Hispanic Church Planters Face Unique Advantages And Obstacles

José Abella’s parents grew up in Cuba before immigrating to the United States in the 1960s, but he’s spent his entire life in the U.S. Abella says this multicultural pull is both an advantage and an obstacle for Hispanic church planters.

Having planted Providence Road Church in Miami in 2010, Abella knows from personal experience the circumstances surrounding starting new Hispanic congregations. While still leading Providence Road, he was named vice president of Send Network Español, the North American Mission Board’s Hispanic church planting efforts, in 2024.

A Lifeway Research study found the average new Hispanic church work starts with 31 people in attendance but grows consistently. By the eighth year, the church sees an average of 85 people at the weekly worship service. All through that early season, they’re reaching 10 to 15 new people with the gospel each year.

The growth in Protestant Hispanic churches excites Abella. “It is a realization that the Lord is saving people from every tribe, nation and language,” he said. More than 3 in 4 pastors of new Hispanic works (77%) are first generation immigrants, but “they work to assimilate into a new context in a new nation while reaching the people around them.”

Multicultural advantages

This lack of stability grants Hispanic church planters a flexibility that enhances their ministry, Abella said. “They aren’t established. They don’t have a legacy of wealth and retirement,” he said. “They have a mindset to work hard and make it better for the next generation. Hispanic church planters put the gospel at the forefront of their allegiance and keep them focused on the gospel.”

Most of the attendees of new Hispanic church works are relatively new to Protestant churches. Around one in five previously attended Catholic churches (21%). Another one in five never attended church at all (19%), while 16% had not attended church for many years before starting with their current church. A few previously attended groups such as Jehovah’s Witnesses or The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (1%).

Abella said this gospel effectiveness comes from the church leaders’ perspective. “There is a lack of distraction in finding their identity in other means,” he said, “so they remain focused on evangelism and discipleship.”

The church planters recognize what they have and what they don’t have. “It’s not about being attractional. That takes money and venues they don’t have. They can’t simply set up and draw a crowd,” he said.

“Instead, they feel like missionaries because they aren’t in their home culture. They put in the work of sharing the gospel over dinner room tables. It’s a slower and more difficult climb, but these planters are doing the work.”

It’s this attitude that Abella says other pastors and planters can learn from their Hispanic brothers. “There’s a lot we can do with a little,” he said.

“The kingdom of God is not primarily about big budgets and the logistical means to get things done. It’s planting seeds and trusting the Lord to make it grow. That’s how it functions in most of the world. It shouldn’t work. It doesn’t have the money. But God works through that.”

Still, Abella recognizes that Hispanic church planters have some issues to overcome.

Multicultural obstacles

Assimilation takes time, and church planters often aren’t patient with that process, he said. “It takes a season to get adjusted and figure out how to survive. Some never figure it out,” Abella said.

“The reason assimilation is so important is because it’s necessary to be effective in ministry. They can’t simply start a church that looks like a church back home in their previous context. They have to build a church that reaches people in this context for the long run.”

Part of that plan, Abella believes, is a bilingual ministry. Currently, 2 in 3 Hispanic church plants (65%) conduct their services entirely in Spanish. Just 1 in 5 (20%) are bilingual. “If you don’t have a plan for the second and third generation, who are probably bilingual, you probably have a 15-to-20-year shelf life as a church.”

As Hispanic church planters are working to assimilate into their new contexts, they’re also facing increased cultural pressure and potential deportations of attendees.

Half (50%) say they’ve had to address pain and fear in the congregation from changes in government practices. More than a third say in-person attendance declined when undocumented members were afraid to leave home (35%) and church finances have suffered when undocumented workers have been unable to work (34%).

A third of new Hispanic church works (32%) have seen more members of the congregation needing tangible help. More than a quarter say members have moved away (29%), and the congregation has been discouraged by the disrespectful tone in culture toward Hispanics (27%).

Amid these issues, 38% say there has been greater interest among unchurched Hispanics looking for hope, while 16% say they haven’t seen any of these changes in their congregation.

Abella said churches have felt this pressure, and there may still be a sense of fear even among churchgoers who are legally in the U.S. He said some pastors have taken custody of children because their families had been deported. Some churches no longer meet in person and have gone online because attendees are worried about gathering in public.

Still, Abella is confident Hispanic church plants will continue to reach new people for Christ because of the determination of the planters.

“Success for them is a healthy marriage and family, along with a congregation that is thriving on mission with God,” he said. That is likely to continue, because Hispanic church planters consider multiplication to be the greatest expression of their gospel witness. They are thinking long-term for the next generation of people and churches. They are looking forward to sending out their first missionary and their first church planter.”

Much of this has come from a growing partnership with English-speaking Anglo churches, Abella said. “There is a waiting list of English-speaking churches ready to bring on a Hispanic campus pastor,” he said.

“This is a beautiful picture of the gospel that wasn’t as prevalent a few years ago. We can all be in this together, all working together to push back the darkness.”