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Elizondo, Miranda's partner in the Pew Charitable Trusts-funded study of Hispanic public life, is also a scholar whose heart remains close to the flock in his work as a priest in San Antonio. He found instant rapport with the AMEN chief based on humor—including a friendly interstate rivalry—and passion for building up the local community.

"His concerns about people are very real, so that any difference we might have had denominationally, or even because he's from New Mexico and I'm from Texas, were quite in the background," Elizondo says.

Miranda is a keen listener, and more than once organizers of the Washington conference had to tear him away from young Hispanic leaders in order to keep events on schedule. One of these was Orlando Crespo, national director of Latino fellowship for InterVarsity Christian Fellowship.

"He listened to me, and I felt we were able to bring up some of the issues that were important for me," Crespo says. "It's pretty important to have people who have been in the ministry for a while who are willing to take time out for others who are still growing in leadership."

Miranda describes his life as 20 years in education, 20 years in denominational leadership, and the rest in the pastorate. He's grateful that his family has supported his travel-intensive work. He has no regrets. "I was called to serve the Hispanic community, that's what I've done, and that's what I'll do the rest of my life," he says.

Since the days of playing in backyard junk cars, he has not stopped envisioning a better future. Now, he says, his dream is that his children and grandchildren will live and work among a broader Christian community as a result of his bridge-building.

He first learned to dream, of course, from his own childhood community. "Those junk cars were also the object of conversation for the old people wanting to retire one day in Mexico," he reflects. "They'd point to one of the cars and say, 'You know, that's going to take me back someday.' And you'd look at the cars, and they needed motors and transmissions. But it was a dream, and they died—but with a dream in their heart."

Copyright © 2002 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

The website of the National Alliance of Evangelical Ministries has more information on AMEN and a bio of Dr. Jesse Miranda.

In 1998, Miranda and William Pannell discussed the next step in racial reconciliation with Christianity Today.

Other related Christianity Today articles include:

The Hispanic ChallengeIt's not easy growing Christian leaders for Dallas's fastest-growing population. (May 16, 2002)

Catching Up with HispanicsNew census data on the Latinos in our midst presents a reality check for cross-cultural outreach. (Nov. 12, 2001)

Wanted: Young, Dedicated LeadersHispanic Ministry Center and Latino Leadership Network provide informal training to equip emerging Latino youth-work leaders. (Oct. 4, 1999(

Reaching Out to LatinosChurch networks are cooperating to launch congregations in unlikely U.S. locations. (Sept. 6, 1999)

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September 9 2002, Vol. 46, No. 10