2 of 3

On the other hand, Rodriguez is taking heat from some Hispanic church leaders who think he's bent over too far to appease Anglos. NHCLC board member Angel Nunez, pastor of Bilingual Christian Church of Baltimore, explains: "There are people who are saying, 'Why should you sit at the table to eat with somebody who is a racist?' Some groups in the Latino community feel betrayed, and they say, 'We don't need them.'" But Rodriguez remains the man in the middle.

Rodriguez is a first-generation American, born to Puerto Rican parents who came to America for work. His father found the American dream at a Mack truck factory in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. He subsequently lost his job—and the family home—when Samuel Jr. was 10. But Rodriguez's parents worked hard and emphasized school and church. The family found other jobs and thrived.

Rodriguez's grandparents also immigrated, living for a time in Samuel's home. An Assemblies of God leader in Puerto Rico, Rodriguez's grandfather took the Good Samaritan parable literally. He often brought homeless people home and, when challenged, loudly recited the parable.

Rodriguez Jr. learned his first words of English in kindergarten. He caught on fast, did well in school, and graduated from Kutztown University of Pennsylvania, subsequently earning an m.a. in educational leadership at Lehigh University.

Education was important, but ministry topped everything. When Rodriguez was 14, a visiting evangelist stopped his message midstream and asked if there was a young man in the congregation named Samuel. When Rodriguez raised his hand, the evangelist said he had a message from God: Samuel would be a prominent leader of his people.

By 16, he was preaching to youth rallies and conventions. Before 17, he was spending every weekend speaking in churches across America. "I offered a different model from the typical reformed drug addict who spoke to youth," Rodriguez says. He was a good student, born and raised in the church, lacking a history of iniquity.

By the time he turned 18, the Assemblies of God had appointed Rodriguez to oversee Hispanic youth ministry in his region of more than 300 churches. In college, Rodriguez began to talk with charismatic and Pentecostal church leaders about creating a nationwide voice for the Hispanic evangelical church. He knew it was a vital, growing force, but who outside the subculture knew it that way?

In 1996, he and some friends began to organize state congresses for Hispanic evangelicals. Some of the annual assemblies grew to be the largest Hispanic gatherings in their state. They urged Hispanic churches to take leadership in their communities—to register to vote, to reach out and form alliances with like-minded evangelicals. "Hispanics have decided we're not going to isolate," Rodriguez says. "Our way of healing is through collaboration and mutual respect."

In the meantime, Rodriguez and his wife, Eva, had taken on a small church in New York City. It grew quickly but endured an ugly split. Just 30, Rodriguez resigned and soon found himself with a much bigger job, one that has taken all his energy the past six years: president of the NHCLC.

Hispanic immigrants, Rodriguez says, instinctively view the church as a home and a refuge. For generations, that refuge has been the Catholic church, but now evangelical churches qualify, too. Though 74 percent of foreign-born Hispanics consider themselves Roman Catholic, many realign once they reach the United States. Immigrants find that Hispanic pastors understand their dilemmas.

next page... |  2 of 3

share this page

September 2006, Vol. 50, No. 9