Hispanic-Latino Ministry

 We are a universal church, whose faithfulness, says theologian Justo González is “shown in its many hues, where all the colors paint a single landscape, where all tongues sing the same praise.”

And because we believe in the Reign of God, we commit ourselves in to be in ministry with the Hispanic-Latino community until the day when all of our hopes of being a truly inclusive church become a reality.

The Baltimore-Washington Conference is seeking to address the needs and become relevant to multigenerational Hispanic-Latino communities, which include first, second and third generations and beyond. The Baltimore-Washington Conference acknowledges the diversity of the Hispanic-Latino community and the mestizaje with other races and ethnic groups. We are focusing on three areas in an effort to become more relevant to the Hispanic-Latino community: leadership development, congregational development and advocacy.

The need for this ministry is great. Nationally, and in the Baltimore-Washington Conference, Hispanics are one of the largest-growing demographic groups.

• In Maryland, there are 489,000 Hispanic-Latinos, making up 8 percent of the state population with a median age of 28.
• In West Virginia, there are 21,000 Hispanic-Latinos, making up 1 percent of the state population with a median age of 23.
• In Washington DC, there are 58,000 Hispanic-Latinos making up 9 percent of the district’s population with a median age of 30.
• In 2014, the Pew Research Center reported, there were 55.3 million Hispanic-Latinos living in the United States. By 2060, the U.S Census Bureau says, that number will grow to 119 million.

Every United Methodist church needs to be aware of this rich mission field and the possibilities for discipleship.