Our Work
Mission Talk empowers Latino and Latina evangelicals for the work of justice and community transformation by tapping into core faith values such as grace, compassion, and the social good.
The Problem
Florida has the third largest Latino population in the U.S. It is also the least affordable state and has one of the lowest rates of medical insurance coverage. Almost half of Latino households live near or below the poverty line. A powerful constituency that could shift public policy and help transform these conditions is the Latino Church, a trusted source of guidance during times of struggle. However, many Latino clergy shy away from matters labeled as “social justice” and do not challenge many policies that hurt their community. This is largely because Latino evangelical leaders have been heavily influenced by non-Latino organizations that are not immersed in social issues that directly impact the Latino community. Despite this challenge, our experience has shown that once critical justice issues are presented to Latino faith leaders by trusted and credible messengers, they become extremely open to thinking about the ways in which these issues are connected to their faith and quickly become passionate advocates in the public square.
Our Approach
Mission Talk empowers Latino and Latina evangelicals for the work of justice and community transformation by tapping into core faith values such as grace, compassion, and the social good to foster meaningful dialogue and engagement on social justice issues. A key aspect of our work is that we are part of this community and have a broad and trusted network of personal and professional relationships built over decades. With a focus on church leaders in Florida, we utilize the 3-pronged engagement of Awareness, Education and Mobilization.
Awareness
We begin our work by introducing key facts and personal stories to church leaders to ignite moral and spiritual dilemmas and lead them to explore the Church’s role and responsibility in addressing issues important to their communities.
Education
Justice Leadership Development for Transforming Communities
In 2023 Mission Talk initiated the six-month Justice Leadership Development program, which seeks to expand the vision of the local church by creating a sustainable church-based structure of justice-oriented ministries. The purpose of the program is to address the root causes of community problems by implementing the praxis of research, engagement and spiritual discernment. The church is also equipped to lead and organize communities for change, engage in communications and storytelling, conduct public policy analysis and mobilize for prophetic advocacy.
The program helps coach and develop leaders to implement the following areas within a justice and community transformation ministry at their local church:
1. Research & Community Engagement
2. Education & Spiritual Discernment
3. Leading & Organizing Communities for Change
4. Public Policy & Advocacy
5. Communications & Storytelling
Throughout the Program, students learn strategies for building relationships with community members and organizations who can serve as partners in their outward facing work with the community. Participants discern and ultimately identify a specific project focus in order to apply what they’ve learned in the program, have opportunities for peer to peer learning, and receive ongoing coaching from Mission Talk to implement change in their communities.
Mobilization
Our education work equips church leaders to lead communities for change by targeting social issues and the root causes of community problems. We also mobilize churches, denominations and local communities to address public policies affecting their daily lives, by engaging local elected officials and mobilizing church members and faith leaders for prayer and advocacy at the state legislature.
Campaigns
Mission Talk plays a crucial role in leading the campaign of Evangélicos for Justice, which is an organic faith community based network of Latino congregations in Florida, that comes together as needed to address root causes of community problems and public policies that are harmful to people's daily lives.
History of our Work
2016
Mission Talk’s first convening with young leaders from across the state to talk about issues impacting vulnerable communities.
2017
Mission Talk’s second justice convening in Orlando, FL.
2018
Mission Talk’s third justice convening in Orlando, FL
2019
Mobilization on behalf of immigrants at the Orlando City Hall. We stopped the e-verify bill that would have impacted the immigrant community and churches.
Mobilized 500 Latino pastors and church members to join the prayer walk in memory of George Floyd and against police brutality.
2020
During the Covid-19 pandemic we graduated 300 participants from our six-week justice cohort.
2022
We mobilized 250 Latino evangelical pastors and church members for our first advocacy day in partnership with Latino churches.
We launched the first Latino Evangelical office for Public Policy in Tallahassee.
We mobilize bishops and national Christian leaders to the federal capital to advocate for the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. It passed.
We were the first Latino evangelical delegation to ever visit the Department of Justice and talk about community safety.
2023
We mobilized 300 Florida State Capitol for an advocacy day in partnership with Florida Latino churches.
2024
Mission Talk launched the Justice Leadership Development for Community Transformation in Alabama and visited historic civil rights sites and museums to engage with Black history.
We mobilized 200 to the Florida State Capitol for an advocacy day in partnership with Latino churches.
