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Hispanic Episcopalians gather for 'New Dawn' in Los Angeles
By Victor Ruiz
2002-128
5/21/2002
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[Episcopal News Service]
For the first time in more than 15 years, 220 bishops, clergy and lay people from dioceses across the Episcopal Church in the United States gathered May 13-16 in Los Angeles, California, to bring Latinos an increased presence and place in the Episcopal Church.
Fifteen years ago the Latino presence in the Episcopal Church of the United States was practically nonexistent. Today there are five Latino bishops and more than 200 Latino priests serving over 50,000 Hispanic Episcopalians.
Keynote speaker for the national meeting, entitled: 'New Dawn: Challenges and Opportunities,' was Dr. Justo Gonzalez, a Christian theologian and professor at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. Gonzalez spoke about the increasing proportion of Spanish-speaking members in the different Christian churches across the country and the expectation that Hispanics will be 50% of the population in a majority of the states in a decade. 'The church that doesn't pay attention to Latinos is not concerned with its future,' said Gonzalez.
Among the bishops who attended and supported the gathering was Bishop Leo Frade of the Diocese of Southeast Florida, who spoke of 'the asphyxia that the structure is creating in this church' and how it is possible that the 'new dawn' and a change of mind among Latino members might get them united and create 'an efficient organization not dependent upon the structures.' Frade told participants that the presence and growth of Hispanics, 'who have injected a tremendous vitality into this church, has taken place without any invitation.' The bishop invited the leaders present to demand from their bishops a greater involvement of Hispanics in the life of the church, and encouraged those present to participate more decisively in all the governing bodies of the Episcopal Church.
Positive energy
The conference's second day began with representatives of the eight provinces giving reports about Hispanic missionary activities in their dioceses. There was also a discussion panel about the Manifiesto de Atlanta, a document written in Easter 2001 that demands special attention be given to Hispanic missionary activity. Among the panel participants were two bishops who signed the document: Wilfrido Ramos-Orench, bishop suffragan of Connecticut, and Victor Scantlebury, assistant bishop of Chicago. Other bishops present were Katharine Jefferts Schori of Nevada; Gethin B. Hughes of San Diego; Sergio Carranza, bishop of Mexico; and James H. Ottley, assistant bishop of Southeast Florida.
On the closing day, Ramos-Orench gave a speech in which he defined the gathering as 'an experience of resurrection in the life of the Hispanic Episcopal Church' and encouraged everyone to return to their dioceses with the idea of 'keeping united. The union of Hispanic Episcopalians is not an option: it is an urgent necessity.'
At the close of the conference, a black stone brought from nearby beaches was given to each participant as a symbol of the burden Christians carry that can be delivered to Jesus Christ who said, 'Come unto me, all you that travail and are heavy laden, and I will refresh you' (Matthew 11:28).
Participants unanimously supported the creation of an organization tentatively called the United Hispanic Episcopalians, similar to the Union of Black Episcopalians (UBE).
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