December 1998/January1999, Volume 6 No. 1
 Contents |
Advocacy: Essential for Hispanic MinistriesAdvocacy is one of the basic tasks envisioned in the National Plan for Hispanic Ministry at the local church and conference levels for effective ministry with Hispanics. Hispanic and non-Hispanic persons are responding to issues and concerns that affect Hispanics and ministries with Hispanics. Last June in Frankfort, Indiana, two white-hooded men frightened pastor Juan Martínez's family in the Hispanic mission. It was not a very subtle way to intimidate Hispanics in that town. People attending the mission became afraid of going to church for fear that something worse might take place. When the Reverend Katharine Lehman, district superintendent of the Lafayette District, and a number of churches from the area heard about what happened, they responded by standing in solidarity with the Hispanic people and by attending the small mission every Sunday. Throughout the summer, the church was full of non-Hispanic persons who were there to protest racism and advocate for equal protection and treatment for all. "I was proud to be United Methodist," explained Rev. Lehman, "when I saw how our church people responded to this crisis." Things returned to normal this past fall with Hispanic members returning to the mission, and the work of spreading the Good News continued among the growing number of Hispanics. Racism appears to exist in Cullman, Alabama, as evidenced by an incident that took place there last January. A small group of people gathered at the courthouse to protest what they called the "dirty Mexicans." They were referring to a number of Hispanics who had begun to work in various factories in the area, mostly chicken processing and construction. "One man went so far as to burn a Mexican flag," said Steve Murphy, a missionary for the National Plan serving in that area. "Two women from First UMC Cullman decided that these people did not speak for them," said Mr. Murphy. "They hit upon the idea of creating a booklet to help Spanish-speaking people adjust to life in Alabama. They asked for my help as coordinator of Hispanic Ministries." He helped them with the translation and the cover design, but "the lion's share of the work was done by these two women, Dr. Sylvia Morris, a retired pediatrician and health department worker, and Mrs. Berta Pylant, a Panamanian." The booklet is intended to help both Spanish and English speakers communicate with each other in various settings in the community, especially in medical settings, and thus show Hispanics that someone really cares for them. Dr. Morris was able to persuade the owners of several businesses to fund the publication of the booklet, and Mr. Murphy helped distribute it among Hispanics and to schools, hospitals, stores, and social workers.
Mr. Murphy also advocated before the court for Spanish-speaking parents who could not read English. The parents did not understand the truancy laws, even though they had signed a document when they enrolled their children in school. "See right here, [the parents] signed this!" exclaimed the court official. "If they understood [what they were signing], I wouldn't be here translating," explained Mr. Murphy. Because of the advocacy work of the two women and the missionary, new bridges of communication and understanding are being established between the English- and Spanish-speaking communities, enabling and enhancing the development of ministries with Hispanics. Finding affordable and adequate housing is a concern among many Hispanics, especially for those coming into small towns that provide new employment opportunities for Hispanics. First UMC in Heavenet, Oklahoma, and its pastor, the Reverend Michael Burkett, responded to the anticipated Hispanic growth by forming a Hispanic Housing Mission. Its purposes are to assist Hispanics in finding affordable housing, to participate in restoring the community, and to build understanding among Hispanics and Anglos in the area. Funding for this program has been secured from private and United Methodist Church sources. The idea behind funding is to allocate a sizeable portion of the total monies toward construction of the first home. This portion will be financed through outside sources and repaid by the family who occupies the home. Advocacy has played an essential role in serving Hispanics in Oklahoma. |
Scheduled Workshops for Lay Missioners and Pastor-MentorsFebruary 8–12. Module II, in Spanish. Northeast Jurisdiction. Contact Marie Yvette Rivera, 908/755-6293. February 23–26. Module III, Pastoral Care in Spanish. California-Pacific Conference. Contact Al Pineda, 626/568-7374. March 11–13 & April 15–17. Module II, Bilingual. North Carolina and Western North Carolina Conferences. Contact Alice Konka at 919/851-5106 or Elizabeth Coppedge-Henley at 910/889-4429. |
National Plan for Hispanic Ministry: Resources Available for Developing Ministries with HispanicsPersonnel Resources
Training Opportunities
Printed Resources
Financial ResourcesPlease see the April 1998 issue of this newsletter. |
All photos copyright © The General Board of Global Ministries, The United Methodist Church unless otherwise noted. GBGM is the official mission agency of The United Methodist Church.
