The NHCLC Emphasizes Evangelism and Education Through High Impact Efforts Via The Hispanic Church
The National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, also known as the Hispanic Evangelical Association, the nation’s largest Christian Hispanic organization, has announced that they will emphasize evangelism and education through high impact efforts, in addition to their seven primary directives.
“The Church and education intersect at a pivotal point,” said Dr. Gus Reyes, Director of Hispanic Education Initiative/Affinity Ministries for the Baptist General Convention of Texas and Director of the NHCLC Education Directive. “The NHCLC reaches out to the Hispanic community through the Hispanic Church in bringing others to Christ, to the Cross. Additionally it encourages and equips the Church to help people of all ages ‘finish-the-race’ by creating a ‘go-to’ college atmosphere and culture. When a person is educated it enhances and expedites their ability to then disciple others, serving Christ. Thus it starts at the Cross and ends at the Cross. Powerful!”
The NHCLC (www.nhclc.org) states that, although 2012 is a Presidential year, their priority is a non-partisan agenda, an agenda of the Lamb and the Cross—both horizontal and vertical. Headline news continues to talk about the GOP race and the November election but the NHCLC will focus on bringing souls to Christ through the Hispanic Church, particularly through an emphasis on church planting across the U.S. and Puerto Rico and ultimately showing the love and mercy of Christ to Americans in need of hope.
Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, President of the NHCLC, is often quoted about the vertical and horizontal work of the NHCLC and he has announced that the NHCLC’s 2012 vertical focus will be actuating a strong course of evangelism and church planting through the Hispanic Church. In addition, the NHCLC will host the first-ever, of its sort, 2012 National Church Planting Summit— bringing superlative models from denominations and ministry networks, from across America, together for a time of discussion, learning tracks and planning in order to create an unparalleled and significantly effective church planting model.
The NHCLC’s primary horizontal focus for 2012 will be education with a goal of 25% Hispanic enrollment in Secondary education by end of this year. The NHCLC partners with Christian universities and colleges through their education directive and their Hispanic Education Alliance.
The Alliance is comprised of nine Christian Universities and colleges working in conjunction with an outstanding assembly of pastors, church leaders, academic administrators, and educators who are united in making great strides toward impacting the drop-out statistics and increasing the educational pursuits of the Hispanic community for the betterment of the nation— believing that Christian schools and organizations can be the catalyst for a national Hispanic movement.
Dr. Jesse Miranda, President of The Miranda Center and CEO of the NHCLC, said, “Latinos are ranking at or near the bottom of the educational ladder. If nothing is done to improve this situation then all of society will ultimately suffer. Without such progress, the nation will be unable to draw on the full range of talents in this population during an era when the value of an educated citizenry has never been greater. NHCLC believes that education, work and faith in God are the levers to uplift a people to become the Christian nation we profess to be.”
Rev. Rodriguez said, “As we begin this new year, the NHCLC has set our vision and concentration on high impact efforts through evangelism and education—building upon the Hispanic Church in 2012—planting churches, bringing people to a saving knowledge in Jesus Christ and equipping the Church to step in and help others finish the race strong through the education process.”
The NHCLC and the Hispanic Education Alliance will host its third Education Summit at Indiana Wesleyan University on October 17, 2012 with thousands expected to attend.
“2012 may very well be an unprecedented election year—we believe that as we enter 2012 and our second decade of ministry, it will be an unprecedented year, a dramatic ground-breaking year, on behalf of the agenda of the Lamb and the Cross,” Rodriguez concluded.