Spanning the Divide: Latinos/as in Theological Education©AETH, 2016
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Contributors for Spanning the Divide: Latinos/as in Theological Education: Dr. Edwin I. Hernández, Dr. Milagros Peña, Dr. Caroline Sotello Viernes Turner, Ariana Monique Salazar

Published by Asociación para la Educación Teológica Hispana (AETH)
P.O. Box 677848

Interior design and cover design: Iván Balarezo Pérez
Editorial Services: Bestsellers Media

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our families and colleagues who sustained us throughout this project, and to the mentors in our lives and careers who in so many ways guided our spirits and intellects in this research that builds on previous contributions and that invites others to continue the work.

3.Hearing the Call: Latino/a Seminarians’ Vocational Motivations and Views about the Church’s Role in Society

6.Facing the Gap: How Latino/a Seminarians Evaluate Their Institutions’ Quality and Commitment to Diversity

7.Serving Their Own: What Seminaries Can Do to Help Latinos/as Prepare for Ministry to the Hispanic Community

10.Faculty Diversity in Theological Education: The Continuous Challenge of Inclusion with Justice

11.Making Progress: How One Institution Is Successfully Improving Its Approach to Training Latino/a Religious Leaders

13.The Alternative Path And Latino/a Concerns: The AETH Study Of Bible Institutes

14.Caring For Their Own: Latino/a Theological Education As Done By HTI/HTIC And HSP

LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES

Table 2.1: Gender Representation of Seminarians and Master’s Degree Recipients in All Fields of Study, by Race/Ethnicity

Figure 2.1: Gender Representation of Latino/a Seminarians’ Denominational Subgroups

Figure 2.2: Comparison of Male and Female Latino/a Seminarians’ Denominational Affiliations

Figure 2.4: National Origins of Latino/a Seminarians and General US Latino Population

Figure 2.5: National Origins of Latino/a Seminarians, shown by Students’ Denomination

Table 3.1: Motivations for Attending Seminary Rated Very Important or Important, by Race/Ethnicity

Figure 3.1: Latino/a Seminarians’ Motivations for Attending Seminary, by Denomination

Table 3.2: Seminarians’ Self-Identified Political and Theological Views, Overall and by Denomination

Table 3.3: Seminarians’ Self-Identified Political and Theological Views, by Race/Ethnicity

Figure 3.2: Latino/a Seminarians’ Future Ministry Plans, by Ordination Track and Program

Figure 3.3: Percentage of Latino/a Seminarians on Ordination Track, by Gender and Denomination

Figure 3.4: Latino/a Seminarians’ Views toward Churches Engaging in Civic Activities

Figure 3.5: Percentage of Latino/a Seminarians Who Favor Churches Engaging in these Civic Activities, by Denomination

Figure 3.6: Latino/a Seminarians’ Views Regarding Whether Religious Groups Should be More or Less Active in These Civic Activities

Figure 3.7: Percentage of Latino/a Seminarians Who Believe Religious Groups Should Be a Lot More Active in these Civic Activities, by Denomination

Table 4.1: Factors Rated as “Very Important” to Seminary Choice, by Race/Ethnicity

Table 4.2: “How Important Were the Following Factors in Your Decision to Attend this Institution?” Percentage Indicating “Very Important,” by Denomination

Table 4.3: Percentage of Students for Whom a School’s Denominational Affiliation Was “Very Important” Enrolled at a Seminary of Their Denominational Subgroup

Table 4.4: Percentage of Latino/a Seminarians Enrolled at a Seminary of Their Denominational Subgroup

Figure 4.1: Relationship between Saying Faculty Were Very Important to Seminary Choice and Relevant Evaluations of Current Institution

Figure 4.2: Relationship between Saying Financial Considerations Were Very Important to Seminary Choice and Relevant Education-Related Financial Variables

Table 5.1: Relationship between Undergraduate Major and Starting Seminary 1-5 Years after College, by Student’s Denomination

Figure 5.2: Bible Institute/Diocesan Training Program Attendance, by Demographic Variables

Table 5.3: Percentage of Seminarians Who Have Led These Religious Activities, by Denomination

Figure 5.4: Civic Leadership Experience of Latino/a Seminarians, by Denomination

Table 6.1: Percentage of Seminarians Who Rated Their Institution “Excellent,” by Race/Ethnicity

Figure 6.1: Percentage of Latino/a Students Who Rated their School “Excellent,” by Seminary’s Denominational Affiliation

Figure 6.2: Measures of Faculty Quality—Percentage of Latino/a Seminarians Who Agreed with Each Statement

Figure 6.3: Percentage of Latino/a Seminarians Who Rated Their School “Excellent,” by Their Assessments of Faculty

Figure 6.4: Percentage of Seminarians Who Agreed with Each Measure of Institutional Exclusion, by Race/Ethnicity

Figure 6.5: Measures of Institutional Culture of Diversity—Percentage of Latino/a Seminarians Who Agreed with Each Statement

Figure 6.6: Measures of Commitment to Diversity—Percentage of Latino/a Seminarians Who Agreed with Each Statement

Figure 6.7: Percentage of Latino/a Seminarians Who Rated Their School “Excellent,” by Measures of Institutional Culture of Diversity

Figure 6.8: Percentage of Latino/a Seminarians Who Rated Their School “Excellent,” by Measures of Commitment to Diversity

Figure 6.9: Percentage of Latino/a Seminarians Who Agreed with Each Statement, by the Denominational Affiliation of the Seminary

Figure 7.1: Percentage of Latino/a Seminarians Who Said “The More Time I Spend in Graduate Education, the More Distant I Become from the Hispanic/Latino Community,” by Seminary’s Denominational Affiliation

Figure 7.2: Percentage of Latino/a Seminarians Who Said “Theological Education Gives Me Tools to Understand and Better Serve the Latino Community,” by Seminary’s Denominational Affiliation

Figure 7.3: Percentage of Latino/a Seminarians Who Said “Theological Education Gives Me Tools to Understand and Better Serve the Latino Community,” by Whether They Have a Faculty Mentor

Figure 7.4: Percentage of Latino/a Seminarians Who Said “Theological Education Gives Me Tools to Understand and Better Serve the Latino Community,” by Measures of their School’s Commitment to Latino Presence on Campus

Figure 7.5: Percentage of Latino/a Seminarians Who Said “Theological Education Gives Me Tools to Understand and Better Serve the Latino Community,” by Measures of Their School’s Receptivity and Commitment to Diversity

Figure 7.6: Percentage of Seminaries in which Most of the Latino/a Students said “Theological Education Gives Me Tools to Understand and Better Serve the Latino Community,” by Presence of Latino/a Faculty and Latino/a Faculty Mentors

Figure 7.7: Percentage of Seminaries in which Most of the Latino/a Students said, “Theological Education Gives Me Tools to Understand and Better Serve the Latino Community,” by Availability of Faculty Mentors

Figure 7.8: Percentage of Seminaries in which Most of the Latino/a Students said “Theological Education Gives Me Tools to Understand and Better Serve the Latino Community,” by Whether the School Has a Hispanic Ministry Track

Figure 13.4: Who Makes the Final Decision About Program Objectives and Teachers at the Institutes

Figure 13.8: Time it Typically Takes Students to Complete Institutes’ Most Basic and Most Advanced Programs

Figure 13.12: Percent of Community Institutions to Which Institutes Are Connected

FOREWORD

The information to be found in this book and the conclusions drawn from it deserve the attention and response of all who are concerned about and committed to the theological education of future church leaders in the United States and Canada. Any such reader will be fully aware of the present and looming crisis in theological education, and this book provides useful insights into how to deal with a significant factor in that crisis.

To say that theological education in the United States and Canada is in crisis is not to say anything new. For many, this seems to be a financial crisis. Several schools are over-drawing on their endowments. Many find it difficult to meet their annual budget requirements. This has led to freezes in hiring, combining several positions into one, and other such money-saving strategies. While there are many reasons for such difficulties, it does not seem likely that they will be resolved by traditional methods such as more aggressive fund-raising. Indeed, at the heart of the crisis lies a misunderstanding as to the nature of the crisis itself, for in truth the financial crises are but a symptom and a result of a much deeper crisis.

Not understanding this can easily lead schools and administrators to pursue directions that at best will produce only very temporary solutions. Many examples immediately come to mind. One is of a very prestigious denominational school of theology that hired a consultant company to help them recruit more students, mostly of the same denomination as the school. The consultants produced a rather sophisticated plan for advertising, marketing, and recruiting.

In the short run, this may help solve the problems of that particular seminary. But in truth all it will do will be to help this particular school compete favorably with other institutions of the same denomination. For the strategy does not take into account that the number of churches in that denomination is declining, and that therefore the number of positions for pastors and other leaders is also declining. No matter how many graduates all the schools of that particular denomination produce, the number of pulpits and other positions available will not increase, with the result that in the long run, no matter how sophisticated the schools’ marketing and recruiting tactics become, the crisis will still be there.

Actually, the crisis can be stated rather bluntly: with the notable exception of the Roman Catholic Church, most denominations that have traditionally required an M.Div. degree for ordination are declining in membership. Such a statement may sound like the sort of blanket condemnation of theological studies that has long been a part of the landscape. This makes it possible for many of us to hide our heads in the sand and fail to acknowledge that it is indeed a fact. All one has to do is look at the statistics on church membership to prove that it is so.

Obviously, one of the reasons for such changes is that the demographics are changing. As both the United States and Canada become more diverse, the portion of the population that most traditional churches have served is declining—if not always in absolute numbers, at least in proportion to the entire demographic landscape. And, for reasons that cannot be discussed here, even among this declining portion of the population, church participation is also declining. Some of the growing immigrant population follows other religions—Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and others. But the vast majority are Christians—most of them Latinos and Latinas, but also Afro-Caribbeans, Africans, Filipinos, and other Asians. It is mostly among this population, as well as among a portion of the Euro-American population that has lost contact with traditional denominations, that Christianity and church participation are growing. And yet, most schools of theology continue working as if this were not the case. This refusal to acknowledge change is at the very heart of the present crisis.

All statistics show that much of the church growth in the United States and Canada is due to the growth of the Hispanic population, in part through immigration and in part due to a very high rate of births. While this development is reflected in the number of Latino and Latina students and faculty in seminaries and schools of theology accredited by the Association of Theological Schools (ATS), this is not enough to keep up with the rate of demographic change. In consequence, while ATS statistics are encouraging, the underrepresentation of Latinas and Latinos in these institutions is not increasing as rapidly as it must to reflect the proportion of the total population that is Hispanic.

This is an indication of the nature of the crisis in theological education. It is a crisis of relevance. Theological education as it is conceived and practiced in the vast majority of theological schools is rapidly becoming obsolete and irrelevant, as well as unattainable—and some times undesired—by the vast majority of Hispanic church leaders and prospective church leaders. Within most traditional denominations, this has resulted in the creation of alternative routes to ordination—such as the United Methodist Course of Studies—or the creation of programs for what becomes an unordained pastoral cadre—such the Presbyterian lay pastors program. While some of these programs are housed in seminaries, their connection to those institutions tends to be weak, and to take the form of a one-way relationship in which it would seem that seminaries have much to teach in those alternate programs but little to learn from them and their constituents.

The crisis in the Roman Catholic Church is quite different, but just as serious. The number of Latino/a ordinands is dismally small, particularly in view of the large number of Hispanic Catholic laity—soon to become, if it is not already, half of the entire Catholic population in the United States. This has led to the development of programs for the training of lay ministers whose enrollees far outnumber those preparing for ordination. While this has resulted in deeper involvement in the life of the church on the part of the laity, it is still not clear whether it will lead to more candidates for ordination or have the contrary effect, making the priesthood less attractive to young men. At any rate, Catholic schools of theology are finding the recruitment of Latino/a candidates for ordination even harder than their Protestant counterparts.

But a crisis is not always a bad thing. A crisis forces new thought, new patterns, and new ventures. It is immediately apparent that one change is rapidly taking place in ATS-accredited theological seminaries. This is the development of new Masters programs—usually two-year programs—geared to church leaders in denominations that do not require an M.Div. for ordination. Most students in these programs are already ordained or at least in pastoral or other forms of leadership in the church, and most of them do not belong to the more traditional denominations of the seminaries themselves. At present, seminaries have created these new degrees mostly by using courses they are already offering as part of the M.Div. However, it is to be expected—and hoped—that, as this very different student body makes its presence felt and expresses its needs more vigorously, this will have a positive impact on the more traditional curricula.

My expectation and hope is that out of the present crisis will spring a different way of conceiving and practicing theological education. While it is too early to tell what concrete forms this will take, I can at least attest to the manner in which my own views have changed regarding the entire spectrum of theological education and its purpose.

Some forty years ago, a number of us began trying to develop programs to address the needs of Latina and Latino students and church. Part of the result was the creation of a number of programs, particularly the AETH (Asociación para la Educación Teológica Hispana), the HSP (Hispanic Summer Program), and the HTI (Hispanic Theological Initiative). These various programs sought to respond to much of the reality that the present book shows by means of careful scientific research. At that point, we usually referred to the connection among these programs as a “pipeline” beginning at the local church, then moving to various unaccredited programs of theological education, then to formal accredited Masters programs, and finally to the Ph.D.

Today I fear that the image of the pipeline may do a disservice to the entire enterprise of theological education, and to the church itself. A pipeline is a means of conveying something (in this case people) from one place to another without allowing leakage or contamination. What makes the pipeline important is its destination. All the rest is simply a process to reach that destination. When applied to the field of theological education, the pipeline imagery encourages the notion that the goal of any other theological education is the seminary, that the success of a school of theology may be measured, at least in part, by the number of its graduates who attain a Ph.D., and finally that the highest goal of the Ph.D. degree is to produce more Ph.D.s. I am well aware that this is a caricature of what actually happens; but, as in any good caricature, I am exaggerating certain traits to make them more noticeable.

Today, I would venture to say that we are moving toward a different paradigm—one that is best illustrated not by a pipeline but by an irrigation hose. Such a hose has much leakage, not by accident, but rather by design, for the goal is not to convey as much water as possible to the other end, but rather to carry the water to various points at which it will be most helpful. Some of the water leaks at one point, and some at another; but such leakage is not a failure, but rather a success. Eventually, no matter at what point it leaks, the water is made part of a process that takes it back to the clouds, and eventually to its point of origin, so it can circulate again, and continue irrigating the land.

This means that, partly as a result of the present crisis, theological education will be seen as a continuum that goes from the most basic catechesis to the most sophisticated Ph.D. program. In that continuum, success will be measured not by how far people move along the pipeline, but rather by how well they irrigate the land. In a school of theology, for instance, students will be evaluated not so much on the basis of how much they have learned, as on the basis of how able they are to teach it to others and to apply it to their various circumstances. And professors will not be evaluated so much on the basis of how much they impress their peers with their knowledge and research as on the basis of how well they teach—how well they teach their students to be teachers, and how well they do this by example, making their teaching accessible and useful to the community of faith. In contrast to a pipeline, an irrigation line is evaluated by how well it disperses its water. For the pipeline, carrying as much of the water uncontaminated to the end of the line is a sign of success; for the irrigation line, water that simply moves along the line, never irrigating the soil, is a sign of failure, no matter how far it advances.

The present book leaves denominational and educational leaders with no excuse. The crisis and the need are amply proven and clearly stated. Institutions that—either because they have a substantial endowment or because of their denomination’s continued support—are not shaken by the new reality may well continue along their merry way for one or two decades; but in the end the crisis will hit them even harder than the schools that—perhaps moved by present difficulties—are now acknowledging the new conditions and seeking to respond to them. We must be grateful to the researchers who have put this book together for their clear statement and analysis of the present reality. It is to be hoped that in future generations students, churches, and society at large will be equally grateful for the response of those in whose hands the future of theological education lies.

PREFACE

Scholarly Background

This book was born several decades ago. It was inspired by the first study ever conducted to assess the needs of Latinos/as in theological education. Nearly 30 years ago, Justo González released The Theological Education of Hispanics (1988) which created a foundation of evidence and offered significant recommendations about the theological education of Latinos/as. His work set the stage for a number of initiatives that still exist to this day. The origins of such organizations as the Asociación para La Educación Teológica Hispana (AETH), the Hispanic Summer Program (HSP), and the Hispanic scholarship program established at the Fund for Theological Education that was the precursor to the Hispanic Theological Initiative (HTI) are in that historic report.

The second major study on Hispanic theological education was the National Survey of Hispanic/Latino Theological Education (1995), conducted as part of the The Future of Hispanic Graduate Theological Education project. Later published as a book entitled Reconstructing the Sacred Tower (2003), that project surveyed thousands of Latino/a religious leaders across the United States and Puerto Rico and conducted focus groups in nine regions across the country. This study provided evidence for the need to establish the HTI.

While this current book, Spanning the Divide, represents the third social scientific study on the state of Latino/a theological education, it is important to acknowledge the many Latinos/as in theology who have been discussing and theorizing their experiences in the field for years. Here people like Ada Maria Isasi-Díaz, Elizabeth Conde-Frazier, Justo González, Fernando Segovia, and others come to mind. In many ways, Spanning the Divide corroborates some of the long-held claims of theologians regarding the experience of Latinos/as in theological institutions.

Data Sources

This book brings together all of the research on Latino/a theological education conducted during 2001-2005 by the Center for the Study of Latino/a Religion (CSLR), under the Institute of Latino/a Studies at the University of Notre Dame. Under the leadership of Edwin Hernández, CSLR engaged in various research projects to advance our understanding of religion in the Latino/a community. The research team that spearheaded this work included Milagros Peña, Caroline Sotello Viernes Turner, and graduate students, like Gregory Smith from the University of Notre Dame. This research involved the 2004 Latino/a Seminary Survey; multiple focus groups with Latino/a seminary students and other campus representatives; the 2002 Latino/a Theological Faculty Study, which included a supplementary survey and interviews of Latino/a theological faculty; case study research of an institution that is successful in matters of diversity and Hispanic ministry education; as well as a panel study comparing what theological educational institutions offer by way of Latino/a ministry education.

This book also brings in a few studies conducted apart from CSLR. Two Auburn Theological Seminary surveys are used as tools for comparison—the 2001 Signs of the Times study of Latino/a faculty and the 1999 Auburn Center for the Study of Theological Education seminarian survey. Other independent data sources include a case study of a pilot program in Latino/a ministry at Calvin Theological Seminary, an identity development survey of minority theological faculty, and a study of Bible Institutes conducted in the United States, Puerto Rico, and Canada. This book is thus a mixed methods research project on the state of Latinos/as in theological education.

About the Authors

Why did we write this book? Over the course of several years, we noticed that various reports were written, individual articles were presented, and an evaluation of the HTI was even conducted, but none of this information and massive amount of data was compiled into a coherent whole. Furthermore, some data, like the faculty survey and interview data used in Chapters 8 and 9, had never been published before.

We also wanted to provide as complete a picture as possible of the world of theological education, so we invited Dr. Fernando Cascante, Dr. Mariano Avila, Dr. Efrain Agosto, Dr. Adair Lummis, and AETH to join us by filling gaps in our understanding. We are thankful to them for their work and contributions.

All of the book’s authors have a deep and personal appreciation for the role of religious institutions in the Latino/a community. Indeed, three of us received an M.Div. at theological seminaries representing the top schools like Princeton Theological Seminary and Union Theological Seminary, and denominational schools like the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary. We all experienced the journey within our various religious traditions and institutions. So we have experienced many of the trends we outline here and even many of the particular issues.

As part of the research on the National Survey of Hispanic/Latino Theological Education, the senior author, Edwin Hernandez, sought out experts that studied the effects of being a minority in higher education. He came across the stellar work of Caroline Sotello Viernes Turner, met with her, and asked her to join the team. Not only did the team benefit from her expertise, but together they were able to tap into the world of theological education for minorities—an area that had not been studied rigorously before.

For all of us, who have worked closely together over the last 20 years, this book represents a capstone project. From the 1995 National Survey of Hispanic/Latino Theological Education to the current research in this book, we have traversed the country interviewing students, faculty, religious leaders, administrators, and at times even institutional staff. We have collected surveys in the hope of understanding trends and have investigated institutional best practices through the use of case studies. We prioritized exploration of how educational institutions create opportunities for Latinos/as, and how well they equip and train leaders for the growing and flourishing Latino/a Christian community in this country.

About the Book

This book provides a detailed look at the current state of Latino/a theological education in the United States. This includes consideration of the career development and opinions of Latinos/as in seminary education, as well attention to other important modes of Latino/a theological education, like non-degree programs and Hispanic-serving organizations like the HTI and HSP. Another goal of this project was to make recommendations for ways in which schools of theology can do a better job preparing the next generation of Latino/a religious leaders to serve as bridge builders for the future. Thus, we paid special attention to how hospitable theological educational institutions are to Hispanics.

By reading this book, the reader will learn that Latinos/as in theological education are deeply committed to the Latino/a community, and take pride in it. Even if they are not particularly attached to Hispanic culture when they begin their theological education, they quickly find themselves brokering this experience to people who otherwise leave it at the margins. Along these lines, Latinos/as in theological education are often at the center of Latino/a concerns on campus. Whether they are participating in a Latino/a student caucus, or are faculty mediating on behalf of institutional services to Latino/a students, Hispanics in theological education often find themselves advocating on behalf of Latino/a concerns on their campus. Latinos/as in our study also prove themselves to be resilient, hard workers—reflecting qualities that the Hispanic community values highly. Latino/a faculty outpace their peers in extra-institutional involvements and Latino/a students outpace theirs in the wealth of community and religious experience they bring with them. This book also offers recommendations on improving Latino/a recruitment, revamping the curriculum and Hispanic ministry education, tending better to the sense of community on campuses, and so much more. Ultimately, we find that Latinos/as in our study span many divides as teachers and students, members of institutions, churches, and cultures.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

There are many people who contributed to this project in different ways. We appreciate the support of Dr. Gilberto Cardenas, who at the time was the Director of the Institute for Latino Studies (ILS) at the University of Notre Dame, and Allert Brown-Gort, who served as the Associate Director of ILS during the years that the Center for the Study of Latino Religion (CSLR) was in operation (2002-2006). We also thank Maria Thompson, Office Manager for the CSLR, for managing all of the research projects, and Jeffrey Smith, Research Assistant, who entered, cleaned, and conducted analysis on the data. We also want to express appreciation for Kari Jo Verhulst, Editor of Publications at CSLR.

Faculty research reported in Chapter 8 and 9 was done in close collaboration with Auburn Theological Seminary. Therefore, we thank Dr. Barbara Wheeler, who at the time was the President of Auburn Theological Seminary, and Dr. Sharon Miller, Director of the Center for the Study of Theological Education at Auburn Theological Seminary.

Special thanks go to Dr. Daniel Aleshire, Executive Director of the Association of Theological Schools, whose leadership and commitment to ethnic and racial equity inspired and supported this research effort and its goals.

We particularly want to express appreciation to the hundreds of Latinos/as engaged at various levels of theological education for accepting our invitation to fill out surveys or participate in focus and interviews to document their needs, experiences, and aspirations. Sharing their individual stories enabled us to tell a more comprehensive and collective story of sacrifice, ambition, dedication, and perseverance to achieve the noble goals of serving their congregations and communities.

Philanthropic organizations also played an important role at different stages throughout this project. Initial funding to support research on theological education and pastoral ministry at the CSLR came from The Pew Charitable Trusts. In particular, we extend our appreciation to Dr. Luis Lugo, who at the time served as the Director of the Religion Division, for supporting the study of Latino/a religion and the leadership training and development of Latino/a religious leaders. Funding to support the production of this book was provided by the Richard and Helen DeVos Foundation. Special thanks to Ginny Vanderhart, Executive Director of the DeVos Foundations for her support and encouragement.

Pulling together a book project of this nature took particular effort, and two people need special mention. The first is Cecilia Street, who provided valuable writing and editorial support both at the beginning and end of the project. But clearly this book would not have been born had it not been for the extraordinary effort of the second person—Ariana Salazar, our co-author. She accepted the invitation to join the team and spearheaded the task of pulling together the various pieces into a coherent whole. She served as our general editor and contributed significant insights based on her own experience as a seminarian and as a social science scholar. Thank you, Ariana, for your tireless effort, keen insights, and commitment to ensuring that this project would come to light.

PART ONE

OVERVIEW

INTRODUCTION

They come from different places and different walks of life, sharing a common ancestry and name in the United States: Hispanic.¹ Whether newly arrived immigrants or people whose families have been in the United States for generations, their explosive growth is changing the face of United States culture. They are a people with deep religious roots and vibrant spiritual energy, which has tremendous implications for the practice of religion—in particular Christianity—in this country. In both Catholic and Protestant congregations, the Hispanic or Latino/a presence is growing. Their thirst for spiritual connection is strong; their temporal needs are many.

Yet even as Latino/a growth continues to drive major shifts in the religious landscape in the United States, something is amiss. While Latinos/as increasingly fill the pews at churches across the country, the story in the pulpits and seminary training grounds is quite different. Here, they are still one of the most underrepresented minorities, comprising just 5.7 percent of students and 3.9 percent of faculty at institutions accredited by the Association of Theological Schools (ATS).²

This situation is troubling for many reasons. The need for committed, competent religious leadership is urgent. Research has demonstrated that across the United States, theologically trained clergy play a major role in sustaining socially engaged congregations and communities.³ And as religious leaders assume a more prominent role in public discourse, it is essential that Latino/a concerns and perspectives are central, rather than marginal, to the discussion and definition of political and social agendas.

For U.S. Christian congregations, the need for theologically trained, racially and culturally diverse leaders is rooted in a desire to be responsive to the challenges people face in a changing world. Cultivating well-trained Latino/a religious leaders is critical for the vitality of the U.S. Hispanic community, as well as American society at large.⁴ In many respects, Latino/a religious leaders serve as bridge builders, spanning the divide not only between these dynamic and, at times, disparate groups, but also between Hispanic people and the broader Christian church as well. Many current and former seminarians⁵ see themselves in this role, highlighting how pivotal it is. In practical terms, Latino/a religious leaders spend much of their time and energy connecting people with one another, with resources, and ultimately, with God.

As one man studying at a seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, put it, his ministry is about building relationships:

What we’re giving out is only part of what’s happening. We’re building a bridge, we’re getting to know each other. ‘I’m here for you. . . you can talk with me. . . What can I dofor you? What can I pray for you? Can we send someoneto your house to mow the lawn?’ That kind of interpersonal relationship, which is part of the Latino culture, is lacking in some of the emphasis that we’ve seen.

Indeed, the well-being of the Hispanic community, the Christian church in the United States and the larger American society may well hinge on the bridges being built by Latino/a religious leaders. In order to create strong connections that can support people today and in the future, these leaders must be able to understand the Latino/a culture at its heart, as well as be grounded in fundamentals of theology and ministry. Seminaries and schools of theology are central to accomplishing this goal, as well as to ensuring the growth and vibrancy of their own denominations.

This book provides a detailed look at the current state of Latino/a theological education in the United States, and makes recommendations for ways in which seminaries, schools of theology, and Bible Institutes can do a better job of preparing the next generation of Latino/a religious leaders to serve as bridge builders for the future.

A Snapshot of U.S. Latinos

Currently numbering 55 million individuals, Latinos/as are the United States’ largest and fastest-growing minority group.⁶ Both as established residents and new immigrants, Latinos/as are making contributions to the country’s economy and society, and are positioned to be a dynamic force for generations to come.

The Latino/a population in the United States is remarkably diverse. Ethnic origins, politics, geography, class, education, and language use demonstrate this.⁷ Among the threads that tie together this vast and diverse community, perhaps one of the strongest is faith in Christ. The Pew Research Center finds that 80 percent of Hispanics identify themselves as Christians, whether Roman Catholic, born-again or Evangelical Protestant, Mainline Protestant, or other Christian denomination.⁸ Latinos/as make up over one third of all Catholics in the United States, and this share is expected to continue growing.⁹ Fully 87 percent of Latinos/as also report at least some church attendance. Not only are Latinos/as religious, but they are for the most part Christian.

In fact, Latinos/as may be the future of Christianity in the United States. Some scholars of religion and immigration see new immigrant groups like Hispanics representing not the de-Christianization of American society, but the de-Europeanization of American Christianity.¹⁰ Similarly, a book entitled, The End of White Christian America, declares that demographic and cultural shifts involving new immigrant groups, like Hispanics, have led to the end of white Christian America—a once prominent cultural force in U.S. history.¹¹ The decline of white Euro-American Christianity coincides with a strong presence of U.S. Hispanic Christians. This process is highlighted within the Roman Catholic Church with the selection in 2013 of Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina, now known as Pope Francis. That the church’s first non-European pope in 1,300 years came from Latin America is an indication of the growing global importance of the church there—and by implication, of the Latino/a Catholic church in the United States as well.

Congregations: A Building Block for Strong Communities

In short, faith matters to Latinos. And this, in turn, means that churches hold an important place in the Latino/a community. While many churches prioritize the spiritual care of the congregation, they also do much to address the temporal needs of their members and the larger community. Congregations provide ready-made networks of people that nurture values, practices, and habits that contribute to the health and economic well being of their members and the communities they serve. Congregations are community assets that are integrally connected to the social fabric of neighborhoods.

According to Changing Faiths: Latinos/as and the Transformation of American Religion (2007), an extensive national study conducted by the Pew Hispanic Center and the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, Latinos/as in general prefer to practice their faith within a Latino/a environment. For most Latinos/as across all the major religious traditions,

The practice of religion is distinctively ethnic. Two-thirds of Latino worshipers attend churches with Latino clergy, services in Spanish and heavily Latino congregations. While most predominant among the foreign born and Spanish speakers, Hispanic-oriented worship is also prevalent among native-born and English-speaking Latinos. That strongly suggests that the phenomenon is not simply a product of immigrationor language but that it involves a broader and more lasting form of ethnic identification.¹²

It is crucial that religious leaders in general be prepared to minister to the needs of Latino/a congregations. Even more important given this preference for an ethnic practice of religion, is that there be more and better trained Latino/a religious leaders available to serve these congregations.

Why Leadership Matters

Vital to any congregation is leadership. Research shows that leaders have the single biggest impact on the scope and quality of a congregation’s outreach and service to the surrounding community.¹³ A study of religious congregations in Philadelphia conducted by the Program for the Study of Organized Religion and Social Work at the University of Pennsylvania found that the presence of paid staff and full-time clergy was the most significant predictor of a congregation’s community service involvement.¹⁴ This study also found that the social programs in churches with seminary-educated pastors served a wider range of populations and needs than those offered by churches whose pastors had not received formal theological training. Our research into effective Latino/a social ministries similarly found that pastoral leadership has the largest influence on moving a congregation into action.¹⁵ In many ways, the strength of a congregation can be gauged by the strength of its leadership.

Yet given the important place that religion holds in the life and community of U.S. Latinos/as as well as the growing presence of Hispanics across Christian denominations, the number in the pulpit is not proportional to the number in the pews. Despite slight gains in Latino/a enrollment in seminaries and theological schools over the past decade, Latinos/as are still more underrepresented than whites, Blacks, and Asians Americans alike. In 2006, Latinos/as comprised just 3.8% of students and 3.4% of faculty at institutions accredited by the ATS.¹⁶ In 2014, student enrollment in member institutions of the Association of Theological Schools was tallied at 71,386 and only 4,092 (5.7 percent) were Hispanic. Hispanic faculty in 2014 only comprised 3.9 percent of that population. Consequently, in a nation that is 17.4 percent Hispanic according to 2014 U.S. Census estimates,¹⁷ less than 6 percent of students and faculty in accredited theological schools are Latino/a.¹⁸

What Difference Do Hispanic Leaders Make?

Hispanic leaders make a critical difference. At a macro level, the need for committed, competent religious leadership will become all the more urgent as the Hispanic population continues to increase, prompting major shifts in the identity and composition of many congregations. As religious leaders assume a more prominent role in public discourse, it is essential that Latino/a concerns and perspectives are central, rather than marginal, to the discussion and definition of political and social agendas. Having more Hispanics in leadership positions is also crucial to stemming the tide of those who leave or simply fall away from the church. The reality is that while growth is still happening, there are also many Hispanics leaving the church altogether (across denominations), especially among second- and third-generation Latinos/as. Research suggests that Latino/a Christians show a preference for Hispanic leadership,¹⁹ and that there is a great need for leaders who are trained and focused on youth education and ministry to strengthen the future of the church. The presence of Hispanics in theological education also has a ripple effect: the more Latinos/as there are in seminaries and other institutions, the more religious leaders of other ethnicities are able to engage with Hispanic culture, thus better preparing them to serve this rapidly growing community.

At a more grassroots level, Latino/a individuals and families, as well as entire communities, are helped and strengthened by the presence of good religious leaders. We have noted already that leaders have the single biggest impact on the scope and quality of a congregation’s outreach and service to the surrounding community.²⁰ As has been argued elsewhere, Latino/a churches are usually the only stable institutions in the barrio—neighborhood—that are owned and operated by the Hispanic people themselves.²¹ Such churches are often the only safe port in stormy and sometimes unsafe urban neighborhoods. Hispanic churches and their leaders are often called upon to fill gaps in the social safety net in various ways. Many offer direct services such as food pantries, clothing distribution, English classes, immigration counseling, and tutoring and youth programs, to name a few. The strength of the communities depends in large part on the strength of religious leadership. Given the role that congregations play in ministering to the needs of their people and the surrounding communities, religious leaders must be trained to meet the unique, diverse, and evolving needs of Latinos/as in the United States. Latino/a leaders, therefore, need to be prepared to serve changing, diverse Hispanic churches and communities.

What Are Some of the Challenges Latino/a Leaders Need to Be Prepared to Face?

With the explosive growth of the Latino/a population have come tremendous growing pains as well. Overall, the Hispanic community remains disproportionately affected by poverty, low education levels, poor health, and discrimination.²² Compared to the wider population, Latinos/as are more likely to be unemployed and underemployed and to earn less when they do hold jobs in comparison to whites—a particularly distressing fact since Hispanic households tend to be larger than those of non-Hispanic whites.²³ In short, the economic situation of the average Latino/a or Latina, including clergy and other religious leaders, is often precarious.²⁴

Though considerable variation exists within the U.S. Latino/a community, Latinos/as as a group are poorer and have less access to social and civic resources than the non-Latino/a white population. According to U.S. Census Bureau data, Latinos/as are more likely than their European-American neighbors to have less than a high school education, to be unemployed, to work in the service sector, and to live in poverty.²⁵ The Latino/a population is also comparatively young—34 percent are under the age of 18, compared to 22 percent of non-Hispanic whites (U.S. Census Bureau), which limits their collective political power and wage-earning capacity. Further, data from the 2004 American Community Survey shows that more than a quarter (28 percent) of Latinos/as are not U.S. citizens—a reality that impedes collective access to many social services and benefits.

The considerable number of Latinos/as who are recent immigrants to the United States also heightens the socio-economic challenges that the U.S. Latino/a community confronts. Recent U.S. Census estimates indicate that 35.2 percent of the Latino/a population in the United States is foreign born.²⁶ Jeffrey Passel’s analysis of recent immigration data estimates that there were 8.7 million unauthorized Hispanic immigrants in the United States in 2005 (6.2 million of whom came from Mexico alone), who account for roughly 78 percent of the estimated 11.5-12 million undocumented persons living in the United States.²⁷ These immigrants and their families tend to be poorer than native-born families—a recent Urban Institute study found that “53 percent of immigrant working families with children are low-income versus 26 percent of native working families”²⁸—and the legal, cultural, and language barriers they face make it difficult to navigate U.S. social and financial systems.²⁹

CONTENTS

LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES

FOREWORD

PREFACE

Scholarly Background

Data Sources

About the Authors

About the Book

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

OVERVIEW

INTRODUCTION

A Snapshot of U.S. Latinos

Congregations: A Building Block for Strong Communities

Why Leadership Matters

What Difference Do Hispanic Leaders Make?

What Are Some of the Challenges Latino/a Leaders Need to Be Prepared to Face?

Latino/a Religious Leaders Serve as Bridge Builders