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Religion crosses cultures
Carmelo Santos knows a lot of work has to be done, and he is ready to bring his youthful energy to the task.
Three months ago he moved from Richmond with his wife and infant son, leaving secure jobs. Santos has been called by the Lutheran Church to help coordinate Hispanic outreach in Northern Virginia.
He is the new associate pastor for Spanish language ministries at St. Mark's Lutheran Church in Springfield.
The U.S. Census Bureau reported that in 1990, there were 50,000 Hispanic residents in Fairfax County. Ten years later that number jumped to more than 100,000, with estimates citing that in 2006 alone, that amount climbed by 30,000.
“This area is not very friendly to immigrants,” Santos said. “I suppose that's why it's important to” increase outreach to all races.
“You have to have people break bread together.”
Spanish language services at the church began five years ago, but for the past two years, there has been no full-time associate pastor.
The 54-year-old church has about 100 Hispanic members and has seen much change in the last decade.
The central Springfield community was built around the church and, for decades, its congregation was largely white. Now the congregation at St. Mark's sees the nourishment of its Latino ministry as its first priority, said longtime member Alice McRorie.
“We wanted to keep up with our neighbors,” McRorie said.
Santos, 31, was born in Puerto Rico. He received his master's of divinity from the Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago. Until recently he was an adjunct professor at Virginia Commonwealth University. He is currently working on his doctorate in religion and science, on how the human brain registers spiritual emotions and experiences.
Ina Berkey, another longtime member of the church, said of Santos, “He has such a profound understanding of how to work with people. He is a perfect fit.”
But with so much to do in the community, “it can be overwhelming,” Santos said. "You can only choose a few things to do at one time.
“In addition to going door to door, it is important to create positive alternatives, especially for youth and children, because, after all, the children will be the ones who will bring their parents to church,” Santos said.
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