Samuel Rodriguez

"We need to know from white evangelical leaders," Rodriguez was quoted saying in The Washington Post, "why did they not support comprehensive immigration reform, why they came down in favor exclusively of enforcement without any mention of the compassionate side, without any mention of the Christian moral imperatives?

"So down the road, when the white evangelical community calls us and says, 'We want to partner with you on marriage, we want to partner on family issues,' my first question will be: 'Where were you when 12 million of our brothers and sisters were about to be deported and 12 million families disenfranchised?'"

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.

Evangelical Hispanics, often Pentecostal or charismatic, tend to be aggressively evangelistic. "If you are a Hispanic immigrant to America, you're going to get hit by the evangelical message," Rodriguez says. "Somebody at work, somebody in your neighborhood will talk to you."

The NHCLC aims to represent this low-profile evangelical community. Rodriguez has built on a foundation of Hispanic networking laid in the 1990s by Jesse Miranda, founding president of the National Alliance of Evangelical Ministries (amen: Alianza de Ministerios Evangélicos Nacionales). Of course, not all Hispanic evangelicals support the NHCLC's work. But the organization is trying hard to draw others in. A board was formed: one representative from each state, plus a representative from each denomination or network that takes up membership. Rodriguez was chosen as president, and an office was set up in Sacramento.

Rodriguez says that Hispanic street demonstrations suggest that political apathy has ended. "Hispanic Americans have never had a viable civil-rights movement," he says. "This is it—the catalyst for the mobilization of the Hispanic community in America."

Felix Posos, chair of the NHCLC board, says, "Hispanic evangelicals are not out there on the street raising banners. They are silent. But they are voters." A political and social agenda is increasingly evident, as the Pentecostal message widens from personal piety to community transformation. Evangelical pastors see themselves as leaders for the whole community.

"I think Sam is destined to be a national figure," says former ServiceMaster executive Richard Armstrong, who serves with Rodriguez on the board of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. "People are attracted to him. He's a deeply spiritual man."

When asked whether he expects Hispanic evangelicals to influence the wider church, Rodriguez says, "Yes, yes, yes! We're the fastest growing!" He has a classic evangelical confidence growing partly out of sheer numerical vitality. He also believes Hispanics offer a unique perspective. "In the culture wars, Hispanics are on the values side. But social justice is more a part of our ethos [than for other evangelicals]," he explains. "We're attuned to poverty, homelessness, AIDS. We have a more complete vision of the gospel."

That's not a complaint; it's a vision Rodriguez seeks to share. He holds out the palm of his hand. "From day one we made a commitment. None of this." He nods toward his open palm. "No paternalism. No junior partners. We never ask for help. We always say, 'How can we help you?' Man, we need to change the mindset that our white brothers will take care of us. We're committed to helping the white evangelical church, the African American evangelical church, the broad evangelical church. We are committed to give more than we take. That's the only way there can be equity and mutual respect.