CHRIS OCKEN
Brian Hiortdahl (inset), pastor of Resurrection Lutheran Church in Chicago, reaches out to younger adults by holding Bible study in a local bar.
Bureau confirm what we already know: the U.S. is increasingly diverse in race and ethnicity. From 2000 to 2010, the U.S. grew by 9.7 percent. More than half of that growth was due to an increase in the Hispanic population. The Asian population grew faster than any other major racial group in this same time period.
For ELCA congregations, “it is an opportunity to share the distinctive- ness of our emphasis on grace with even more diverse people,” said Alicia Vargas, associate professor of multicultural and contextual stud- ies at Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary, Berkeley, Calif. “It’s an opportunity to be faithful to the end of the Gospel of Matthew to ‘go and make disciples of all nations.’ ” It’s important to recognize, Vargas
24 The Lutheran •
www.thelutheran.org
said, that we reflect this diversity in the ELCA, albeit out of proportion to the society around us. The ELCA is 95 percent white, but cross-cultural dialogue is still essential. “If we start [by] ignoring the diversity we have already, then it won’t work,” she said.
7. Influence of Hispanic/Latino faith.
Every weekend, about 2,100 people worship at Iglesia Luterana Santa Maria de Guadalupe in Irving, Texas, attending one of four different Spanish-language services, said its pastor, Pedro B. Portillo. Only the 11:45 Sunday service is
typically Lutheran. But when asked about the congregation’s denomina- tional affiliation, Portillo said Santa Maria is “one holy, catholic, apos-
tolic and Lutheran church.” While Portillo wants to add
an English-language service, he acknowledged, “I’m just one pastor.” Demands on his time are great, with a 75 percent growth in worship atten- dance over the past year. Vargas said ELCA congregations
like Santa Maria have a significant opportunity to share “the particu- lar Lutheran angle on God’s grace through Christ.” Portillo agreed, noting that mem- bers of the congregation—a diverse mix of Mexican-Americans, as well as people from other Central and
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52