Archive for July 10th, 2009

Have you had a chance to read George Barna’s latest findings on the Hispanic community in the United States?  It is quite an interesting read.  It seems to me that the Hispanic Community as a whole is slowly becoming: 1) More Evangelical and less Catholic 2) More Biblically literate and less superstitious.    Barna writes: “The research points out several important realities about the faith of Hispanics in America. First, Hispanics are becoming a more mainstream population in various ways – politically, economically, relationally, culturally – and this data reveals that they are assimilating in their faith perspectives and practices, as well.”

So, if this is true, (and it would seem to me that if this trend continues), it would be extremely beneficial to the non-Hispanics to empower, plan and partner with future Hispanic leaders.  The Hispanic Evangelical population needs to prepare to step up to the leadership demands of the immediate future.  Unfortunately, I see a huge gap existing between mainstream evangelical leadership and the Hispanic worshiper in the pew.   Please prove me wrong, but I don’t see a whole lot of Hispanics crowding the doorways of the leading Theological institutions of our day to be prepared to address the issues which face us from a biblical perspective.  Probably because the mainstream population is not coming to us (Hispanic evangelicals) for those answers.  Or perhaps it is because our future Hispanic leaders do not believe the key to our success to to “study to show ourselves approved” and to be “thoroughly equipped” (2 Tim 2:15, 3:17).

As a young Christian, the writings of the late Francis Shaeffer greatly impacted me, and still haunt me to this day.  In his book: “How Should We then Live?”  he wrote: “If God exists and we are made in his image we can have real meaning, and we can have real knowledge through what he has communicated to us.“  His simple yet deep words impacted a generation of leaders and thinkers through the eighties and nineties and continues on though this day.  They put the Bible in understandable terms and applied them to the issues that faced our nation.  Another statement he made helped me more to think about how to understand the times in which we live.  He wrote: “Each generation of the church in each setting has the responsibility of communicating the gospel in understandable terms, considering the language and thought-forms of that setting.” Those words invigorated the ministries of that era such as Campus Crusade for Christ, The Navigators, various radio ministries and other leading evangelical institutions.  If you are not familiar with him, he is someone with whom you should familiarize yourself.  I believe that he was the father of the Christian conservative movement in the United States.  His influence, while still present is slipping away to the influence of post-modernism in the church (but I’ll leave that discussion for another day).

When I assess the view on the ground in regards to our situation today I see three major trends.  One is that with the election of our new president Barack Obama, those who were once considered non-mainstream are being considered main stream.  A second is that white evangelicals are losing their influence on the whole population, as evidenced by their influence in the republican party.  Third, the economic down turn we are experiencing is the result of greed, worldliness and sin, and our country is in desperate need of revival.

As the baby boomers pass away, the next largest segment of our society coming down the road is the Hispanic community.  It is not a question of when, but it is now that a transition and shift is happening in our culture.  We should thank God that this large segment is becoming more “spiritual and mainstream” as Barna writes.   Could you imagine if this segment went another direction?  Therefore my brothers, as God convicts us, let us not drop the baton that is being handed to us at this time from those who have gone before us.  Let us be biblical first and relevant second.  Let us lead the multitudes to the message of Christ communicated loudly, boldly and passionately to a generation who is desperate to hear it.

However, do not be discouraged by the former mainstream who still does not understand what as happened to them.  There are still some who are not quick to hand over the baton.  That’s ok, we won’t wait for them.  It is God who opens doors and creates ways out of no way.  We need to be faithful to Him who has called us and be ready when our opportunity is presented to us.  If you don’t see Hispanic leaders on platforms, boards, nomination forms, invited guest speakers, consultants, best selling lists, commentators, Senior Pastor Positions, TV hosts, talk show guests and analysts; If they want our vote, but not our voice, our numbers but not our opinions, our market but not our convictions; If they are looking but not buying, hoping but not trusting, seeing but not believing, it is probably because they believe that we, the Hispanic Evangelical population, does not exist.  And, perhaps they are right.  Perhaps the Hispanics that they have asked in the past were not prepared to give a ready answer that is biblical, accurate and reliable.  Perhaps they were not ready to stand up and step in the gap of those who could be entrusted with that message.  But I believe that now is the time my brothers, to prove them wrong, in love.

The obstacles to overcome are staggering.  Biblical illiteracy, lack of a moral compass and an absence of Christian conviction continue to dominate our Hispanic culture.  As a Hispanic Pastor, trying to impact our culture I feel as though we are out manned, out gunned, out spent and out done on every level.  While the spiritual vacuum seems to grow greater, our resources seem to be growing tighter.  That is ok my brothers, because I would rather be in the center of His will, then living high on easy street.  Remember 1 Peter 3:6-7: “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”  While our journey may be overwhelming at times, let us remember that God is faithful and He has not put anything upon us, that we can not handle. Let us not back down in our insistence that Jesus is our answer, Christ is our calling and the Holy Spirit is our power.  We might not see the leading institutions being influenced by our calling, but one day, perhaps our children see that day.  We ought not fear that which we cannot see, but we need to fear Him, whom we cannot see and  trust that His truth will remain the same through all generations.  So hold on my brothers to that which God has given to you to do, and be faithful to complete what He has promised to complete in you.  And let God receive the glory and the praise.  And let’s see what Mr. Barna writes about us next.

God bless you!

Pastor Vince Gonzales

North Dallas Family Church