Growing up as a pastor鈥檚 kid in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Armida Belmonte Stephens was part of a thriving Mexican American faith community. While her youth group often conversed in English, services at her immigrant church were primarily conducted in Spanish. Everything, she said, was centered on the Latino-American experience.听听
Now a teaching fellow at North Park Theological Seminary, she didn鈥檛 have her first experience in a white-majority church until she attended college.
鈥淏eing a bicultural person, it鈥檚 been an interesting journey to make sense of what faith looks like in both contexts,鈥� said Belmonte Stephens, who teaches 鈥淐hristian Ethics鈥� and 鈥淟atino/a Theology,鈥� a course she brought to North Park.
鈥淭eaching the Latinx class is deeply satisfying on a personal level,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 was really encouraged about the possibility of bringing my faith community鈥檚 culture to the table.鈥�听
“I see them making connections with their faith, and the familiarity of their stories and challenges inspired me to be part of bringing their experiences forward.”
She continues to pursue this mission as a Latina professor of theology, an identity that remains underrepresented at seminaries and churches. Last year, Belmonte Stephens worked with North Park鈥檚 Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) committee and met many first-generation Latina college students who reminded her of herself.听
鈥淭hey said to me, 鈥榊ou鈥檙e in the seminary? I鈥檓 interested in that, too.鈥� I see them making connections with their faith, and the familiarity of their stories and challenges inspired me to be part of bringing their experiences forward,鈥� she said.听
As an HSI, North Park is uniquely positioned to act as a feeder school for Latinx students from undergraduate education into the seminary. From there, Belmonte Stephens sees a new generation of Latinx pastors and theologians.听
She recently overheard students chatting, switching fluidly between Spanish and English. It warmed her heart, as she had never experienced such camaraderie in college.听
鈥淚鈥檓 hopeful this new generation will come up and interculturally approach their faith as a community.鈥�听
In the print and PDF versions of this article, University Marketing and Communications incorrectly combined the course titles mentioned as 鈥淐hristian Ethics and Latinx Theology.鈥� Belmonte Stephens teaches 鈥淐hristian Ethics鈥� and 鈥淟atino/a Theology.鈥� She introduced the latter to North Park Theological Seminary.