[Episcopal Church Office of Public Affairs] Registration is now open for the October session of the Episcopal Latino Ministry Competency, an innovative nine-day intensive course designed for diocesan staff, clergy, lay leaders, and seminarians to learn cultural competency for Latino ministry.

Offered by the Episcopal Church Office of Latino/Hispanic Ministries, the course will be held at St. James Commons, Episcopal Diocese of Chicago, Chicago, IL, Sunday to Tuesday, October 15 to 24.   The course will be taught by seminary faculty, lay church leaders, and clergy 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,” noted 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.”

The course will be conducted in English. Bilingual faculty will interpret as needed.

Registration is available here.  Registration includes tuition, hotel accommodations, meals, transportation to and from O’Hare Airport, and transportation during the course.  Registration does not include textbooks.

Registration deadline is September 29.

The October session marks the second offering of the Episcopal Latino Ministry. A future offering will be held at Bloy House, the Episcopal Theological School at Claremont, CA on June 10-19, 2018.

Among the goals of the course are:
• Show a familiarity with the general Latino culture and “religiosity” context of Latino worship and sacramental pastoral care.
• Learn to manage and address the worshiping needs of a dual language congregation, or to prepare for a special liturgical event involving English and Spanish speaking attendees.
• Acquire a fundamental competency in learning the general aspects of the pastoral and congregational ministries aimed at the immigrant and first generation, plus the ministry focused especially on the more acculturated and English-language speaking Latinos of the second and third generation.
• Define and interpret the broad historical and demographic profile of the Latino/Hispanic population in the United States through designated readings, course lectures, written reflections, class participation and experiential trips.
• Acquire first-hand knowledge of the church in mission in the borderlands* and identify the political, social, and pastoral issues revolving around immigration from Mexico as well as Central and South America and the Caribbean. (*Borderlands refers to either the US/Mexico border or immigrant entry points in urban centers.)

For more information, contact Guillén at aguillen@episcopalchurch.org.

Competency Enabled by General Convention 2015 Resolution AO86:  Create a Network of Partners on Latino/Hispanic Congregational Ministry Development, the course will provide foundational tools for church leaders to gain a deep understanding of ways of welcoming and serving Latino families, and sharing spiritual, sacramental and community life together.