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May 30, 2013

The Rev. Al Rodriguez Earns ECF Fellowship

Al rodriguezThe Episcopal Church Foundation has named its 2013 Fellows who bring an exciting vision and passion for the future of the Episcopal Church. The Rev. Al Rodriguez, rector of St. John's, Austin, earned a fellowship for his project, The American Latino Outreach (ALEO).

 

For nearly 50 years ECF has helped enable emerging scholars and ministry leaders in the Episcopal Church through the Fellowship Partners Program to pursue studies and ministries they might not otherwise be able to, and share their knowledge and learnings with the wider Church.

 

ALEO is aimed at American born Latinos and those brought into the country as young children. Assimilated and bicultural Latinos, many who have lived in the U.S. for generations, represent about 65% of the Latino population; however, they are not usually involved in the traditional Hispanic ministries. Al elaborates, “Neither are they on the evangelistic radar screen of most English-speaking congregations and diocesan offices."

Al’s 25 years of working in traditional Hispanic ministry and his experience as a Mexican American rector guiding a dual-language parish have given him the background for initiating this vital, but missing plank in Latino ministry. The ALEO project will provide training modules, how-to resources and experimental worship models aimed at increasing the cross-cultural competence of seminarians and clergy called to this emerging ministry.

The ALEO project aims to demonstrate that a hands-on, evangelistic campaign focused on English dominant Latinos is dependent more on knowing their worship preferences and their bicultural and bilingual characteristics, than on the ability to minister and officiate liturgically in fluent Spanish.

 

Click here to read about other ECF Fellowship recipients.