Latinx churches are very diverse and pluralistic. There are congregations whose membership represents more than twelve different Hispanic cultures. Some of these local churches are multicultural/multiracial, with various cultures, races, and orientations represented in their membership. The day of focus on new church starts for the Latinx population has passed. We are now in a time of nurturing the thriving Latinx local congregations that exist throughout the country while encouraging and supporting local congregations to become fully inclusive. 

In the United Church of Christ, “We believe that each person is unique and valuable. It is the will of God that every person belong to a family of faith where they have a strong sense of being valued and loved”.  We can act out our faith and worship together more deeply by integrating practices and rituals representing the rich history of all those who come together in faith.

The Latinx people in our beloved United Church of Christ (UCC) grow strong and faithful, with our hearts and minds rooted in Jesus Christ, hoping that our tomorrow will be a time of rejoicing and real unity in the midst of diversity.  We embody respect for our deep and diverse heritage while honoring the experience of each individual who walks in these challenging times.  Therefore, we have become Colectivo de UCC Latinx Ministries, a name that reflects the UCC belief “that all may be one.”

In September 2015, the elected officers of the UCC Council for Hispanic Ministries voted unanimously to terminate the governing structure of the Council for Hispanic Ministries and replace it with a UCC Latino(a)/Hispanic Transition Team empowered to recruit UCC Hispanic/Latino(a) clergy and lay leaders to consider next steps around structure, finances, and decision making.  They moved quickly to appoint the Latino/a Ministries Transition Team who was assigned the task of designing and implementing a process for gathering opinions, insights and wisdom focused on the future of Latinx ministries and leadership in the UCC.

The Transition Team sought direct and confidential feedback, specifically from Latinas and Latinos in the United Church of Christ, through an online survey in Spanish and English.  They built upon information from the survey by conducting regional focus group discussions with various Latinx congregational members.  They published a report on the findings of the survey and focus groups that can be found on this website.

Following the publication of the report, the Transition Team submitted a resolution to the Thirty Second General Synod of the UCC to establish the Colectivo de UCC Latinx Ministries (The Colectivo), seeking to be recognized as a Historically Underrepresented Group taking the place of the UCC Council for Hispanic Ministries (CHM) through an Amendment to the UCC Bylaws.  A copy of that resolution can be found on this website.  

The resolution was passed by the body of General Synod and the Colectivo was established.  An interim leadership team for the Colectivo was established in August 2019 to create by-laws for the Colectivo, to develop a new website, and to plan for the election of officers—all to be accomplished in 2020.