2005
John C.N. Hall
Strangers and Aliens, Citizens and Saints: Multicultural Challenges for Hispanic/Latino Ministry in the Church
The Episcopal Church, overwhelmingly Euro-American in its membership, has a genuine desire to minister to and with the rapidly expanding Hispanic/Latino population in the United States, but many dioceses and congregations do not know how to accomplish this ministry successfully. Central to this dilemma is often a lack of awareness of the basic realities of multicultural ministry. The Church can fail to understand cultural contextual incarnation, the balancing of power, and the challenges of language, leadership, and church structures involved in Hispanic/Latino ministry. This thesis examines the opportunities and problems of multicultural exchange and ministry, focusing on issues of American worldview, intercultural power dimensions, and cross-cultural awareness and differences. The study includes a nationally representative set of Episcopal churches involved in ministry among Hispanics/Latinos, as examples of the current status of such ministry in the United States. The thesis persuades the Church to view Hispanic/Latino ministry not through the theological lens of outreach, but rather with a theology of mutual ministry that sees the Church as one body worshipping with multiple languages of prayer, welcoming those once perceived as strangers and aliens to their place as citizens and saints.