Growing Hispanic population flocks to Pentecostal, evangelical churches
HILLSBORO, Ore. (AP) — More than 400 people pack the sanctuary of the Hillsboro Spanish Seventh-day Adventist Church on a Saturday morning. They talk, laugh, sing. They throng the altar, shaking hands and patting backs.
And when Pastor Roger Hernandez roams the pulpit, hand raised to the heavens, cries of "Amen" fill the air.
With 125 new members this year alone, the church reflects a regionwide trend.
Traditionally Roman Catholic, Latinos in the Pacific Northwest are seeking out other branches of Christianity. The most rapid growth is in the Pentecostal, Charismatic and Evangelical churches, where congregations aggressively pursue and strive to accommodate Hispanic members.
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