The National Plan for Hispanic/Latino Ministry
The United Methodist Church
For Immediate Release
October 4, 2022
Webinar helps voices of United Methodist Hispanic/Latino members be heard
Atlanta, GA – The National Plan for Hispanic/Latino Ministry of the United Methodist Church (NPHLM) is announcing an informative live webinar “We Are United Methodists: Tools for Discerning Our Future” for Hispanic/Latino congregations, members and leaders on October 17, 2022 at 8 pm EST.
This event will be hosted on Recursos Metodistas Unidos, ResourceUMC.org’s Spanish language platform. The webinar is presented in partnership with the General Commission on Religion and Race (GCORR) and United Methodist Communications (UMCom) and will feature a panel discussion followed by a live Q&A session. Viewers are encouraged to pre-register and will be given the opportunity to submit their questions in advance.
The webinar will help:
- provide a space for sound information to help Hispanic/Latino ministries throughout the connection to discern best steps to move forward together in The United Methodist Church.
- discuss how our connectional system protects and cares for the most vulnerable ministries when it comes to disaffiliating congregations, especially because of the impact of systemic racism
- ensure a sense of self-determination and ability to make choices with all the correct and important information
- answer questions and emphasize that people have agency
In preparation for the webinar, a special landing page has launched that provides background information and helpful resources in English, Spanish and Portuguese that will continue to be updated leading up to the event. It will also serve as the event’s home and a later archive resource for members.
“There is great urgency for this conversation as manipulation is happening that is robbing people of having their voices heard. I am increasingly receiving emails and calls about this matter,” shares Dr. Lydia Munoz who serves as director for the National Plan. “A number of congregations are miscommunicating with their Latino ministries and congregants, hindering participation in important local church votes and leaving the community fearful with many questions. This webinar aims to alleviate some of this confusion.”
The online event will be moderated by Rev. Dr. Munoz and the Rev. Dr. Giovanni Arroyo (General Secretary, CGORR). Panelists include representatives from the Council of Bishops and Hispanic/Latino district superintendents from around the connection.
The event will be shared simultaneously through the National Plan, Recursos Metodistas Unidos and the La Iglesia Metodista Unida/ Servicio Metodista Unido de Noticias Facebook pages.
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About the National Plan for Hispanic/Latino Ministry
The National Plan are committed people who work to create more opportunities for Hispanic/Latinos to genuinely access a pathway to sit at the table as agents of transformation in society in the full establishment of God’s Kingdom. Learn more at nphlm.org
About United Methodist Communications
As the communications agency for The United Methodist Church, United Methodist Communications seeks to increase awareness and visibility of the denomination in communities and nations around the globe. United Methodist Communications also offers services, tools, and resources for communications ministry. Discover more about the agency at Resourceumc.org/Communications. Follow them on Facebook and Instagram.
About General Commission on Religion and Race
The General Commission on Religion and Race is one of 13 church-wide agencies of The United Methodist Church. The Commission offers teaching resources, training, and networking for Christians seeking to bring their faith to the task of dismantling racism, tribalism, and xenophobia in all forms. More information is available at https://www.gcorr.org/.
