Growing Multicultural Churches: Proven growth factors that impact multicultural churches - Paperback

by Iosmar Alvarez (Author)

The purpose of this book was to identify the factors that impact growth in Multicultural Churches in the context of 21st Century America. The book utilized participant questionnaires, interviews, and focus groups. Data was collected over a period of six months. This book attempted to identify church growth factors within a research population comprising seven Hispanic United Methodist church plants in the Kentucky Annual Conference. This population contained churches with an average attendance above fifty and churches with an average attendance below fifty. The identification of such factors will help pastors and leaders to identify the best church planting practices for Multicultural church development in response to the rapidly changing, multicultural 21st Century American landscape. It also identifies the factors inhibiting the growth of Latino Latina churches conformed by many cultures in their congregations.

Author Biography

Dr. Iosmar Alvarez, professionally trained in veterinary medicine, came to the United States from Cuba in 2001. God began to work in his life in supernatural ways and he began to serve as a local pastor in the Kentucky Conference of the United Methodist Church in 2002, where he has continued to passionately serve God, planting various worshiping congregations and making disciples. Dr. Alvarez's theological education journey began at Garret Theological Seminary, where he graduated from the Course Studies Program in 2010. He received a Masters in Divinity from United Theological Seminary, in Dayton, Ohio, December 2011, and an additional Masters degree in Christian Leadership from Lindsey Wilson College in 2012. Dr. Alvarez was the recipient of the Harry Denman Evangelism Award in 2013. His most recent academic achievement is a Doctoral Ministry degree from Asbury Theological Seminary, May, 2017. Dr. Alvarez is a prolific author on leadership development and church growth, with 5 published books written on those subjects. He has been a keynote speaker for national recognized networks such as New Room, Fresh Expression USA, he is an active board member of GO International Network. Currently, Dr. Alvarez serves as Senior Pastor for Fuente De Avivamiento/Spring of Revival Church in Lexington, Kentucky that celebrates 400 members and 100 home churches. Dr. Alvarez is the founder & C.E.O of Disciple 21 Church Planting Network, an international multicultural network which projects to plant 2500 churches by 2028. Additionally, Dr. Alvarez is a certified coach for SLI & Path1, both nationally recognized agencies of the United Methodist Church for church planting, development and transformation. Dr. Alvarez is honored to train leaders nationwide on how to plant churches and develop church cultures and processes for disciple-making. He serves alongside his wife Zulayne Alvarez, who supports him in carrying the vision to future generations.