TENNESSEE CONFERENCE REVIEW August 8, 2008

Articles in this special Hispanic Ministries edition of THE REVIEW

1. Making Disciples of Jesus Christ Through The Tennessee Conference’s Hispanic/Latino Academy
2. Goal of Seven New Hispanic Ministries by End of 2008 Voted at 2008 Annual Conference
3. Justice for Our Neighbors (JFON) provides legal services for immigrants,
4. Martin Methodist College scholarship established to honor Rev. Barbara Garcia
5. 12 Steps Toward Launching a Hispanic Ministry
6. West Nashville United Methodist Church Reaches out to its neighborhood,
7. Revival! A Pastor’s Story of the Development of Hispanic Ministry in an Anglo Church, article with no graphics or photos.
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Making Disciples of Jesus Christ Through The Tennessee Conference’s Hispanic/Latino Academy

Participants in the Youth camp for Hispanic/Latino teens

The Hispanic/Latino Academy is a visionary initiative designed to “equip a new generation of Christian Leaders to make Disciples of Jesus Christ in order to transform the world.” It had it’s beginning in 2007 as a means of linking Hispanic/Latino educational efforts of Martin Methodist College (through its Cal Turner, Jr. Center for Church Leadership) and the Tennessee Annual Conference Hispanic Ministries Committee.

Shortly after the formation of the Academy Rev. Joaquin Garcia was appointed as its first director. From the beginning it has provided opportunities for biblical and theological education for both Hispanic pastors and laity, as well as encouraging the training of lay-speaking ministers.

The Hispanic/Latino Academy brought a group of Hispanic teens to Martin Methodist College to meet staff and explore higher education options

The Academy has created retreat opportunities for Hispanic women, and has worked within the Hispanic/Latino community to create ties between the community and local congregations of The United Methodist Church. It has also worked to encourage local congregations to study the needs of immigrant populations – and then to reach out to their neighbors. In 2008, the Academy began working to insure that talented Hispanic/Latino teens truly recognize the potential of Martin Methodist College for an effective education in a friendly environment. Most recently the Academy has sponsored a bible-centered training event for Hispanic/Latino teens in a camp setting. It has fully participated in the National Plan for Hispanic Ministries which gained approval at the 2008 General Conference in Fort Worth, Texas.

Workshops for Spanish speaking Lay Speaking Ministers are growing in importance.

At the 2008 Annual Conference Rev. Garcia was able to announce that 13 congregations of the Tennessee Conference were involved in some form of Hispanic/Latino ministry – all of which could ultimately lead to a unique blending of immigrant communities into existing local churches, or the creation of Hispanic/Latino Fellowships which could ultimately lead to new United Methodist Churches. In the summer of 2008 Garcia can point to an additional ten churches that are exploring new Hispanic/Latino ministries.

The 2008 Tennessee Annual Conference voted to affirm the goals of the Hispanic Latino Academy to:

--establish 7 new Hispanic ministries by June, 2009
--strengthen the on-going ministry of the 13 existing ones, and
--continue the work of the Academy to develop a new generation of Christian leaders in the Tennessee Annual Conference

Tennessee Conference Hispanic Ministries, Faith Communities and Congregations
Existing:
1. Cumberland Hispanic Fellowship Eliud Martinez Cookeville District
Crossville/Fairfield Glade
2. Familia de Dios Carlos Merida Cookeville District
Monterey
3. Conexión Miguel Carpizo Cookeville District
Cookeville
4. La Hermosa Emilio Hernandez Cookeville District
Smithville
5. Agua Viva Francisco Gale Cookeville District
McMinnville
6. Chapel Hill Hispanic Congregation Tiburcio Hernandez Cumberland District
Riddleton
7. New Chapel Hispanic Ministries Joyce McAlister Clarksville District
Springfield
8. First UMC Hispanic Ministries Carlos Uroza Murfreesboro District
Murfreesboro
9. Cannon UMC Hispanic Cong. Enrique Hernandez Murfreesboro District
Shelbyville
10. Ama a Tu Projimo Enrique Hernandez Murfreesboro District
Winchester
11. West Nashville Hispanic Ministry Laura Feliciano Nashville District
Nashville
12. Primera Iglesia Hispana Alejandro Hinojosa Nashville District.
Nashville
13. Hillcrest “Our Neighbors” Ministry Barbara Garcia Nashville District
Nashville

New Hispanic Ministries Recently Approved by Local Churches for Development:
1. Brentwood UMC Nashville District
2. Fellowship UMC Murfreesboro District
3. Lafayette UMC Cumberland District

In Conversation:
1. Inglewood UMC Nashville District
2. City Road UMC Nashville District
3. Good Shepherd UMC Cumberland District
4. Hamilton UMC Nashville District
5. First UMC, Columbia Columbia District
6. New Providence UMC Clarksville District
7. Epworth UMC Columbia District
8. Smyrna UMC Murfreesboro District
9. St. Mark’s UMC Murfreesboro District
10. Viola Area Murfreesboro District

Other Possibilities Being Surveyed:
1. Pulaski District

Goal of Seven New Hispanic Ministries by End of 2008 Voted at 2008 Annual Conference

The 2008 Annual Conference affirmed the work of the Hispanic/Latino Academy and approved with a standing, unanimous vote to set the goal of establishing seven new Hispanic ministries by December 31, 2008. This will bring the number of ministries to twenty in the Tennessee Conference. This goal is now everyone’s goal, and the help of every congregation and person in the Conference is needed to make it a reality!

Annual Conference leaders Joe Williams and Don Ladd seated with a Hispanic family at the 2008 session of the Tennessee Annual Conference

In order to reach this goal, it will be helpful to know: What is the Hispanic/Latino Academy for Christian Formation and Church Leadership? What is its Purpose? What are its Guiding Principles?

The Hispanic/Latino Academy was created in September, 2007, in order to support the Christian formation and leadership development of Hispanic/Latino persons for the purpose of making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world, which is the mission of The United Methodist Church. Christian formation and leadership development in the Hispanic Church is also crucial because Tennessee has the second fastest growing Hispanic/Latino population of the U. S. according to the most recent Pew Hispanic Center Foundation report. We have a unique opportunity to be part of Jesus’ command to make disciples of ALL nations!

The Academy was formed as an arm of the Tennessee Conference Committee on Hispanic Ministries and also in partnership with the Cal Turner, Jr. Center for Church Leadership at Martin Methodist College. Through Martin Methodist College, we have an even more unique opportunity to encourage and support persons to further their education and offer leadership in the church and community, but may not have been able to do so because of work and/or economics. Achieving this goal of higher education often follows a lot of prior encouragement and support to finish high school or perhaps getting a GED.

The five primary functions of ministry within the formation process of the Academy are:
.Identify and engage persons in their own context
.Receive persons and affirm their call and passion for ministry
.Equip persons as disciples of Jesus Christ
.Send persons to serve as Christian leaders in the home, church and community
.Nurture persons as they engage in the daily living of their faith and ministry.

In the thirteen different Hispanic ministries currently in the conference, and others which are beginning to form, there are from one to all of the following essential expressions of ministry included: Radical Hospitality, Evangelism, Outreach, Worship, Bible Study, and Prayer and Praise.

The Academy presented a dramatic visual look at Hispanic/Latino ministry across the Conference

The work of the Hispanic/Latino Academy for Spiritual Formation and Leadership Development is guided by an Advisory Team on the following principles:
.We affirm the different expressions of Hispanic Ministries which includes outreach ministries, faith communities and congregations.
.We affirm the call and passion for ministry of Hispanic/Latino persons with all educational and economic backgrounds.
.We affirm a wide spectrum of theological expressions within the Hispanic/Latino community, recognizing that the center is to believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, and guided by the Great Commandment in Matthew 22:37-39, and the Great Commission in Matthew 28: 19-20.
.We affirm the ministry of the laity, lay missioners, supply pastors, local pastors, and ordained clergy, as all are important to be able to reach Hispanic/Latino communities.
.We recognize that there is no standard blue print or road map to develop Hispanic ministries. Therefore, the Conference, through the Academy and the Council on Connectional Ministries, provides and allows space for Hispanic/Latino ministries to emerge, knowing that no two Hispanic ministries will be alike.

Members of Tennessee Annual Conference churches: You are invited to read the other articles here to see ways the Academy is fulfilling this purpose based on the above guiding principles. You are also invited to join in participation through prayer and in seeing how your congregation can become involved in the Great Commandment and the Great Commission in your neighborhood with ALL God’s people!

A copy of the DVD on the Hispanic/Latino Academy and its ministries shown at Annual Conference is available for sharing in your congregation at jgarcia@tnumc.org or by calling 615-329-1177. Come be a part of God’s call to be in this “Great Commission Ministry”! This is everyone’s ministry and everyone’s goal!


Justice for Our Neighbors (JFON) provides legal services for immigrants

Jan Snider conducts a training session for new JFON volunteers

Middle Tennessee’s Justice for Our Neighbors (JFON) welcomes immigrants and refugees into our community by providing free, high-quality immigration legal services, advocacy and public education. With the exception of a paid full-time immigration attorney, the program is built on an ecumenical foundation of volunteerism and hospitality.

Middle Tennessee Justice For Our Neighbors currently offers a once-a-month legal clinic in Nashville. It is a goal to expand the service by two more clinics in outlying areas. The ministry follows a model designed and mentored by the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR). Currently, UMCOR is providing our site with a attorney through the national Justice for Our Neighbors organizing office. It is our goal to have enough funds to hire a full-time attorney for our ministry by the Spring of 2009.


Kathryn Spry, clinic coordinator for JFON

If you feel a calling to be a JFON volunteer you can volunteer or received further information about volunteer opportunities through Jan Snider at 615-742-5474, or email tnjfon@comcast.net. Jan Snider is also available to talk to civic and church groups about the Jfon ministry.

Martin Methodist College scholarship established to honor Rev. Barbara Garcia
Potential UMC leaders from Hispanic/Latino churches will benefit from funds

The Rev. Barbara Phillips Garcia Scholarship has been established at Martin Methodist College to help students who have demonstrated potential for leadership in the United Methodist Church.

The scholarship, funded by family and friends of Barbara Garcia, was announced June 10th at the Martin Methodist College dinner at the 2008 Annual Conference. Joining the Garcia family in celebrating the scholarship were more than 150 guests, including many pastors and friends from the Hispanic-Latino fellowships and congregations in the Tennessee Conference.

Dr. Ted Brown presents a certificate to Barbara Phillips Garcia after the announcement of a scholarship in her name.

A Barbara Phillips Garcia scholarship is designed to help students who have demonstrated potential for church leadership. Special consideration will be given to students from Hispanic/Latino backgrounds and other under-represented ethnic groups in the United Methodist Church. The scholarship program is in honor of Rev. Garcia’s lifelong commitment to Christian service and leadership as reflected in her relationship to her family, the United Methodist Church, and the Methodist Church of Mexico. It also reflects Rev. Garcia’s commitment to those who my have had less opportunity for education.

“Given her extraordinary life, witness, and ministry, it is an honor to have the name of the Rev. Barbara Phillips Garcia connected to Martin Methodist College,” said President Ted Brown. “Her ministry will serve as an example in nurturing future church leaders. The generosity of the Phillips and Garcia families and friends will help the Cal Turner Jr. Center for Church Leadership identify, invite, nurture and send out future church leaders formed in the United Methodist Church, and committed to transforming their community and the world. Her story is a model that exemplifies the ethos of Martin Methodist College’s vision to be a model of church-related higher education.”

“Indeed,” notes Dr. Brown, “one can hardly imagine a better fit between the college’s mission and purpose of the scholarship. As a church-related college, Martin Methodist each fall welcomes students who have been nurtured in the faith in local congregations, who continue to grow on campus, and who return to their churches as mature leaders, helping to transform families and communities. For 138 years, this campus has served as a gateway for first-generation students into the larger world, and this scholarship will make it possible for other first-generation students to be formed by the United Methodist Church as Barbara has been.”

Pastors and friends from Hispanic-Latino fellowships and congregations celebrated the establishment of the Barbara Phillips Garcia Scholarship.

Domenic Nigrelli, director of the Cal Turner Jr. Center for Church Leadership at Martin Methodist College, added that the Garcia Scholarship becomes another instrument in the Center’s commitment to recruit Hispanic/Latino students to Martin Methodist College by:

.Informing potential Hispanic/Latino students and their parents about Martin Methodist College, financial aid possibilities such as the Church Leadership Scholarship; and offering a special Preview Day on campus where prospective Hispanic/Latino students will get to know the campus, programs and faculty
.Identifying and supporting a Martin Representative in each of the Hispanic/Latino churches or fellowships
.Involving the Leadership Development team (a student group) and the college’s Praise and Worship Band in collaborative projects with the youth of the various Hispanic/Latino churches and fellowships.

Anyone interested in contributing to the Barbara Phillips Garcia Scholarship Fund should contact the Cal Turner Jr. Center for Church Leadership at 931-363-9898.

13 Steps Toward Launching a Hispanic Ministry
Some drawn from Chapel Hill in Riddleton, some more general.
By John Purdue

1. Ministry is Ministry: There are no essential differences between Hispanic ministries and other missions or ministries. Hispanics have the same basic needs that everyone else does: safety, shelter, food, God… Begin with the idea that “they” are “us” and then you can easily pick up a few tools to deal with what cultural differences do exist.

2. Share Leadership: Church leadership should not be a right, an obligation or a burden. When it becomes concentrated in the hands of too few, it becomes all three. Chapel Hill experienced the revival that included Hispanic ministry only after laity intentionally involved a larger number of persons in leadership. Shared leadership will need to grow into diverse leadership for Hispanic ministry to flourish.

3. A Spirit of Openness: 1999 began a period of openness to new ways of doing things at Chapel Hill; openness to pastoral guidance, to hosting an African-American congregation, to Hispanic ministry and to many other smaller programs. Churches that are unwilling to try new things are not ready for Hispanic ministry.

4. Engage In Other Multi-Ethnic Ministry Experiences: (Crawl Before You Walk)
Openness can be built through a series of small steps. Hispanic ministry is difficult because its scope can be quite broad. Churches that have had other multi-ethnic ministry experiences, such as holding VBS jointly with a church of another ethnic group will be better prepared to deal with the challenges of Hispanic ministry.

5. Ministry Takes Many Shapes and Evolves Quickly: No two Hispanic ministries in the Tennessee Annual Conference are alike. All are evolving rapidly. The Hispanic ministry at Chapel Hill began during preliminary training sessions when a few local Hispanics began helping teach the Spanish as a Second Language (SSL) class. A Bible study, English as a Second Language (ESL) class, soccer games and dinner were added. Soon a prayer time evolved that morphed into a worship service from which a congregation emerged. Leadership should expect change. There is no pattern. There is no right way that you will be tested on later. You are the expert; pray, find a starting point and God will make something happen.

6. Bundle Programming: Having a group of programs on the same day (Bible Study, ESL, SSL, play time, worship and dinner, for example) is helpful. It allows time to build relationships and makes specific programming changes easier because the commitment from the laity is to be at church on Sunday rather than to be at this or that event.

7. Cultural and Linguistic Training: Even given that ministry is ministry, cultural training that leads to cultural sensitivity is absolutely essential for Hispanic ministry. Without a loving understanding of some of the basics of Hispanic/American culture churches will eventually fail. Additionally, if a church is not committed enough to have a core group learn some basic Spanish, it is probably ready only for a limited type of Hispanic Ministry.

The following are a few key cultural differences and linguistic essentials that emerged at Chapel Hill.

· We all have a culture – Both Anglos and Anglo churches have cultures. It is critical to keep in mind that you do not understand everything about everyone’s culture. Continue to learn and recognize that there are differences between our culture, our church’s culture, and The Gospel.
· Time – Anglo and Hispanic clocks run differently. At Chapel Hill we solved this problem by distinguishing between “2:00 p.m. anglo time” and “2:00 p.m. Hispanic time.” Know which “clock” you are using.
· Family –Hispanic tradition calls for Sundays to be family time. Thus in the USA, with churches serving as surrogate families, church programming is family programming.
· Economics and Education- Many persons who have immigrated to the USA without documents may not have educational or economic opportunities. While they are bright, capable and spiritual individuals, their education and general economic situation may create barriers.
· Work, Risk and Immigration – Hispanics are here to work. Those without legal documentation are in constant jeopardy of losing their jobs and being deported. Immigration concerns are “the water many Hispanics swim in.”
· Language Training – Spanish speakers often find the church a powerful ally in learning English, both through formal ESL classes and by just talking with English speakers. ESL and SSL classes are bedrocks for Hispanic Ministry.
· Translation Issues – Once a church gets involved with Hispanic ministry, translators come out of the woodwork. Translating for worship, however, is a special skill and is both tiring and difficult. It is worth noting that certified court interpreters in Nashville begin at $70 an hour.

8. Health Care / Food and Shelter / Social Networking: Helping folks access health care, basic necessities such as food and shelter and become involved in the larger community (especially schools) are three areas of tremendous opportunity. All these were very helpful in starting Hispanic Ministries at Chapel Hill.

9. Eating Together: At the table we can clearly and easily see (and smell and taste) that we are really not that different. At the table we build our families as we share our lives together. At the table, we eat together and become friends. What we do at table makes us who we are.

10. Building / Grounds Usage: Both Hispanic and Anglo leadership must work closely to coordinate, clean, and keep up facilities. Even the most terrible mess will not ruin a relationship, but a pattern of inconsiderate usage, by Anglos or Hispanics, will become quite problematic very quickly.

11. The Hispanic Pastorate: A Hispanic pastor tends to have more authority within their congregations than an Anglo pastor. A Hispanic pastor’s wife (La Pastora) also has significant authority. Hispanic congregants also place greater demands on their pastor.

12. Listening to the Whole Church: Every church will contain both supporters and detractors of Hispanic ministry. Both groups need to be heard for the ministry to survive over time: it is everyone’s church. Interestingly, our experience at Chapel Hill was that the less involved Anglos often had clearer insights about specific issues than any other group. Cast the vision of a diverse church and count the yes to implement that vision.

13. Geography is not everything: Is your church well positioned for Hispanic ministry? Are you close to a burgeoning immigrant population? Chapel Hill is not. It is a rural church in an isolated area and all but one of the Hispanic families involved in the church live farther away than every one of the Anglo families in the church. But it is a church that really has an open heart, open mind and thus has open doors.

West Nashville United Methodist Church Reaches out to its neighborhood
By Angela Flanagan

In May 2007, it looked like a Hispanic Ministry at West Nashville UMC just wasn’t going to happen. Just as the ministry was getting off the ground, the Hispanic pastor was called back to Mexico by his bishop. The small congregation disbanded and the English-speaking congregation was disappointed. It just wasn’t meant to be…yet.

In June, Sherry Cothran Woolsey, a student at Vanderbilt Divinity School, was added to the staff as Community Ministries Director. She analyzed the communities surrounding the church and found thousands of Hispanic families within a two-mile radius of the church. Something just had to be done to reach these families, but without Spanish-speakers that just wasn’t going to happen.

So when Sherry met Angela Flanagan at Vanderbilt Divinity School that fall and found out that she spoke Spanish and wanted to work with Hispanic Ministry, Sherry did her networking magic. Sherry and Pastor Dennis Meaker went to meet with the Cal Turner Jr. Leadership Scholars program at Vanderbilt Divinity School to secure an intern, and lo and behold, Angela was already a part of the program and looking to intern at a Hispanic Ministries site. Less than a week after Angela was officially assigned to WNUMC, Rev. Meaker hired Laura Feliciano to be the lay pastor and director of the Hispanic Ministry. The pieces were coming together!

With Sherry’s knowledge of the community, Laura’s experience with Hispanic ministry, and Angela’s passion for working with children, a ministry began to form. In mid October 2007, we began a weekly worship service in Spanish. By mid November, an ESL class had begun with a Bible lesson for the children whose parents were learning English. By January, we had a weekly small group meeting at a local Mexican Restaurant.

West Nashville Hispanic children enjoy an outing in the park – accompanied by a clown.

Things were moving fast, but it wasn’t all success along the way. In January, Sundays passed when no one came to worship in Spanish and ESL class attendance struggled to get more than one student per week. While the path was anything but clear, God provided a way.

After much discernment, we moved the Sunday Spanish worship time from 2pm to 11:30am, moved the ESL classes to Cockrill Elementary with the help of a Pencil Foundation partnership, and began a prayer and Bible study on Saturday mornings. This was just the jump start we needed!

With the help of Cockrill Elementary School, our ESL class attendance steadily grew. The earlier worship time was more convenient and our attendance steadily grew. The prayer and Bible study provided an opportunity for the emotional and spiritual bonding that allows a budding ministry to flourish.

By May our average worship attendance was 10-15, and we were ready to bring the ESL class back to the church during the summer. We had our first confession of faith and frequent fellowship events after the worship service on Sundays. A church family was forming!

Most of the regular Hispanic congregation at West Nashville UMC

As we continue in ministry at the Hispanic-Latino Community of West Nashville UMC, we have many new plans. Future attractions include computer classes, VBS in Spanish, a soccer team, and a health fair. We look forward to the many surprises God will provide along the way.

We’re reaching people at last! Praise God! But our true ministry is not in our numbers; real ministry is happening in the most difficult situations we have encountered. We have struggled with various congregants dealing with such difficult issues as deportation and domestic violence. Among these many stories, one family’s story stands out.

They were our first family to show up for ESL classes back in November. They had drifted away January through March but were brought back to us under the worst of circumstances. The dad was arrested for not having proper documentation leaving mom with three children and one more on the way. He was quickly moved to Louisiana and communication was intermittent.

Without their sole source of income, mom sold all of their furniture in order to raise money for her and her children to travel to Mexico once her husband had been deported. It was a waiting game.

In the mean time, Mom started coming to church and prayer and Bible study bringing her three children along. Her children quickly became attached to our congregation. Our congregation embraced the family with open arms offering their support in prayer, food, rent money, and child care. And mom’s faith blossomed as she relied on God to carry her through this crisis. Her witness touched many as she put her complete trust in God.

With the help of much prayer and the advice of JFON volunteer, dad received a voluntary departure from a Louisiana judge and was able to return to his family a little over a month after being detained. The entire congregation celebrated his return with a fiesta to rejoice in the reuniting of their family.

Since then, this family has become the most active family in our ministry. They have helped other families in similar immigration situations, offered their time and service to church maintenance, helped advertise events, and helped lead worship. Best of all, they intend to start a ministry when they return to Mexico in September. Our congregation intends to commission them as missionaries and continue to support their work in Mexico as an outreach ministry.

Early on, one of the songs we taught the children of the family previously mentioned is called “el amor de Dios” (the love of God). When their mom asks them where they want to go to church, they tell her that they want to go to “la iglesia del amor de Dios” (the church of the love of God). And from then on, the rest of the congregation caught on. And so our nickname has become “the church of the love of God.” And that’s exactly who we intend to be.

Revival! A Pastor’s Story of the Development of Hispanic Ministry in an Anglo Church
By John Purdue

The first Spanish word I learned, really learned, was mano. (hand) It was my second or third Sunday at the Hartsville/Chapel Hill United Methodist Church charge and I was playing soccer in borrowed cleats (borrowed from a Hispanic youth) on the large church lawn with a bunch of guys whose language I only caught bits and pieces of. We had been playing a while and I was doing OK when, by reflex (I grew up playing basketball!) I reached out for the ball as it sailed past. Suddenly a chorus of “Mano! Mano! Mano!” rained down on me. For a second I wasn’t exactly sure what was wrong, because I had only touched the ball with my arm, not my hand. But when the teams lined up for a penalty kick, the realization that I might have cost my team a goal set in. And while, thankfully, our goalie was able to block the kick, I was, after that, crystal clear about “mano.”

Over the next five years, as pastor of now two Anglo churches with thriving Hispanic ministries, I have discovered at least two more things. First, the incredible joy in being in community with brothers and sisters who are culturally unlike me. Second, I have discovered the incredible joy in being in community with brothers and sisters who are essentially just like me: sweating the same way on the soccer field, worrying about money the same way, dealing with illness, trying to do well in school, worshiping God, falling in and out of love, failing, succeeding, and everything else in life, more or less the same way. Just folks. What follows is the story of those discoveries, not just by me but by the whole Chapel Hill in Riddleton.

In 1999, Chapel Hill, like thousands of other rural churches was barely keeping the doors open, the next generation uninterested, worship dwindling, service to the community nonexistent and frustrated at its lack of vitality and initiative. It was a church just waiting for a few more saints to receive their eternal reward before closing the doors forever. But God began to move and over the next seven years the church would recover its former vitality by becoming multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, multi-lingual and even multi-national. Though it is still a small church in a very small town, average attendance has gone from five to sixty five and the church is ministering in ways and places it could not have dreamed ten years ago. In 2006, nine Hispanic members of the church became certified lay speakers, bringing the total number of certified lay speakers in the church to eleven, and the church is even working towards second and third campuses for Hispanic ministry in other towns. God saved Chapel Hill not for multi-ethnic ministry but by and through multi-ethnic ministry.

In June of 1999, two of the four members at Chapel Hill died in three days. The pastor, Norman Weber, worn down by years of effort to revive the church, asked the District Superintendent, Dr. Lynn Hill, to close the church and allow him to focus his energies on more productive fields.

After a meeting at which the churches’ eventual fate was seemingly sealed, God, through the efforts of both pastor and laity, turned the church around. A scant three months later, on October 3rd, 1999, Weber received into the membership every person listed on the constituent roll: ten persons were brought into the church. The day became known as “Holy Sunday.”

The church, revived by the Holy Spirit, continued to grow and expand in its worship, study and community involvement. Pastor Weber left the following June, and under the leadership of the new pastor, Stephen Sanders, took community involvement to a new level when, early on the morning of September 28th, 2000, Williams Chapel AME, about a mile from Chapel Hill, burned and Pastor Sanders offered to let Williams Chapel meet at Chapel Hill as long as was needed. The churches became one family in the eleven months Williams Chapel needed to rebuild; eleven months of joyous and intense cultural and ethnic exchange.

While the doors of the church were opened for the benefit of another church and for the Kingdom, this action directly benefited Chapel Hill. Several new members joined the church because of its openness to helping others, especially openness across ethnic lines. It was a period of exuberance and vitality, a golden age in the life of both churches. When Williams Chapel finished their rebuilding, “What now?” became the question of the day at Chapel Hill.

About a year later, in the fall of 2002, a few members of Chapel Hill began to attend training for Hispanic Ministry at First UMC in Carthage, about 6 miles away. The answer to the “What now?” question at Chapel Hill began to look like Hispanic ministry. The classes, supported by the National Plan for Hispanic Ministry, continued for nine months and focused on the Anglos learning both culture and language. Additionally, the Anglo pastor, Stephen Sanders, who speaks Spanish, began a Spanish Bible study. It was attended by only one Hispanic brother, Geronimo, for four months, but was not abandoned by pastor or parishioner. The Bible study finally grew, but primarily the layman reached out to his community to bring others in. And in they came.

One of the first persons to come with Pablo was a Mexican national who had been a pastor in Mexico named Tito Hernandez. It took some convincing for Pastor Hernandez to come with Geronimo not because he had had a bad experience with an Anglo church, but because the relationship between Anglo churches generally and Hispanics was, in Hernandez’s view, fraught with trouble. Finally, however, Geronimo prevailed upon him to come and he was welcomed, and he began to bring his family, and after a few months, Pastor Sanders passed the leadership of the Bible Study to him.

Over the next six months, the Bible Study grew into a church service accompanied by ESL and SSL classes (Spanish as a Second Language,) soccer matches, and, perhaps most importantly for the development of interethnic relationships, dinners where Hispanics and Anglos sat, ate and laughed side by side, even though they didn’t share the same language).

Three months later, I took Sander’s role. Significant cultural exchange; significant building of relationships that crossed previously uncrossed boundaries, significant change in the life of both Hispanics and Anglos, significant spiritual transformation through interethnic sharing all continued. And Chapel Hill continued to experience revival, strong revival. From 2 members with an average worship attendance of four persons in 1999 and no other programming, Chapel Hill grew to a membership of thirty two and a worship attendance of sixty five by 2006, with very significant community involvement, Bible studies, Sunday School and a holistic and strong church. And while there were more than a few bumps along the road, the movement of God within the institution that was Chapel Hill UMC has been exciting and powerful for all who have been privileged to share the ride.