Thread: My Old Church Goes Bilingual

This is the church I grew up in, the last five years it has been swallowed by members of the hispanic community. I left the church due to personal reasons in 2000, my folks left in 2003. I remember when we had a congregation that understood each other, no matter the color of their skin or nation of origin.

http://www.emporiagazette.com/news/2006 ... s_pageant/

The shepherds stared in awe as the angels arrived. From the nearby speaker system, the old Christmas verses echoed across the sanctuary of First Friends Church.

“No temais; porque he aqui os doy nuevas de gran gozo ...” Ada Escamilla read into the microphone. The Spanish words continued for a minute or two longer. Then it was Marjorie Miller’s turn.

“Don’t be afraid, for I bring you good news of great joy ...”

This will be the second year that First Friends has held a bilingual Christmas pageant, bringing together its Spanish-speaking and English-speaking congregations. At Sunday night’s practice, the sights were familiar enough: wise men and shepherds struggling into their robes, a young angel chewing on his halo, wooden camels leaning up against the wall.

Tomas Martinez watches members of his church rehearse for their Christmas program. Martinez is the director of the program at First Friends Church.

Of course, coordinating a bilingual Nativity has its own unique challenges, such as finding just the right word to explain something to everyone.

“It gives you an opportunity to laugh at yourself as you struggle with the language barrier,” said the Rev. Charity Sandstrom, the English-language pastor who plays Mary. “It turns comical very quickly.”

As the practice proceeded, the Rev. Tomas Martinez often seemed to be in a dozen places at once: directing the action, checking a tableau, helping wrestle scenery into the sanctuary. Both versions of the script were written by Martinez, the pastor of the Hispanic congregation.

“When I was a youth in my church in Guatemala, we made dramas, Biblical dramas, which I liked,” Martinez said. “When we got here, I asked one committee, ‘What do you think about Christmas?’ They said ‘Great!’ I asked ‘What do you think about a drama? And they said ‘We like it, but who would do it?’”

Martinez immediately volunteered. Soon he and the other pastor at the time, the Rev. Tom Decker, had a pageant.
Richard Sandstrom prays to God for guidance as Joseph in the First Friends Church Christmas program. The program is in both english and spanish.

The response has been good. The two congregations combined have about 70 members, but at least 20 have taken part in the pageant each year. And last year, it drew a little attention.

‘We had a pretty nice crowd, about 100 people,” said Betty Jo Plank as she watched the action in her angel costume. “And most of our congregation was up there in the program!”

None of the performers have any lines except for the two narrators, who read from the script. Everybody else gets to pantomime ... which, admittedly, is easier when you understand the words.

“You just have to really, really listen to know when you come in,” Plank said.

The pageant begins at 6 p.m. Sunday in the church, located at Sixth Avenue and Sylvan Street.

Meanwhile, Martinez is already setting his sights on the next Christmas pageant.

“I work hard in preparing to make next year better,” he said. “Maybe this time next year, we’ll be needing a bigger place. Who knows?”

their phone number if you want to call and voice disagreement:
(620) 342-6734

Sounds like a lamentable sign of the times. I think it is playing to the cheap seats but they may see it as getting the word out to as many people as possible. When Churches start to aid and abet illegals or influence politics it's time for them to lose their tax free status.

Growing up in the South, I didn't see much social ministry. Maybe
everyone felt they were struggling and affluence provides people
the ability. At my church, we have a part-time hispanic minister,
after-school program with homework tutors, etc. to the nearby
apartment complexes. Church members of a conservative bent
excuse it because it's private vs public & I assume the rationale
is they have a choice about how & what to give. When there is
enough critical mass, I expect a service in spanish. Not sure what
to do except vote with my feet because I'm not on any commitees.
It's a mainstream, institutional church. It's going on all over the
place as far as I can see.

I hope this doesn't sound patronizing, but why in the heck didn't
churches ever feel the need to help black Americans who were obviously
struggling with civil rights & real needs? I would be PO'ed if I
was a black American!!!

Originally Posted by andyt

Sounds like a lamentable sign of the times. I think it is playing to the cheap seats but they may see it as getting the word out to as many people as possible. When Churches start to aid and abet illegals or influence politics it's time for them to lose their tax free status.

Good point. Perhaps the church in Chicago that's shelterinng Elvira Arellano should lose its tax free status.

Meanwhile, Martinez is already setting his sights on the next Christmas pageant.

By next year they will have pushed all of the english speakers out and became a santuary.
That`s what usually happens when a communty get over run. They not only take the community but everything it stands for along with all of the credit that`s not not due to them.

When the minister starts being an advocate for amnesty instead of a confessor for illegals it is time to have him removed. As far as having a bilingual delivered congregation I was born in one and there is nothing wrong with it. My father an Anglo was he layreader who gave the Spanish reading and sermon. There are a lot of elders who have not yet picked up English and for whom the leson resonates personally better in Spanish.

my point is that the Church, a member of the quaker faith, should take it upon itself to teach members english instead of doing something just because they feel it is necessary. Imagine if 15 Cambodians wanted to go to church there and asked that the narrator do the pageant in three languages.... that would be unacceptable.

the line must be drawn somewhere. When I was a child I was in mexico for a christmas. I knew no Spanish at all and yet never complained that the members of that church did everything in spanish.

[quote="dragons5"]This is the church I grew up in, the last five years it has been swallowed by members of the hispanic community. I left the church due to personal reasons in 2000, my folks left in 2003. I remember when we had a congregation that understood each other, no matter the color of their skin or nation of origin. ]



Isn't that a good thing? The Jehovah Witness translate their bibles and literature in over 200 languages and have congregations in 235 lands. Overseers are of people of their land. No one race have claim to God and Christ. Here is Reno there are many Church or Christ that are totally Hispanic. God is God of all nations and nationalities.
Here in Reno, the biggest congregations of Jehovah Witnesses are Hispanic. Just as Catholics are many races.