1979-2006 Educating "Hispano Hoosiers": From the Hispanic Ministries Program to the Center for Intercultural Teaching and Learning at Goshen College

Religion is one of the most important aspects of Latino life in the United States. While a majority of the Latino population are Catholic, the last fifty years has seen Latinos gradually shift their religious allegiances toward mainline Protestant and Pentecostal churches. This essay examines Latinos in the (Old) Mennonite Church who in the late 1970s organized the Hispanic Ministries Department on the campus of Goshen (Ind.) College. Far from an isolated case, the work of Latino Mennonites was part of a larger movement of Latino Protestants and Catholics in the 1970s who challenged their religious leaders to be more attentive to the needs of the Latino community. The essay looks at the conflicts and challenges that the Hispanic Ministries Department faced at Goshen College and concludes by showing how a new program is addressing the educational needs of Latinos in northern Indiana.

Educating "Hispano Hoosiers": From the Hispanic Ministries Program to the Center for Intercultural Teaching and Learning at Goshen College, 1979-2006 Academic Article