Fiesta Spirit Moving the American Church

New research shows Latinos are joining evangelical and Pentecostal churches at such a brisk rate that they're shaking up American Christianity. Daniel Alvarez teaches religious studies at Florida International University. He says reserved congregations get ready for a change. Alvarez said, "Hispanics kind of bring a sense of community, a sense of belonging, a sense of closeness, that shatters traditional boundaries. So I think that with Hispanics, not only physical space but spiritual space kind of collapses on itself and you get those kinds of closeness. I think when my Anglo brothers and sisters discover that, they'll find it quite fascinating." Pastor Alberto Delgado presides over the Miami mega-church Alpha & Omega. "The enthusiasm! You guys, you gringos, are kind of more relaxed," Delgado said. "We're more passionate about things." Alberto Cubas preaches at Iglesia Emmanuel outside Miami. "Hispanics by nature are more active in the movements," Cubas said. A majority of these newcomers are charismatics, and they're taking along their belief in lively worship, tongues, prophecy, and modern-day miracles with them. With 54 percent of the Latino Catholics and 57 percent of the Latino Protestants being Pentecostal, they're sure to bring more and more of the charismatic lifestyle into the entire Church in the years ahead. Luis Lugo's Pew Forum just did the largest study ever of Latino Christians in the U.S. He says they now make up a third of America's Catholic Church, and -- again -- a majority of those Latino Catholics are charismatic. Lugo said, "A large percentage of Roman Catholics are quite acquainted with the clapping, the shouting, the lively music.what I call bringing the fiesta spirit into the Mass." "The fiesta spirit comes from us and that's true," Delgado said. Lugo said, "A Latino Catholic is three to four times more likely than non-Latino Catholics to participate in those Pentecostal kinds of activities." But for many American-born Hispanics, the Catholic Church isn't enough. More than 80 percent of converts from Catholicism point to one major desire that led them to leave -- a personal experience. Lugo explained, "Without any rival, it's a closer experience -- a personal experience -- with God." Alvarez says it's that desire that's making Pentecostalism so popular. "In terms of meeting the individual personal type of experience, there's where the Catholics and mainline Protestants are lacking. And that's the turf into which the Pentecostals are moving quite effectively," Alvarez said. Lugo says the Hispanics are particularly good at reinforcing this intimate relationship with God by forming themselves into small fellowship groups in numbers unrivaled anywhere else in Christianity. So they may be in huge mega-churches like Alpha & Omega on Sunday. "But what goes on during the week of course is that those thousands are breaking up into small groups of ten to 12 and praying together, reading the Bible together and helping each other with job searches, etc. So it's being reinforced, let's say, sociologically," Lugo said. Well-known charismatic pastor Rod Parsley, author of Culturally Incorrect, is welcoming the flood into his Columbus, Ohio church. "In fact, we just had to open our tenth ministry at World Harvest Church," Parsley said. "It's called Latin Harvest Church -- all Spanish-speaking services for the people who Spanish is their number one language." Parsley said, "They really enjoy vibrant worship of the Lord, and I'm sure excited to have them as part of the ministry." And Cubas says the Lord's moving powerfully among Latinos in and around Miami as well. Cubas said, "We're living a revival here in south Florida. People are running to churches. They're looking more for God. There's a big hunger." "And I think that kind of an energy is going to reverberate throughout the fabric of American Christianity," Alvarez said. Delgado believes the passionate Latino element will only add to the power of this revival. "When you are excited, you come to a level of expectancy which is one of the main ingredients of faith," he said. Delgado says its such expectant faith that's now allowing miracles and revival power to flow. "Things are happening already in America and we're going to come to associate and add to whatever is happening, which will be positive for us and be positive for you guys," Delgado said. One thing's for sure: as the Fiesta spirit teams up with the Holy Spirit here in the U.S., the face of American Christianity is about to get a facelift.