Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Beverly Rykerd, VP, Publicity Director
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(719) 268-1935
Latino Christians Lead Tidal Wave of Change in Church, Communities, the World
“For many, the Latino Reformation is unknown, unrecognized, and unimportant—three good reasons why every white and black Christian needs to read When Faith Catches Fire.”
—Dr. Scot McKnight, Julius R. Mantey professor of New Testament, Northern Seminary
Latino Christians are blazing trails of local, national, regional and global change. In the next few years, their influence will only continue to grow and be felt in the church, in business, in government and politics, in the economy, in arts and sports and in the important and pressing issue of race relations.
This year the Christian church will celebrate the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation. In
When Faith Catches Fire: Embracing the Spiritual Passion of the Latino Reformation (WaterBrook, June 20, 2017)
, Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, and Dr. Robert Crosby, theology professor at Southeastern University, argue that the Latino Reformation has begun. A movement they call the “salsafication” of the church is poised to impact every area of culture.
According to Rodriguez and Crosby, the tipping point is here. Consider these facts:
· Latino Evangelicals are the fastest-growing religious group in the United States
· Latinos are turning not just to Protestantism but to its evangelical strain…more than 35% of Hispanics in America call themselves born-again
· The massive Christian population in Latin America is becoming more Pentecostal or charismatic
· Rodriguez was the first Evangelical Latino to participate in the inauguration ceremony for a U.S. president
“We believe the church’s greatest opportunities are now multiethnic and multigenerational…” write Rodriguez and Crosby. “Whether you’re a neighbor, pastor, teacher, government leader or businessperson who wants to reach out to Latinos, this is the book to help you do so, to help you understand more of the significance and immediacy of the opportunity.”
In
When Faith Catches Fire, Rodriguez and Crosby unpack the reasons for the growing Latino influence on the Church, noting the phenomenon is more of a spiritual awakening than a social trend. This awakening is leading to what the authors see as a more passionate, spirit-filled faith sweeping throughout North and South America. Along with it comes changes in forms of worship, an emphasis on diversity and a growing concern to incorporate compassion into evangelism.
In addition, Rodriguez and Crosby address head on the Latino influence on many of the leading issues of the day for not only Latino Christians themselves, but for the direction of American society as a whole, such as:
· Immigration
· Race Relations
· Politics
· Sanctity of life
“This carefully researched, balanced, and highly readable book provides a superb overview of one of the most important developments in the religion and culture of our time,” says Dr. Harvey Cox, Hollis professor of divinity emeritus, Harvard University. “The volume will be indispensable for leaders and laity alike in all denominations.”
For more information, visit www.waterbrookmultnomah.com.
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ABOUT THE AUTHORS: Samuel Rodriguez is the president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference (NHCLC)/CONEL, the world’s largest Hispanic Christian organization, which represents more than 100 million Hispanic Evangelicals in nearly 500,000 churches in the U.S. and other countries. Rodriguez, who spoke at the inauguration ceremony for President Donald Trump, is the first Evangelical Latino to participate in a presidential inauguration. He has served as an advisor to three presidents. Rodriguez is named on many lists of influencers in America’s religious and Latino communities. He is the author of
The Lamb's Agenda and
Be Light. He and his family live in Sacramento, CA. www.nhclc.org
Dr. Robert Crosby is a pastor, conference speaker and the co-founder of Teaming Life. He serves as professor of practical theology at Southeastern University in Lakeland, Florida. He has pastored multi-ethnic churches in New York, Boston, and Tampa. His most recent books include
The One Jesus Loves, The Will of a Man & The Way of a Woman and
The Teaming Church. He writes for
Christianity Today,
Leadership Journal, Outreach Magazine and
The Huffington Post. www.teaminglife.com
Contact Publicist
Beverly Rykerd
