should draw near God and seek him more, walking away from things that can damage us.

Always look for places that won’t harm us and people who will help us. Anyone who is feeling depressed or sad, look for someone who can help you. A pastor, or a mentor, an older person, a relative, someone who can help, but seek that help. Nowadays, people who don’t see help end up doing whatever they think is best, but it’s always better to find help.

The first thing I do if I have a problem, whatever it might be, is to seek God. That’s the first thing I do, ask “Lord, tell me what I should do, how should I do it, and when should I do it. Help me, Lord! Because I can’t do it on my own.” You know, every time I’ve had a problem, like you said, or when I’ve felt sad, or whatever, I run to God, and I see that the answer is there. There, at that moment, when I seek God, it is like a little green light turns on in my mind and shinning light on me and telling me what I have to do. That always happens to me.

I tell my children the same, sometimes they come to me, and they tell me, “Mom, look, this thing happened, what do you think I should do?” I answer, “Well, first we must seek God!” and I start thinking, and I say, “Wait! Do this thing!” Like in that moment, God tells me what I have to tell them they should do. God puts the answer in my mind, I’ve come to notice that, so God tells me, and I tell them what they should do. That is why I feel so thankful to God.

For example, I have lost tings, like my glasses, or money or something, and I can’t find it, and I go, “Oh my God! I lost this thing!” “Lord, I don’t know where it is, but You do! Please, Holy Father, tell me where the thing is, guide me!” and I start thinking for a while, and all of a sudden, it comes to my mind! Like God telling me, “look in this place,” and I go there and there it is, what I’ve been looking for! “Thank you, Lord, Thank you! Thank you!” that’s all I can say to Him.

I’m trusting, oh Lord, in You. I remember when my son was sick, I kept saying, “I’m trusting in You, Lord!” because we have to trust in Him.

That one (hymn) that says, “You are faithful, Lord, so faithful to me”? That one, right?

“Even though I’m weak, I am trusting, oh Lord, in you!” My whole life I’ve trusted God.

I want to tell you something before you go, you know which one is my favorite Bible verse? It’s Psalm 37:25 “I have been young and now I’m old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread.”

About Ina B. Esquilín & R. L. Ortiz, Jr. (Sito)

Interview host Ina B. Esquilín is a Master’s Degree candidate at Gordon-Conwell Seminary and a credentialed minister with the Spanish Eastern District of the Assemblies of God. Esquilín’s interests are missiology, music, teaching and health and wellness within the Latinx Pentecostal Church.

Researcher R. L. Ortiz, Jr. (Sito) is a PhD candidate at Regent University, an adjunct professor at New York Theological Seminary & an ordained minister with the Spanish Eastern District of the Assemblies of God. Ortiz’ research interests are the genesis and development of 20th century Latinx Pentecostalism on the east coast of the United States and contemporary renewal movements within New York City.

A Mija’s Rules

Imagine staring at a screen of faces caught by stillness, a collage of silent observers. While this sounds like the description of a Zoom call subjected to bad Wi-Fi, it is instead a regular rhythm recognized by “Mija Moments,”, an intentionally all-Latina group headed by Pat VerDuin, director of Mija: Leadership and Coaching. In these moments, each participant of the call is honoring the rules of the virtual space. In “Mija Moments” the rules are few, but the big rule is to temper the urge to give advice and instead to learn to hold space for your fellow sisters.  

“Mija Moments” is just one of the services offered by VerDuin’s organization. In addition to these weekly meetings, VerDuin also offers mentoring and coaching specifically to women and girls of color. Why does she set her efforts on only this particular group of people? That answer can be found in VerDuin’s own background and story.

The Rules We Live By 

“It seems that we are all made up of stories, the ones that we are told throughout our lives and the ones that we tell ourselves.” ”

Patricia Marie VerDuin (Sosa) was born on March 11, 1957 the only child born to Petra Olivia Carranza and Juan A. Sosa. Petra and Juan were Mexican migrants who settled in Ottawa County, Michigan. Like many children of immigrants, Verduin learned to live her life in accordance to certain rules. They were the rules that she was convinced would help her fit in the world around her. She was imparted three rules through the experiential wisdom of her parents:  

1. Get an education, so that doors will open.

2. Get an education in the law, so that no one will take advantage of you.

3. Don’t let anyone know that you are Mexican otherwise doors will close. 

These rules show the ways that her and her parents expected to be welcomed into the space in which they now found themselves. To belong, she would have to prove herself and, in some ways, hide parts of herself, namely her Mexican background.  

But not all rules are explicit. Growing up in a largely Catholic household in Holland, Michigan, faith was a big part of VerDuin’s life. Faith seemed to come naturally to her, but communities of faith are not always reciprocal. VerDuin recalls that it was precisely in her faith community when she was awakened to her own sense of racialize identity and how those parts of her identity rendered her an outsider: “Some of the nun’s targeted me and punished me for being of a different color. It was in second grade that I was first painfully made aware that I wasn’t like other kids.” 

These moments of awareness had subconscious effects on VerDuin. Sometimes it is the implicit rules we construct to adapt to our environments that eventually dictate how we navigate our given spaces. As VerDuin remembers, another one of these more insidious rules had to do with the sun and her complexion. Growing up her mother had discouraged her from being in the sun too long, “at the time I didn’t quite understand it, and frankly it has been a journey to understand it still, but I lived by that rule.” Many can relate to this sentiment of holding seemingly harmless rules. Like VerDuin, many women of color have learned to rely on our subconscious to construct these rules not just to help us adapt but to simply belong. 

When The Rules No Longer Fit

VerDuin eventually found herself working in juvenile court, which introduced her to the world of public service. “What I didn’t know then” she says, “was that this was just the beginning of what would be a life-long commitment as a public servant.” She worked in court administration for 35 years. In addition to this, VerDuin was also getting more involved in her church, Grand Haven Presbyterian, and was ready to take on more leadership roles. What she didn’t see, however, was anyone who looked like her in a leadership role in her church. Nevertheless, VerDuin dared to pursue a seminary education—but God’s calling of us doesn’t always look like the straight line we expect or want. Verduin explains that her seminary pursuit came at a moment of convergence: “It was like the two, gender and race, were converging, it was like I was searching” Her search eventually led her into the work of a non-profit, the work of which she did in tandem with her seminary studies. She began consulting in a community foundation, her main project was to lead a community economic development initiative.

After a few semesters of seminary and a project that was gaining momentum, VerDuin left seminary to dedicate her time fully to the non-profit. Her initiative implemented a simple but by no means easy idea. VerDuin found that many children were failing out of kindergarten and this would have spiraling effects into their life, even to the point of delinquency. So preventative measures were needed, thus began a youth mentoring program dreamed up by VerDuin. Before kindergarten children would be tutored and prepped to help them feel ready for the crucial year before primary school. She created an avenue to set these young students for success. “It met this need of my faith, a need to serve,” Verduin explained, “and it also met my need to feel a connection to people who look like me.” It was precisely this work that would animate her present calling of coaching and mentoring. 

As time went on, VerDuin eventually outlived her parent’s rules. She found herself in spaces where her background was an asset and her bilingual tongue was a way to further connect with those she was working with. In her role she noticed something; she found a majority of the students who needed help and educational intervention were latino/a. Being Mexican was an asset.  

“Still”, she laments, “being a woman, a Latina had its difficulties”. She found very few people who looked or thought like her in leadership in these same spaces. She also found herself exhausted due to the amount of effort she put into changing her demeanor from one group to another (her partners, her staff, and the kids she worked with). She found that questions of her race and her gender in relation to her leadership began to arise more frequently, and it struck her, “I need more women of color in my life!” As she began her search, she found this was a real need, particularly for women of color. If she was going to re-write rules, her own and the rules of leadership, then she would need to look at the intersection of her own identity.

Re-writing Rules 

“These rules served me well until they didn’t.””

From this idea, Mija was born. Mija, which evokes the name given amongst Spanish speakers to express endearment and kinship, was at first called Mobius Coaching. VerDuin wanted to engage the particular context of women of color, more specifically Latina women and so the name was changed to Mija. Her organization works to re-write the rules, reframe the common narrative, and to empower women of color into leadership.  

Mija Moments is a form of peer mentoring a “space where women come together to co-create what matters to them in the moment.” These spaces offer women a level of safety they might not otherwise find in their immediate places. A space where they are free to pose questions, long for answers, and meet understanding silence. These are the spaces where women can begin the work of re-writing new rules, explicit and implicit.  

VerDuin found that when women are surrounded by other women who share a same sense of kinship, color, language, and/or gender, that something special happens. These women begin to grow into their calling and into their own embodied selves, and that is a powerful thing. It is what happened to VerDuin, and it is what she hopes to replicate in the space women encounter in Mija Moments. 

In our interview, VerDuin shared what it felt like to participate in those moments of Zoom silence: “We just share each other’s souls. We sit with on another for a very long time, just looking at each other, digitally, in silence. We don’t respond to make each other feel better, we just hold each other’s silence and witness each other’s souls.”  

Having the opportunity to hear Pat Verduin share her soul inspires me, a woman of color, to reconsider the rules I might live by and to consider perhaps finding my own Ates (big sister in Tagalog) who can help me re-write those rules that might no longer be helpful. This provides all the more proof that the work that VerDuin dedicates her life to now is important work. Women of Color need these spaces, the silent and shared spaces, where we are allowed to grow into the women who are un-encumbered by unhelpful rules.  

To learn more about “Mija Moments” or Pat VerDuin’s organization visit: https://www.patverduin.com

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About Jelyn Leyva

A Second-generation Filipina born in Tampa, FL, Jelyn Leyva graduated Moody Bible Institute in Chicago on May 2017 with a Bachelor’s degree in Women in Ministry and an Interdisciplinary in Theology. She is currently in Los Angeles, CA pursuing an MDiv at Fuller Theological Seminary with her emphasis in Christian Ethics. Having lived in various places in the US, Jelyn’s interest lie in the complex history and multi-ethnic life of the Protestant Church in the US. Her hope is to serve this church and its many colors with the consideration of traditional and contemporary theological scholarship.

Lecciones De Una Crisis a Otra

How can the Church thrive even in times of crisis? Roadblocks are nothing new to the Venezuelan church. In fact, they have been ministering through national crisis for years. We recently interviewed Pastor Jose Hernandez to ask how his pastoral ministry has developed as the layers of crises grew in his context. There is much we can learn more about how to minister from our Venezuelan brothers and sisters. The interview is partially in Spanish, but the conversation that follows is edited and condensed version that can be read in English.

Question 1- Introduction

Hi! How are you guys doing? My name is Pastor Jose Hernandez. My family is doing well, thank God, although we are currently in quarantine. We’re just trying to take safe precautions, that’s our motto around here.

Question 2- Profile

I’ve been pastoring Centro Evangelistico Peniel (CEP) for 4 decades. Prior to being a pastor at CEP, I was an itinerant evangelist for 7 years. After my time as an evangelist, my wife, Esther, and I planted CEP.

At first CEP was a community of believers that organized a series of evangelistic gatherings in Valencia, Venezuela in order to start a church and they invited me to come to preach. During the course of these gatherings, the organizers begged me to stay as their Lead Pastor because they had not found one yet (lol). It’s been a while and they still haven’t been able to find another Lead Pastor so I’ve stayed. Thus, I’ve been pastoring CEP since 1981; a church that has been influential in our city and a church community that has done a great job in developing pastors and ministries. 

Question 3- La Crisis

The Venezuelen humanitarian crisis dubbed, ‘La Crisis’, has been in effect for a number of years now. Interestingly, ‘La Crisis’ helped both pastors and the church mature in Christ, but we must understand the dimensions of the crisis. First of all, ‘La Crisis’ has everything to do with political ideology. When the current governing authorities came into power, they entered a capitalist form of government but made it their agenda to install communist form of government. This created polarization between those who sympathized with the government and those who opposed the government; even between pastors and therefore the church. The tension was so tense in the church that many churches in Venezuela divided. Thus, pastors became a sort of ‘referees’ between both sides. That was our initial experience with ‘La Crisis’. Second, the conflicting worldviews of ‘La Crisis’ brought forth much societal strife, which impacted the economy. Because it impacted our economy, Venezuela then entered a humanitarian crisis.

In the midst of ‘La Crisis’, our church made many adjustments to our work. First, we had to adjust our worship services. For example, we used to have multiple services throughout the week, but now we only have 2 worship services. As a matter of fact, we have had to reschedule the days and times of our services. Another adjustment we had to make was in regards to the way we did discipleship. Our discipleship method used to be more centralized; we used to have discipleship classes offered on 2 different campuses. However, we had to decentralize these classes. Our people could no longer access our building due to the absence of public transportation. Furthermore, if public transportation was running, prices were too high to afford because the sector was experiencing an economic deficit. Hence, we’ve had to adjust in order to survive. 

Although  ‘La Crisis’ has impacted the church severely, it has not stopped the work that God has called us to do in Venezuela. This is very important to highlight because since ‘La Crisis’, the church in Venezuela has done more than ever before. 

Question 3b-Ministry at CEP

CEP has been a church that has experienced significant growth. When we first planted CEP, we had 1 pastor, a leadership board, and the congregation. Later we grew into having a pastor, a volunteer ministry staff, and the congregation. Now my wife and I serve as lead pastors, we have a pastoral team, a leadership team, a volunteer ministry staff, and we have the congregation. This is to say that our leadership structure has grown as the congregation has grown. 

The ministry philosophy of CEP can be summed up in one word: care. We believe that growth must give a great amount of attention to caring for the holistic needs of one’s humanity. This means we care for the family unit too: young adults, children, women, men, and youth. Up until this point, I’ve been speaking about our ministry within the church.

We also have ministry from the church to our wider community. We call this initiative, “The Church Outside the Walls.” This initiative does everything from street evangelism to creative intercessory campaigns; praying with the community and for the city. Also, CEP provides food for hospitals and jornada integrales in the poorest neighborhoods of our city [jornadas integrales are outreach fairs that include food distribution, medical help, evangelism, performances, and prayer]. In addition to this, we do cross-cultural missions to places in Venezuela that have indigenous/native populations. 

Question 4- COVID-19 in Venezuela

To be sure, the COVID-19 pandemic has created chaos in Venezuela. It has produced significant changes in our context. Obviously the church has not been able to escape the realities of this pandemic. We are currently ordered to practice social distancing and to be in quarantine [per the government] to the degree that the church has not been able to gather in the same way as before. As of right now, our public worship services have been canceled. We are still wrestling with the prolongation of our canceled in-person services.

In facing this crisis, one of the essential practices that we’ve developed as a church is prayer. If there is 1 good motivation that has developed through this pandemic, it’s a motivation for prayer. And I’m not just saying this for just CEP, I am also noticing this among my pastoral colleagues and their churches. I’ve even noticed this motivation to pray on social media. So I would say that this has been amazing because this means the church is winning and will ultimately be victorious through this process of suffering. 

The other essential practice we’ve had to adopt is to stay connected through social media as a church community. However, this is difficult because we have internet connection that is extremely slow and is unreliable. Yet we are doing everything we can to make things work.

Question 4b- Pastoral Development in Venezuela

My pastoral formation came about more than 40 years ago, and I’ve lived through various turning points in CEP and through various turning points in Venezuela’s history. With that said, I think pastoral formation must include a keen awareness of their particular social context. What I am about to say is different from when I was training for pastoral ministry. Current pastoral training must take into account that our pastoral theology remains, but our theology must work itself with a high capacity to engage sociological themes. More specifically, pastors need to know how to engage new ideas pertaining to sexuality and the breakdown of the family. Nowadays we need to put much emphasis on the character of the minister and integrity because we live in a world that is extremely broken. Furthermore, society can only be transformed if we have pastors that are holy and that really challenge hell. 

Question 5- Ministry Practice in COVID-19

What I think is playing the greatest role in the church in Venezuela right now is social media. Social Media has helped us cultivate relationships even though we are not able to hold public services. In terms of church structure, every pastor is assigned a group of ministry leaders to provide oversight and care; every ministry leader has leaders under them; and then there are congregants. In this format, the lead pastor, which is me- Jose Hernandez, sends voice messages through Whatsapp that can be passed down through the chain… you know, these past few days I’ve been thinking about what I call, “Floaters.” I refer to “Floaters” as folks who are not as engaged with the church and more of Sunday attenders. These are the sheep that concern me the most. However, I’m glad because we have been able to connect with our cell groups via their leaders on social media platforms like Whatsapp. [Cell groups from CEP exist all over the city of Valencia.] So this is what we are doing to stay connected relationally.

The other thing I’m doing is preaching via live stream on Youtube, Facebook, and Instagram. I do this to orient people toward God, to teach God’s Word, to edify and to motivate. And this actually helps with relationship building because it helps us to mobilize our evangelistic efforts. As a matter fact, I was recently speaking to our church leaders via Zoom. I told them the church buildings are closed, but the church is still open, which means that the church is still speaking. Frankly, there is a voice that is speaking and that’s the voice of the church- the voice of every man and woman- that is speaking about Jesus in one way or another. We are preaching about the signs of the times, how we should live, and about deliverance from these times. That’s evangelism to the degree that the church preaches the Gospel to the greatest dilemmas of the world.

Hence, I believe that the church will come out strengthened because our leadership is already seeing it. We’ve heard from our ministry leads and cell groups that many people are coming closer to Jesus. Some have even placed faith in Jesus! Others have asked for prayer. What I’m saying is that the church is alive and active; praying, caring for one another, and preaching the Word of God. 

Question 6- Lessons from Venezuela

Attempting to teach something to the brothers and sisters in America requires some good analysis and evaluation. Surely, it's one thing to speak of learning theology or evangelism, topics the church in the US played a role in shaping for the evangelical churches in Venezuela, given that we’ve received American missionaries for years. But, we are talking about ‘La Crisis’ and what it can teach Americans. Honestly, the situations are different, given that we have different cultures; Americans and just different than Venezuelans. Still, there is something that can be learned from us for the Americans. 

For instance, speaking of cultural differences, the Venzuelan is very empathetic. We are a close people. We like to establish relationships, and enjoy a good deal of physical contact. This characterizes us. On the other hand, Americans seem to be more distant; they are not as interested in close contact. Maybe I am wrong, but that’s what I have seen during my visits. And, well, in a situation like this pandemic, where believers cannot meet in-person for their worship service, one of the main points of contact, American believers may have a harder time losing their main point of contact. But, for us, we hunt for ways to further connect because we are used to reaching out when we miss contact. So, when we see each other via zoom, social media, or these other social platforms, that generates great joy. When people write us or reach out, there is an expectation, an anticipation, of the contact that is coming. I think, if there is something we can project from our culture as a lesson for Americans, it is the need to grow in empathy - be friendlier, be closer, more communicative. I think that is important and it is something the American church can do. You guys depend a lot on the meeting for your only contact. I think this will be good. I think it will bring good in that it will develop closeness and empathy for your church. 

So, how has ‘La Crisis’ prepared us? Well, it forced us, as I mentioned, went through some hard things that pressed us to change service schedules, our teaching styles, etc. When this pandemic came, we felt prepared to go through it, given all the changes we’ve made in the past. We have 20 years of economic, social, and public crisis. I’ve reminded my pastoral leaders, we are ready for this.

Question 6b- Lessons from the Past

I think my colleagues in the US should learn from this crisis to be more personal in their pastoral ministry, to get closer to the people. Sometimes there is a distance between the pastor and people caused by the pulpit, so sometimes we become distant pastors. I believe pastors should be as close to the people as possible. This is what we’ve learned from Christ’s ministry. Today more than ever, the pastor should be an open, close person. I imagine this isn’t possible for every member at the church, particularly for larger congregations, but at minimum, the pastor should be close to his leaders and empathetic with them because this will inspire them to be likewise with the rest of the congregation. And this is absolutely necessary given the way society works today. With all the different crises, growing loneliness, the fear of the future … today more than ever, people need both spiritual and emotional support. The pastor is an important figure that can bring that kind of help to people. 

Obviously, this crisis has also changed the way we sing, the way we worship. I believe the content of the music that we are commonly singing today is mostly about adoration - by which I mean the recognition of who God is and the expression of our profound need for His presence. The other theme that comes up frequently is the theme of prayer because, of course, that is our greatest need. These make sense because they reflect our greatest need: to get close to the God who can do all things, confess Him to be the one who can do all things, and ask, from the depths of our hearts, for Him to intercede in the things we need to resolve this situation. The theological themes we’ve been preaching from the pulpit, even before the pandemic because of our other crises, has been the theme of hope and peace.

May we preach, sing, and provide hope and peace to churches and communities both in Venezuela, the US, and the globe.

About Pastor Jose Hernandez

English

Pastor Jose is the husband of Esther Hernandez and they have 1 adult daughter and 2 grandchildren. He has been in ministry since age 16.  He has 2 bachelor degrees in social sciences and theology, a Masters of Pastoral Ministry, and holds a Doctor of Ministry from Logos University. He has been the senior pastor of Centro Evangelistico Peniel since 1981.

Spanish

Pastor José es el esposo de Esther Hernández. Tienen 1 hija adulta y 2 nietos. Ha estado en el ministerio desde los 16 años. Tiene 2 títulos de licenciatura en ciencias sociales y teología, una maestría en ministerio pastoral y un doctorado en ministerio de la Universidad Logos. Ha sido pastor principal del Centro Evangelistico Peniel desde 1981.

Latino, Come Home

“When they leave our churches, they think it’s the language, but it’s [that] white does it better.”[1]

White does it better.

My breath caught at the statement. I glanced out the window of the Panera I sat in. Not even the warm Florida sunshine could touch the sense of burden I felt. I glanced at my skin, white. I thought about the lives and ministries of two of my closest friends. Their skin—brown. That’s when I knew that the work of Mission Talk and the passion in Agustin Quiles’ voice was critical to the Church, and I needed to get behind it.

Founded in 2016, Mission Talk is an annual gathering of Latino/a young adult church and ministry leaders. At its heart, Mission Talk is a network designed to intentionally equip the Hispanic church for community transformation and justice ministry. When you enter the Mission Talk conference, you will see Latino practitioners teaching Latino leaders. Latino founded, Latino hosted, Latino led —culture to culture, this ministry is equipping the Hispanic church to be the Church within its unique cultural context.

Mission Talk founder, Agustin Quiles, is a Latino ministry practitioner who caught a vision for the flourishing of his community. Born in Puerto Rico, Quiles moved to New York City in grade school, where he was one of five children raised by a single mother. Quiles got involved in ministry from a young age, which began shaping the passion he has today for church and ministry leaders within his cultural community. “I am a product of the Latino community and its disadvantages,” he explained as we chatted about the conception of Mission Talk. His awareness of his own culture, its strengths and weaknesses, informs his approach to ministry. Not only has Quiles identified a clear need within the Hispanic church, but with over a decade of boots on the ground ministry experience in Hispanic communities, he is prepared to meet the need he sees.

A Changing Landscape

Latino evangelicalism is receiving increasing attention in church studies, theology, and national religious conversation. Public Radio International reported last summer that evangelicalism in the US is no longer monolithic, of one culture (white), but that Latinos are the “fastest growing group of evangelicals.”[2] Pew Research data from the “Religious Landscape Study” supports this statement. This study compares data of Evangelical Protestant’s ethnic identifications from 2007 and 2014. As the chart outlines, in those years the evangelical Latino population grew by 4%, while the white evangelical population dropped.[3]

Racial and ethnic composition among Evangelical Protestants // Pew Research Center

With growth comes change. Millennials and Generation X Latino/as find themselves in an in-between world. Pew Research suggests that second generation Latinos are less likely to teach their children Spanish[4] and are often more educated than their parents.[5] A generation or two removed from their immigrant parents and grandparents these young adults tend to assimilate to white culture more than the previous generation. Quiles often hears from young adults, “We’re not Latinos and we’re not Americans.” This identity ambiguity leads Latino young adults to worship outside of their cultural communities, a choice which leaves a devastating gap in the Hispanic church. “A lot of Latinos are assimilating too much,” Quiles shared. “When they leave our churches, they think it’s the language, but it’s [that] white does it better.” Since the white church has resources, he points out, Latino young people leave their cultural places of worship: “[There is a] narrative, [that] they don't fit in in the churches they grew up in, so they [must]  fit into white church culture.”

A Changing Ministry

The Hispanic church is not only experiencing generational change, but changes in ministry models. Historically, the Hispanic church has elevated preaching and singing ministry as primary, and when pursuing methods of outreach, she typically focuses on one’s relationship with Christ and compassion work, not community transformation and justice through policy reform or governmental involvement. However, the trend towards community transformation and justice, which Mission Talk emphasizes, is not completely unanticipated.

In the early 2000’s one renowned Latino pastor, spoke of an “emerging generation of Hispanic American Evangelicals.”[6] Contrary from the past, this kind of “new evangelical” would come from the “barrios of L.A. and the housing projects in Chicago more than from rural America.”[7] This evangelical would be a “hybrid” of sorts, a blend of Billy Graham and Martin Luther King Jr., specifically Hispanic, who would find a middle ground, a space of both righteousness and justice. This pastor envisioned:

“Forging the twin themes of righteousness and justice – not “either/or” – these evangelicals embrace a Kingdom Culture Biblical worldview. It has ramifications for social policy. They stand committed to eradicating al-Qaeda as long as we equally commit ourselves to eradicating AIDS … On cultural issues, the Graham-King hybrid generation stands unequivocally as a vigorous pro-life movement that extends from womb to tomb. This new pro-life movement does not regard health care, education, and poverty-alleviation as secondary issues to sanctity-of-life and marriage but rather as top-tier extensions of a truly pro-life platform.”[8]

The Hispanic church this church leader and others saw emerging is the Hispanic church of today. Evangelicalism is paying attention as the Hispanic church leads the way between the polarity which divides Western Christianity. Community transformation and justice matter to the Hispanic church, as does righteousness and right theology. However, the question of Latino young adults remains unanswered. Will this dynamic part of the Body of Christ lose its cultural bearings and its young people through white church integration? Does Latin identity matter for these believers?  Quiles and the Mission Talk team are fighting fiercely to say yes, identity matters.   

Creating a New Way

The work of Mission Talk is one of space making. Meeting young adult leaders at a variety of stages in their journey of grappling with Hispanic identity, Mission Talk creates a space for these ministry leaders to reconnect with their cultural roots and rediscover the beauty in what it means to be Latino/a. “Reinforcing their identity as Latinos is crucial and key to this conference,” Quiles explained, sharing that at the conference they have salsa and merengue, infusing the experience with Latino culture through music, dance, and retelling of history.

After creating a space, Mission Talk exposes and educates church and ministry leaders to Latino derived resources. The goal is to facilitate the movement from compassion-based outreach to community transformation/justice-based work. This is accomplished primarily through bringing in Latino/a practitioners, men and women of God who are in the trenches of ministry to Hispanic communities throughout the world, bringing about community transformation and justice for the sake of the gospel. “We bring practitioners,” Quiles emphasized, “not celebrities.” These individuals are experienced and respected in all kinds of justice ministries in Hispanic communities, addressing issues such as poverty, hunger, immigration, mass incarceration, human trafficking, social entrepreneurship, ethnic diversity, and racial reconciliation, to name a few. Stepping beyond mere exposure to ideas, these practitioners train and equip conference attendees for the work, teaching biblical theology, ministry models, and ministry skills for Latino/as to return to their native communities and minister well.

As I listened intently to Quiles share his heart for the Hispanic church, I came away challenged. He desires to welcome Latino/as home, for the gap that was created in the Hispanic church to be filled by its own. Rather than relying on Anglo church resources and culture, he champions the Hispanic church for what it is, a dynamic and influential part of the Body of Christ that must be functional for the Church at large to effectively operate.  “What I see,” he concluded, “is raising thousands of young people who are able to shape the church through culture.”

For the Latino/a believer, Quiles extends a call to re-engage. While acknowledging the challenge and pain of assimilation and cultural ambiguity, he calls the Hispanic church home. As an Anglo believer, Quiles gave me a personal challenge: “Help remind us that God made us Latino for a purpose.” Doesn’t this statement itself hold the key to the strength of the historical, global, multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, cross socio-economic, two gendered church? The key is the sovereignty of our God over us. With intent, He made each individual and placed them within a time and culture. It is up to us to steward our cultural identities in a way that preaches the gospel—and to help each other do the same.

About Emily C. Alexander

A first generation college graduate of a rural working class family, Emily C. Alexander recently completed her undergraduate degree in Ministry to Women at the Moody Bible Institute. Emily lives in Chicago where she enjoys long walks admiring architecture and pondering theological and sociological issues. Her hope is to impact the lives of women and the flourishing of the church through thoughtful theological engagement.

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Footnotes

[1] Agustin Quiles, interview, March 7, 2020.

[2] “Megachurches, Home Churches, Podcasts: American Evangelicals Are ‘Not a Monolith,’” Public Radio International, accessed April 1, 2020, https://www.pri.org/stories/2019-08-14/megachurches-home-churches-podcasts-american-evangelicals-are-not-monolith

[3] “Evangelical Protestants - Religion in America: U.S. Religious Data, Demographics and Statistics,” Pew Research Center’s Religion & Public Life Project (blog), accessed April 1, 2020, https://www.pewforum.org/religious-landscape-study/religious-tradition/evangelical-protestant/#racial-and-ethnic-composition-trend

[4] “Hispanic Parents’ Spanish Use with Children Falls as Generations Pass,” Pew Research Center (blog), accessed April 1, 2020, https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/04/02/most-hispanic-parents-speak-spanish-to-their-children-but-this-is-less-the-case-in-later-immigrant-generations/

[5] “How the U.S. Hispanic Population Is Changing,” Pew Research Center (blog), accessed April 1, 2020, https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/09/18/how-the-u-s-hispanic-population-is-changing/

[6] “The Latino Transformation of American Evangelicalism | Reflections,” accessed April 1, 2020, https://reflections.yale.edu/article/who-my-neighbor-facing-immigration/latino-transformation-american-evangelicalism

[7] Rodriguez, 2008.

[8] Rodriguez, 2008.

Why Can't We Sing "Normal" Worship?

Looking back at 50 years of ministry, Tim Keller says this about the Western church: “While many Christian leaders were bemoaning the cultural changes, Western churches continued to minister as before – creating an environment in which only traditional and conservative people would feel comfortable … All they preached and practiced assumed they were still in the Christian West, but the Christian West was vanishing.”[1] The church got stuck moving to the same rhythms, singing the same songs, year after year until the world around them no longer understood the melody. Today, as non-Hispanic whites already are less than 50 percent of the youth population in 632 of America’s 3,142 counties, worship leaders like Sandra Van Opstal introduce us to The Next Worship.

This is not about updating the playlist for relevancy or belittling the old hymn. It is about worship that captures the full picture of God’s Church, His mestizo people. How do we worship God in a diverse world? Should a monocultural church really sing songs in different languages? What forms of leadership do we need to make the diversity of the Church plain in our context? What if we don’t have the musicians to pull this off? We explore these questions and more with your host Emanuel Padilla and our guest, author Sandra Maria Van Opstal.

About Sandra Maria Van Opstal

Sandra Maria Van Opstal

Sandra Maria Van Opstal, a second-generation Latina, is co-founder and Executive Director of Chasing Justice and lives on the west-side of Chicago with her husband and two boys. She is a preacher, liturgist and activist reimagining the intersection of worship and justice. Sandra served with Urbana Missions Conference, Chicago Urban Program, and Latino National Leadership Team (LaFe) of InterVarsity. Sandra’s influence has also reached many others through preaching globally on topics such as worship and formation, justice, racial identity and reconciliation. Sandra currently serves as Content Director for the Justice Conference, is a board member for CCDA and holds a Masters of Divinity from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. Her most recent books include Still Evangelical and The Next Worship.

Footnote

[1] Timothy Keller, Center Church: Doing Balanced, Gospel-Centered Ministry in Your City, 8.9.2012 edition (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2012), p. 253.

The Storyteller's Responsibility

In his Nobel-prize-winning book, El Hablador (The Storyteller), Mario Vargas Llosa tells of a young man named Saul, who abandons Peruvian society to become an Hablador (or Storyteller) of the Machiguenga. The Machiguenga is a tribe that lives as scattered family camps across the Peruvian-Amazon rather than live together as one complete community. In this unusual, dispersed way, the Machiguengas claim the entire forest as theirs, each family taking up their own corner of it and moving as food would require. Only one person traveled from family to family connecting them together. El Hablador.

For the Machiguenga, the storyteller is of sacred, indeed religious importance. The storyteller’s job was simple enough: to speak. “Their mouths were the connecting links of this society that the fight for survival had forced to split up and scatter… Thanks to the storytellers, fathers had news of their sons and brothers of their sisters … thanks to them they were all kept informed of the deaths, births, and other happenings in the tribe.” The storyteller did not only bring current news; he spoke of the past. He is the memory of the community, fulfilling a function like that of the troubadours of the Middle Ages. The storyteller traveled great distances to remind each member of the tribe that despite their miles of separation, they still formed one community, shared a tradition, beliefs, ancestors, misfortunes, and joys. The storytellers, writes Vargas Llosa, were the lifeblood that circulated through Machiguenga society giving it one interconnected and interdependent life.

“The Machiguenga storyteller is “tangible proof that storytelling can be something more than mere entertainment … something primordial, something that the very existence of a people may depend on.”

Stories are at the core of every culture. They have the power to shape whole systems. Thomas King writes in The Truth about Stories: A Native Narrative (2003), "The truth about stories is that that's all we are" (p. 32). King continues, "So you have to be careful with the stories you tell, and you have to watch out for the stories you are told" (p. 10). King’s words and Llosa’s novel reveal that being a storyteller is a grave responsibility, a calling above all others. For that reason, we sat down for a conversation with Hugo Perez, a former journalist for the NBC News Network and current owner of Local Boy Creative.

Hugo describes himself as a “storyteller for hire.” Our conversation with him took us through the history of his career and the ethics of storytelling today. We talked about recent “fake news” trends and spent time discussing some of the values that guide his storytelling. Reporters and Marketers are two kinds of Habladores (Storytellers) who shape society, and Hugo has been both. At World Outspoken, we are committing to actively making the city, creating culture, and pursuing a vision of justice and beauty. To do that, we need the help of storytellers like Hugo. As King reminds us, "Perhaps we shouldn't be displeased with the 'environmental ethics' we have or the 'business ethics' or the 'political ethics' or any of the myriad of other codes of conduct suggested by our actions … After all, we've created them. We've created the stories that allow them to exist and flourish. They didn't come out of nowhere. They didn't arrive from another planet … Want a different ethic? Tell a different story" (p. 164).[1]

Hugo’s experiences equip us with ideas to consider and roles to reevaluate. Listen to this podcast to hear about the power of storytellers in the form of marketers and reporters.

About Hugo

Hugo Perez is a professional storyteller. He develops strategies and content for a variety of clients around the country as owner of a boutique creative agency in Chicago called Local Boy Creative. He is an experienced brand builder, creative catalyst, innovative strategist, and integrated marketer, having worked in senior roles at a variety of global companies and marketing agencies over the years. He began his career as a journalist at NBC Network News where he earned an Emmy-award for his work. Hugo has traveled and worked extensively all around the world and considers himself a “dreamer, a wild one, and a roaring lamb."

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Footnote

[1] Credit must be given to Dr. Gene L. Green for first identifying the significant quotes from Tomas King’s book. You can access his original review of this book by following the subsequent link: “The Truth About Stories,” Green Trees, accessed September 14, 2018, https://www.genegreen.org/blog789123456789/2018/4/13/the-truth-about-stories.