August 9-13, 2021
There is still time to register for the next session of the Virtual Episcopal Latino Ministry Competency Course (VELMC), an innovative five-day intensive course designed for diocesan staff, clergy, lay leaders, and seminarians to gain practical knowledge and cultural competency for Latino/Hispanic ministry.
The Aug. 9-13 session will be the fourth VELMC offered since the beginning of the pandemic. Over 100 participants have attended the previous sessions.
The five-day VELMC includes 20 hours of online classroom presentations, worship services, and group dialogue, with comfortable breaks and an ample lunch time factored in from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (EDT) each day.
These popular sessions are offered by The Episcopal Church’s Office of Latino/Hispanic Ministries and taught by seminary faculty, clergy, and lay leaders with extensive experience in Latino and intercultural ministry.
“Combining academic learning with hands-on experience, the purpose of this multi-faceted intensive course is to provide cultural competency of the history, culture, socio-demographic, and religious aspects of the Latinos/Hispanics in the United States,” explains the Rev. Canon Anthony Guillén, Episcopal Church missioner for Latino/Hispanic Ministries. “Also, this course will provide the foundational tools necessary for church leaders to discern and explore the type of Latino/Hispanic ministry that best fits a congregational setting and its context.”
At the end of the course, participants should be able to:
• Describe the socio-demographic, cultural, and religious characteristics of Latinos/as in the United States, including generational distinctions.
• Discuss the religious history of Latinos/as and theological issues related to Latino/Hispanic ministry.
• Recognize the worshiping needs of dual-language congregations and prepare for multicultural liturgical celebrations.
• Demonstrate familiarity with the general aspects of ministries aimed at immigrant and first-generation Latinos/as, as well as ministries focused on the more acculturated and English-language speaking Latinos/as of the second and third generation.
• Articulate the complex issues related to Latino immigration, including its political, socio-demographic, and pastoral implications.
The course will be conducted in English.
Registration rate is $300 for the course. Click here for registration for the Aug. 9-13 session. Registration deadline is July 30.
For more information, contact Anthony Guillén, 212-716-6073.
NOTE: Continuing education units are available for all participants upon completion of the course.