Latinos Flocking To Pentecostal Churches

More and more Latinos are turning to Pentecostal churches - the fastest growing denomination in the United States, and Alaska Governor Sarah Palin’s favorite platform on which to announce that Jesus wants a pipeline. The denomination has more U.S. followers than any religion with the exception of Catholicism.

It is the Catholic Church, in fact, that many Latino converts have been leaving in favor of joining the Pentecostal church - 1.3 million Latino Catholics who have immigrated to this country have moved over to Pentecostal congregations. It has been shown that the longer Latinos stay in this country, the more likely they are to leave the Catholic Church, wooed as they are by the seductive jangle of acoustic guitars and tambourines. 

Explains Desiree Martinez, a convert who has been a member of the Pentecostal church for two years: ”I love the music, the emotional sermons and the emphasis on the Holy Spirit. I didn’t get those feelings in the Catholic Church.”

The Catholic Church is keeping a close eye on Pentecostal churches and actively learning from them. Rev. James Murphy explains what his church is noticing and speculates as to what Latinos are seeking out from these Protestant congregations that they were not receiving from Catholic services. He notes that there are “charismatic Catholics” masses that include many similarities to Pentecostal services, such as the ability to inspire certain bloggers to keep far away. And, while Murphy commends Pentecostal churches for their focus on prayer, he has a word of warning: ”Public prayer can become a show if there isn’t a strong private prayer life at home as well.” Burn! With eternal hellfire.

As controversial as the Pentecostal church’s role in politics became during Sarah Palin’s campaign as Vice Presidential hopeful, many of these churches have acknowledged their Latino members, but have made an effort to focus on issues of concern to many of these Latino converts - such as immigration. 

Another reason Latinos may find evangelical churches alluring, explains Gastón Espinosa, assistant professor of Religious Studies at Claremont McKenna College, is that they allow Latino members to become active and empowered in a way the Catholic Church did not. He explains:

Another important factor in the Pentecostalization of Latino religion is lack of leadership opportunity in the Catholic hierarchy, in which Latinos are underrepresented. Latinos make up about 40 percent of all U.S. Catholics, but less than 8 percent of American Catholic priests are Hispanic. Of the 47,000 Catholic priests in the United States, only 2,700 are Hispanic – many of whom come from Columbia and Spain.

 
What do you think of this trend? Do you consider yourself an Evangelical Latino? Did you leave the Catholic Church in order to become one? And do you ever get to participate in snake handling? (No, seriously - we want to know all about that.)

Pentecostal church draws Latinos [The Sacramento Bee]

Latino Religion in the U.S.: Demographic Shifts and Trends [FACSnet]