Univision : The Path of Faith - Part 1

Gregory Bishop, a pastor with the Lion of Judah Congregation, explains the benefits of the gospel for new believers. The interview is part of 'El sendero de la fe', a Univisión series produced by Carolina Pereira. Original broadcast date: November 21, 2006.

Unvision: We change the subject and it is that in these violent times there are many people who say they are experiencing a profound spirituality, among they, many Hispanics.

That's right, Sara, and today in the second part of the special "The Path of Faith", Ana Carolina Pereyra introduces us to some Christian religions that are fostering this approach to God. Ana:

Every day more Hispanics say they have had a new birth experience in Jesus Christ, either through the Catholic charismatic movement, or in one of the growing Latino, Protestant, Evangelical or Pentecostal congregations. from the country.

Bishop: I think there is a spiritual desire in people. People want something real, they want a relationship with God.

Pineda Madrid: The desire to connect with God and the desire for prayer can be focused on a deep spirituality. Evangelical churches and the charismatic movement offer that. So there is a natural desire for affirmation and closerness with God.

Univisión: According to the Institute of Latino Studies at the University of Notterdame, 22% of Hispanic Catholics are charismatics, a movement based on the early church whose main focus is to praise God.

Mendicoa: I think it fits extremely well with the Latino way of being, because it's something spontaneous. It's not something that's just one... well, they're obviously organized, but it's not something that follows a rule, but spontaneously they start talking, they start singing.

Unvisión: Similarly, 23% of Latinos attend so-called evangelical or Pentecostal churches.

Bishop: Jesus, for our people, is not a theological concept, nor is it a religious action. Jesus, for our people, is a living person that they know, that they experience, that they need in daily life.

Mendicoa: Precisely because these evangelical churches have that way of praying, that way of expressing themselves, and then they do well. In other words, psychologically and spiritually it fills them.

Bishop: There are so many struggles for the immigrant community as we know, that life is not easy for anyone and having that connection with Jesus day by day is a faith that sustains them.

A vision: The Rev. Greg Bishop of the Lion of Judah Congregation grew up Catholic and, like many believers in this religion, admits that he initially associated evangelical cults with the stereotype of fanaticism.

Bishop: I saw them as Hallelujah!, like, in English the word is “fanatic”, in Spanish this has another meaning, like crazy people. And the truth is when someone sees us singing and crying and sometimes people even fall, under the power of God, they get scared, like what's going on here?, but it's not fanaticism. It is a genuine expression. The truth is that yes, being a Christian is something extreme, something that radically changes life but it is something that is done without imposing.

Unvision: Unlike most Catholic parishes in the country, there are evangelical congregations whose sole purpose is to attend to the needs of the communities they serve through worship in your language, educational programs and even immigration services.

Pineda Madrid: I think they make an effort to reach out to the community, knocking on doors and trying to meet their neighbors. In the long run, I believe that Hispanics have responded positively to these efforts.

Bishop: We don't believe in stealing people from any Christian church and the Catholic church is a Christian church. What's more, many times we work together with the Catholic Church. We believe in that, that Christianity is not a matter of the church, nor of a pastor or a priest, that being a Christian is having faith in Jesus and that there is no salvation in any act...

Unvision: Christians who say they have been born again in Jesus Christ say the experience has positively impacted their lives.

Tomorrow our special “The path of faith” we will see and hear their testimony.

Well, thank you, remember then tomorrow the third part of this report "The path of faith." Thanks to Anna for the information.