Latino Leadership Circle

On Sin

"Sin is both the overstepping of a line and the failure to reach it--both transgression and shortcoming.  Sin is a missing of the mark, a spoiling of goods, a staining of garments, a hitch in one's gait, a wandering from the path, a fragmenting of the whole.  Sin is what culpably disturbs shalom.  Sinful human life is a caricature of proper human life."

Neal Plantinga

Not the Way It's Supposed to Be: A Breviary of Sin

President Obama's Commitment to Enact Comprehensive Immigration Reform

For immediate release
June 26, 2009             
Contact: Rosario Díaz-Cintrón  (215) 324-0746 x 205
rdiaz-cintron@esperanza.us

The Reverend Luis Cortés, Jr. Thanks President Obama For His Commitment to Enact Comprehensive Immigration Reform

PHILADELPHIA, PA --- Today, the President met with Congressional leaders at the White House to discuss comprehensive immigration reform. Following the meeting, after reviewing the President’s statement and discussing the meeting with Congressional leaders, Rev. Luis Cortés, president of Esperanza, issued the followingg statement:

“I thank the President for his statement that his ‘Administration is fully behind an effort to achieve comprehensive immigration reform.’ We will accelerate our efforts with the White House, Secretary Napolitano and Congressional leaders of both parties to forge bipartisan agreements that will see comprehensive immigration reform enacted within the year.”

Rev. Cortés also congratulated the President on the progress his Administration has already made clearing the backlog of background checks, speeding up the processing of citizenship petitions, cracking down on unscrupulous employers and working to protect all workers from workplace exploitation.

“We look forward with great anticipation to United States Citizenship and Immigration Services’ (USCIS) new website that is being designed to enable applicants to obtain updates on the status of their applications online and without the endless bureaucratic shuffles and red tape of the past,” Cortés continued, “Families across the nation and across the world will welcome this new system.”

Last evening, Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) spoke to Rev. Cortés about the meeting and asked Rev. Cortés to share his optimism and gratitude with the Hispanic faith community. “Last night would not have been possible without the support and hard work of Hispanic churches across the nation and the Familia Unidas movement,” said Congressman Gutierrez.

The Reverend Luis Cortés, Jr. is president of Esperanza, the largest Hispanic faith-based Evangelical network in the United Sates. With a national network of more than 12,000 churches, ministries, and community organizations, Esperanza is one of the leading voices for Hispanics in America. For more information, go to www.esperanza.us.

Immigration Reform is a Christian Issue

On Friday, June 19th, over 750 influential Latino Evangelical clergy and leaders converged on Washington, D.C., to pray for our country and its leaders, talk with our members of Congress about immigration reform, housing, etc, and hear from our President and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano.

Latino/a evangelicals where lead by the Rev. Luis Cortés, the president and founder of Esperanza. By all accounts Esperanza is the largest and most active Latino evangelical organization in the country and has hosted the National Hispanic Prayer Breakfast for the past 6 years. The leadership of Esperanza has over 12,000 congregations and over 500 not-for-profit faith organizations in its network. In the last several years the National Hispanic Prayer breakfast has been attended by President Obama, President George W. Bush, Senator John McCain, Secretary Hilary Clinton, and members of Congress from all sides of the political spectrum.

This year one message was made clear at the breakfast. What is that message? The millions of Latino/a evangelicals are calling for fair and humane immigration reform now. This is not just a political issue this is a moral, spiritual issue that cannot wait.

Over 2/3 of Americans agree that the immigration system is broken and is in need of reform. Evangelical clergy are asking for a workable reform that respects the law and conserves human dignity. Not reforming is not a viable option; people will remain in the shadows and families will continually be separated. A way has to be made for people to earn a path to citizenship; even if this means paying a fine, and creating a line for the close to 12

million undocumented immigrants.

The clergy gathered at the Esperanza National Hispanic Prayer Breakfast are people of faith and compassion. We believe in finding a balance between justice and mercy. There is a way forward that respects the law, and honors human dignity. The voices who say that this is not possible have not understood U.S. ingenuity and our incredible capacity to find workable solutions. Moreover, voices that argue for a reform that does not provide a path to citizenship underestimate this countries' incredible legacy and capacity for welcoming the stranger. This welcoming the stranger has always honored existing citizens while creating paths that are true to Emma Lazarus' claim, "Bring me your poor,your tired, your hungry...." It is also part of the ancient Christian ethics of hospitality and generosity.

We heard President Obama commit to immigration reform as a Presidential candidate. We know heard him repeat that commitment at the breakfast. Our prayer now is for legislative action. The Hispanic Congressional Caucus and leaders like Congressman Luis Gutierrez have led a tour around the country emphasizing the impact of this issue for thousand of U.S. citizens. While we understand the need for dealing with the economic crisis, health care reform, and the challenges to totalitarianism all over the world. We believe

that this Administration and Congress have the capacity to enact comprehensive immigration reform while responding to these issues responsibly. We earnestly expect that this will not be delayed nor denied.

Future generations and millions of people of faith committed to loving our neighbors and welcoming the stranger pray for comprehensive and humane immigration reform now.

By Gabriel Salguero  |  June 20, 2009; 7:10 PM ET
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Historic nomination: Hispanic Sotomayor as justice

By BEN FELLER, Associated Press Writer Ben Feller, Associated Press Writer – Tue May 26, 7:55 pm ET

WASHINGTON – Reaching for history, President Barack Obama on Tuesday chose federal appeals judge  Sonia Sotomayor to be the first Hispanic justice on the Supreme Court, championing her as a compassionate, seasoned jurist whose against-the-odds life journey affirms the American dream. Republicans who will decide whether to make a fight of her confirmation said they want thorough hearings.

However, defeating Sotomayor would be difficult in the heavily Democratic Senate, and even a major effort to block her confirmation could be risky for a party still reeling from last year's elections. Hispanics are the fastest-growing part of the population and increasingly active politically.

Obama, eager to begin putting his imprint on the court, beamed as he introduced Sotomayor as a judge who displays both an impressive mind and heart, a jurist who takes on cases with "an understanding of how the world works and how ordinary people live." He raved about her credentials, saying she would start on the job with more experience on the bench than any of the current nine justices had when they began.

The White House tableau itself was history: A black president and his white vice president, Joe Biden, striding onto a stage in the ornate East Room with the nominee who grew up in a New York housing project where her parents had moved from Puerto Rico.

At 54, Sotomayor (pronounced soh-toh-my-YOR'), would join Ruth Bader Ginsburg as the second woman on the court and just the third in its history. She would replace liberal Justice David Souter, thereby maintaining the court's ideological divide. A number of important cases have been divided by 5-4 majorities, with conservative- and liberal-leaning justices split 4-4 and Justice Anthony Kennedy providing the decisive vote.

Senate Republicans pledged to give her a fair hearing but cautioned they would question her rigorously and not be rushed. The president, whose approval ratings trump those of Congress, challenged the Senate to move swiftly and confirm her before Congress' August break. The Supreme Court begins its new term in October.

Democrats hold 59 votes in the Senate, more than enough to confirm Sotomayor but not quite enough to stop a vote-blocking filibuster if Republicans should attempt one.

The top Senate Republican, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, said: "We will thoroughly examine her record to ensure she understands that the role of a jurist in our democracy is to apply the law evenhandedly, despite their own feelings or personal or political preferences."

In one of her most notable decisions as an appellate judge, she sided last year with the city of New Haven, Conn., in a discrimination case brought by white firefighters. The city threw out results of a promotion exam because too few minorities scored high enough. Coincidentally, that case is now before the Supreme Court.

Her ruling had already drawn criticism from conservatives and is likely to play a role in her confirmation hearing.

Still, seven of the Senate's current Republicans voted to confirm her for the appeals court in 1998, and she was first nominated to be a federal judge by Republican President George H.W. Bush.

Born in the South Bronx, Sotomayor lost her father at a young age and watched her mother work two jobs to provide for her and her brother. Her path has soared ever since: Princeton University and Yale Law School, then positions as a commercial litigator, federal district judge and appellate judge.

"What you've shown in your life is that it doesn't matter where you come from, what you look like or what challenges life throws your way," Obama said Sotomayor stood at his side at a packed White House event. "No dream is beyond reach in the United States of America."

Said the nominee: "I am an ordinary person who has been blessed with extraordinary opportunities and experiences."

Obama's selection was not just about the next justice but also the new president.

He had not met Sotomayor until he interviewed her last Thursday at the White House. She was the only one of the four finalists he did not know. But in addition to her other qualifications, she offered a politically attractive background and appealing narrative.

Justices on the nine-member court receive lifetime appointments and can have a profound influence on daily life. Sotomayor would be a new voice on the cases that often reflect divisions in the broader society, including national security, abortion, gay rights and privacy.

Even before she was nominated, conservative activists were describing her as a judicial activist who would put feelings above the Constitution.

Sotomayor seemed to take the matter head on. She said the rule of law is the foundation of all basic rights and the principles set forth by the Founding Fathers endure. "Those principles," she said at the White House, "are as meaningful and relevant in each generation as the generation before."

The nomination of the woman who would be the first Hispanic justice comes with the United States on a population path that will see minorities become the majority, and Hispanic leaders saw Tuesday's nomination as significant.

"We are reaching a certain level politically and socially, and this is being recognized by the administration," said Gabriela Lemus of the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement.

As a kid in New York's South Bronx, Sotomayor had to deal with diabetes but dreamed of a career in law, inspired by reading Nancy Drew books and watching "Perry Mason" on TV.

"Although I grew up in very modest and challenging circumstances, I consider my life to be immeasurably rich," said Sotomayor, who smiled broadly as she introduced her mother, Celina, in the front row. The nominee is divorced with no children.

Yet it is her written and spoken opinions, not her compelling life story, that are likely to shape the tone of her confirmation consideration in the Senate.

Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama, the top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, said he had talked with Obama and Sotomayor Tuesday and assured them she would be treated fairly. "I'd like it to be a hearing that people can be proud of," he said.

In one of her most memorable rulings as federal district judge, in 1995, Sotomayor ruled with Major League Baseball players over owners in a labor strike that had led to the cancellation of the World Series. "Some say that Judge Sotomayor saved baseball," Obama said.

She became a federal judge for the Southern District of New York in 1992, then an appeals judge in 1998 for the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which covers New York, Vermont and Connecticut.

Obama chose her over three other finalists: federal appellate judge Diane Wood, Solicitor General Elena Kagan and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano. Obama interviewed all of them, too, last week. He decided on Sotomayor at about 8 p.m. Monday and telephoned her with the good news.

White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said Obama never questioned Sotomayor specifically about abortion, often a flash-point topic for court nominees.

Obama came to office at a time when several potential vacancies loomed on the high court. Justice John Paul Stevens is 89, and Ginsburg recently underwent surgery for pancreatic cancer.

Sotomayor has spoken about her pride in her ethnic background and has said that personal experiences "affect the facts that judges choose to see."

"I simply do not know exactly what the difference will be in my judging," she said in a speech in 2001. "But I accept there will be some based on my gender and my Latina heritage."

___

Associated Press writers David Espo, Darlene Superville, Ben Evans, Jesse J. Holland and Julie Hirschfeld Davis contributed to this story.

Article found at:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090526/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_obama_supreme_court

Making the Case: Upcoming 20/20 Training Dates

20/20 Vision for Schools is sponsoring two Level 1 trainings next week to empower individuals to make the case for adopting schools at their churches.

1) “Mission Critical: Reaching a Generation One School at a Time”
Monday May 11, 7-9 PM
Hosted by The Coalition of Urban Youth Workers
Kings College @ The Empire State Building
Details and RSVP here: www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=190422175726

2) “Partnering with Schools: How Churches Can Reach Youth through Schools”
Thursday, May 14, 10 AM -12 PM
Hosted by World Vision NY at the South Bronx Storehouse
Details and RSVP here: www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=190422175726

See you there!

BONUS: Don’t forget the LEVEL 3 Mentoring training May 29-30. Scholarships available. Email Edwin Pacheco for details.

Mentoring Ministry Training

(A Collaboration of Christian Association of Youth Mentoring & 20/20 Vision for Schools)

Download Flier

Date: Friday May 29 - Saturday May 30, 2009
Time: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
Location: Gateway City Church - 267 bay Ridge Ave - Brooklyn, NY 11220
Contact: Edwin Pacheco, Jr. @ 347.527.2697 or e-mail EPacheco@NYCLeadership.com

Registration fee:
$150 (group discounts and scholarship provided)

In Service,

Jeremy 
http://JeremyDelRio.com

Mentoring Ministry Training

20/20 Vision for Schools and the Christian Association of Youth Mentoring have collaborated to bring you a New York base mentoring training.
This training will prepare your ministry to do effective and safe mentoring with kids from your community, local schools, and those within your churches.
Peter Vanacore, who has over 20 years of mentoring experience nationally, will be presnting the best practices of mentoring as well as how to assess, partner, and follow-up with mentor-&-mentees.

Start Time:	Friday, May 29, 2009 at 9:00am
End Time:	Saturday, May 30, 2009 at 5:00pm
Location:	Gateway City Church
Street:	267 Bay Ridge Avenue
City/Town:	Brooklyn, NY

Registration fee: $150 (group discounts and scholarships are available)
To register go to: http://www.caym.org

ACTS Class 9 - Johnny Acevedo

Hispanics in Philanthropy is seeking an Intern

Hispanics in Philanthropy (HIP) serves as a catalyst to increase resources for the Latino and Latin American civil sector and increase Latino participation and leadership throughout philanthropy.  HIP’s work is designed to contribute to the greater effectiveness of philanthropy and to greater equity and diversity.  Our flagship initiative is the Funders’ Collaborative for Strong Latino Communities, a grantmaking program that pools funds from 100+ foundation, corporate, government, and individual donors to provide capacity-building grants and technical assistance to 400+ Latino-led nonprofit organizations in 18 sites across the U.S. and Latin America. Sites in the Northeast Region include New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts/Rhode Island, Philadelphia, and Washington, DC. More information is available on our website: www.hiponline.org.

 

Responsibilities

 

The Program Intern will provide administrative assistance to the program staff of HIP’s Northeast Regional Office and support the following areas:

 

Funders’ Collaborative for Strong Latino Communities

 

§    Learn and participate in grantmaking processes.

§    Assist with due diligence, including initial intake and review of online grant proposals and attachments.

§    Assist with preparation for applicant information sessions and grantee convenings.

§    Conduct data entry of grant applicant organizations, as well as updating and verifying records in HIP’s information management system.

§    Develop, organize, and maintain effective electronic and hard-copy filing systems for grant proposals and other grant applicant information.

 

Website maintenance

 

§    Update information on HIP’s Northeast sites (e.g. grantee information, funder lists, upcoming activities, etc.)

§    Assist in the development of a main Northeast Regional page and separate webpages for each of five Northeast sites

 

Special Event Planning

 

§    Assist with logistics for fundraising and summer membership event

§    Assemble communications and outreach materials.

§    Conduct outreach to HIP members and community leaders.

§    Record audience responses at the event (e.g. take photos, videotape, collect audience evaluations, etc.)

 

QUALIFICATIONS

 

Qualified candidates must have a demonstrated proficiency in Microsoft office (Word, Excel and PowerPoint), Dreamweaver, HTML, CSS and be familiar with database work. Must have a high level of verbal and written communication skills, and a demonstrated interest in the philanthropic or non-profit sector. Candidate must be organized, demonstrate attention to detail, have the ability to meet deadlines and juggle multiple tasks.  We are looking for a team player with a sense of humor. Proficiency in Spanish is preferred, though not required. This position will report to the Program Coordinators for the Northeast region.

 

Position type:  Volunteer, Part-time (2-3 day/week commitment), May 2009 through August 2009

 

Benefits:

 

§    Mentorship from seasoned philanthropic professionals in a supportive work environment

§    Opportunities for networking with Latino leaders in philanthropy and developing knowledge of Latino civil sector

§    Flexible work schedule possible

§    Ideal for a student, recent graduate, or other entry-level professional

§    Opportunities for travel to our sites (NY, MA/RI, CT, PA or DC)

§    Accommodating to any requirements for receiving academic credit

 

Position open until filled. Applicants are encouraged to apply immediately.

 

To Apply:  Send cover letter and resume to Adam Gasiewicz, Hispanics in Philanthropy, 55 Exchange Place, Suite 503, New York, NY 10005, or email to adam@hiponline.org. Email submissions are preferred.

After Losing Freedom, Some Immigrants Face Loss of Custody of Their Children

By GINGER THOMPSON

CARTHAGE, Mo. — When immigration agents raided a poultry processing plant near here two years ago, they had no idea a little American boy named Carlos would be swept up in the operation.

One of the 136 illegal immigrants detained in the raid was Carlos’s mother, Encarnación Bail Romero, a Guatemalan. A year and a half after she went to jail, a county court terminated Ms. Bail’s rights to her child on grounds of abandonment. Carlos, now 2, was adopted by a local couple.

In his decree, Judge David C. Dally of Circuit Court in Jasper County said the couple made a comfortable living, had rearranged their lives and work schedules to provide Carlos a stable home, and had support from their extended family. By contrast, Judge Dally said, Ms. Bail had little to offer.

“The only certainties in the biological mother’s future,” he wrote, “is that she will remain incarcerated until next year, and that she will be deported thereafter.”

See the rest of New York Times Article.....

Immigration Reform Letter to President Barack Obama

Colleagues:
 
It has taken some time but finally we are ready for our next steps. I am writing to give you follow-up on the immigration letter some of you signed some time ago. I appreciate you doing this in solidarity and out of a sense of friendship. I also appreciate that you all responded so quickly out of a sense of profound commitment to this cause.
 
As I mentioned Esperanza is now taking the lead to get the word out on this. It will be presented to President Barack Obama at the National Hispanic Prayer Breakfast in June sponsored by Esperanza.  Now the real work continues, please forward this link after reading the article below to any Christian leaders who may be interested in signing either as a leader or supporter: (Perhaps putting a link on your website to the Esperanza page may be helpful):

The link is:

http://www.esperanza.us/site/c.giKPL8PQLvF/b.3920279/k.76C4/Immigration_Reform_Letter.htm

Bendiciones,

Gabriel Salguero
The Rev. Gabriel A. Salguero
The Latino Leadership Circle
Director, Hispanic Leadership Program
Princeton Theological Seminary
gabriel.salguero@ptsem.edu

Letter Below:

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Honorable Barack Obama
President of the United States
Washington, DC

Dear Mr. President:

We congratulate you on your historic victory and the mandate for change that came so clearly out of your election this past November. As Hispanic Evangelical leaders and pastors of churches around the country, we stand ready to do our part to realize the promise of change. In our communities, an essential part of that change means enacting just and humane immigration reform.

We are leaders serving a diverse spectrum of churches, but we are united in the belief that every human being is created in the image of God. We take seriously the Gospel’s call to treat the foreigner with respect and compassion. Acting on this call means raising a public voice for immigration reform as a moral and spiritual issue.

When our current approaches leave families afraid to send their children to school, go to the grocery store, talk to the police during an emergency, or even answer a knock at the door, regardless of the nature of their immigration status, we must speak up. A divided, polarized, and frightened community works in complete contrast to the message of Christ’s love and reconciliation we strive to communicate in our world.

Congress’s failure to pass immigration reform in 2007 has only exacerbated the problem, confusing enforcement procedures at the state and local level and contributing to a climate where hateful rhetoric dominates the national dialogue. It was exactly this climate that drove so many Hispanic voters to the polls in November. Our community turned out to vote in record numbers, largely motivated by the negative rhetoric of the immigration debates in 2006 and 2007. We are looking for a solution.

We were encouraged by your campaign promise to act on immigration reform in the first year of your administration and we commit to working with you to achieve this goal. We urge an end to raids that divide and terrorize families and support a comprehensive reform that would prioritize family unity so husbands, wives, parents and children won’t be forced to wait years to reunite with their loved ones. We must effectively enforce our borders and restore the rule of law in this country, but we must also look with compassion upon the immigrants who are here.

We pray that your administration will work with Congress to take action on comprehensive immigration reform by Thanksgiving of 2009. As Americans we must not forget our history and values as a welcoming nation. It’s time for our country to come together so that all members of our society can share in the responsibility and the promise of making America the best it can be.

Sincerely,

STEERING COMMITTEE/ DRAFTERS:

The Rev. Luis Cortés, Jr. President/CEO, Esperanza

The Rev. Gabriel A. Salguero,
Executive, The Latino Leadership Circle,
Director, Hispanic Leadership Program, Princeton Theological Seminary,

The Rev. Wilfredo DeJesus,
Senior Pastor, New Life Church, Chicago, IL

The Rev. Dr. Raymond Rivera,
Pastor/Executive Director, The Latino Pastoral Action Center, Bronx, NY

The Rev. Joshua Rodriguez
Senior Pastor, The Cityline Church, Jersey City, NJ

Bishop Dr. Héctor L. Bonano
Presiding Bishop, CONLICO), NY, NY


CHARTER SIGNATURES:

The Rev. Dr. Nino González,
Senior Pastor/District Superintendent
El Calvario, Southeastern Spanish District Assemblies of God, FL

The Rev. Dr. Rogelio Ovalle,
Assistant Superintendent. NPLAD, Sacramento, CA

The Rev. David Ramos,
President/Convener, The Latino Leadership Circle, NY

The Rev. Dr. Isaías Mercado
Pastor/Vice-President, The Carpenter’s House/The Latino Leadership Foundation, Chicago, IL

The Rev. Dr. Roberto Hodgson Director, Hispanic Missions USA/Canada Church of the Nazarene, KS

The Rev. Luis A. Carlo, Ed.D
Associate Dean, Alliance Theological Seminary, NY

The Rev. Dr. Elizabeth D. Rios
Executive Pastor/President
Save The Nations/Center for Emerging Female Leadership, Orlando, FL


HISPANIC EVANGELICAL LEADERS

The Rev. Edwin Vargas,
President, Dia Nacional de Oración en Puerto Rico, P.R.

The Rev. Brigido Cabrera
Executive Director, Hispanic Ministries Reformed Church in America, NY

The Rev. Dr. Samuel Pagán,
Academic Dean, FCTS

The Rev. Maribel Zacapa
California Women’s Ministry Director, CA
Church Of God of Prophecy

The Rev. Eugenio Ambert
Executive & Senior Pastor, Centro de Embajadores, PR

Marilyn Hartman
El Shaddai Bethlehem, Bethlehem, PA

PROMINENT FAITH LEADERS

The Rev. Dr. Joel C. Hunter,
Senior Pastor, Northland – A Church Distributed

The Rev. Ronald Sider, Ph.D
President, Evangelicals for Social Action

David P. Gushee, Ph.D
President, Evangelicals for Human Rights
Distinguished University Professor of Christian Ethics, Mercer University, Atlanta, GA

Bart Campolo,
Leader, The Walnut Hills Fellowship, Cincinnati, OH
Executive Director, EAPE

The Rev. Dr. Oliver R. Phillips
Director, Mission Strategy for the Church of the Nazarene, Lenexa, KS

Lisa Sharon Harper
Executive Director, NY Faith & Justice, NY

The Rev. Jimmy Seong G. Lim
Executive Director,The Council of Churches of the City of New York

The Rev. Luke A. Powery, Ph.D
Perry and Georgia Engle Assistant Professor of Homiletics
Princeton Theological Seminary, Princeton, NJ
Brian McLaren, author and speaker

SUPPORTERS

Noemí Ayuso
Esperanza, Philadelphia, PA