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A nother church member stood behind her, ready to catch her in case she fell. She didn't.
The prayer service took place recently at La Iglesia Pentecostal Ríos de Agua Viva, or Pentecostal Living Waters Church. The church, a partly renovated building on Sturbridge Court in Chesterfield County, has about 125 members.
About 600,000 Hispanics may be leaving the Catholic Church every year in the U.S., said Gaston Espinosa, assistant professor of religious studies at Claremont McKenna College in California.
Espinosa has written extensively on Hispanics and religion. He led the Hispanic Churches in American Public Life research project released three years ago.
"For every one Latino that returns or joins the Catholic Church, four leave it," he said. "However, the percentage of Latino Catholics in the U.S. has remained relatively high [70 percent] due to higher Catholic birth rates than Protestants and high immigration rates from largely Catholic countries like Mexico."
Metro Richmond is experiencing growth in Hispanic congregations building their own churches along Walmsley Boulevard in Chesterfield or renting business locales along Midlothian Turnpike and turning them into churches.
Shiloh Pentecostal Holiness Church, on Courthouse Road near Hull Street Road in Chesterfield, opened its doors to the Rev. William García, who was looking for a place to start Iglesia de Cristo Ministerios Elim, a Pentecostal church.
Four years ago, García, a native of Guatemala, began traveling from Washington to Richmond to hold services for Hispanics once a week. He did that for two years. Then, reversing a decision to stop coming because of poor attendance, he moved to Richmond two years ago, founded a church and began building a congregation.
The church has weekend radio programs on two Spanish-language radio stations. It offers transportation to and from church services, which is essential for many in the Hispanic community.
Pentecostal Living Waters, which Guizar started about seven years ago, is an affiliate of United Pentecostal Church International. It has a similar style of worship, encouraging spontaneity.
On a recent Tuesday prayer service, Leni Torres, accompanied by her husband and two children, pressed her eyes shut, waved her arms and sang fervently. Still singing, she applauded vigorously and jumped up and down.
"Today we live in a world of plastic," Guizar told the congregation, explaining that many people undergo cosmetic surgery in search of improved appearance.
"If God wanted you to be taller, he would have made you taller," Guizar said. "If God wanted you to have bigger breasts, God would have given them to you."
Previously, Guizar said, his family had told him that if he converted to another religion from Catholicism, he would cease to be family. Later, some family members joined his church.
The Right Rev. Michael Schmied of St. Augustine Catholic Church in Chesterfield said there are many reasons why Hispanics convert to other religions. Many who come here are not aware of the availability of Mass in Spanish or the church's charismatic movement, he said.
Many Hispanics find greater freedom of religion when they come to the U.S., Schmied said. Just because they were baptized or grew up Catholic doesn't mean they'll stay Catholic.
Some priests and church officials worry about the exodus of Latinos to other denominations, but others, especially some who don't see much change in their parishes, don't have that awareness, Schmied said.
The Catholic Diocese of Richmond founded the Office for the Hispanic Apostolate 10 years ago. Twenty-three of 150 parishes in the Richmond Diocese offer Spanish-language Masses on Sunday, Schmied said.
He and his family found what they wanted at Pentecostal Living Waters about five years ago. He is now treasurer. At a recent service, he waved his hands, shut his eyes and sang at the top of his lungs.
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The prayer service took place recently at La Iglesia Pentecostal Ríos de Agua Viva, or Pentecostal Living Waters Church. The church, a partly renovated building on Sturbridge Court in Chesterfield County, has about 125 members.
About 600,000 Hispanics may be leaving the Catholic Church every year in the U.S., said Gaston Espinosa, assistant professor of religious studies at Claremont McKenna College in California.
Espinosa has written extensively on Hispanics and religion. He led the Hispanic Churches in American Public Life research project released three years ago.
"For every one Latino that returns or joins the Catholic Church, four leave it," he said. "However, the percentage of Latino Catholics in the U.S. has remained relatively high [70 percent] due to higher Catholic birth rates than Protestants and high immigration rates from largely Catholic countries like Mexico."
Metro Richmond is experiencing growth in Hispanic congregations building their own churches along Walmsley Boulevard in Chesterfield or renting business locales along Midlothian Turnpike and turning them into churches.
Shiloh Pentecostal Holiness Church, on Courthouse Road near Hull Street Road in Chesterfield, opened its doors to the Rev. William García, who was looking for a place to start Iglesia de Cristo Ministerios Elim, a Pentecostal church.
Four years ago, García, a native of Guatemala, began traveling from Washington to Richmond to hold services for Hispanics once a week. He did that for two years. Then, reversing a decision to stop coming because of poor attendance, he moved to Richmond two years ago, founded a church and began building a congregation.
The church has weekend radio programs on two Spanish-language radio stations. It offers transportation to and from church services, which is essential for many in the Hispanic community.
Pentecostal Living Waters, which Guizar started about seven years ago, is an affiliate of United Pentecostal Church International. It has a similar style of worship, encouraging spontaneity.
On a recent Tuesday prayer service, Leni Torres, accompanied by her husband and two children, pressed her eyes shut, waved her arms and sang fervently. Still singing, she applauded vigorously and jumped up and down.
"Today we live in a world of plastic," Guizar told the congregation, explaining that many people undergo cosmetic surgery in search of improved appearance.
"If God wanted you to be taller, he would have made you taller," Guizar said. "If God wanted you to have bigger breasts, God would have given them to you."
Previously, Guizar said, his family had told him that if he converted to another religion from Catholicism, he would cease to be family. Later, some family members joined his church.
The Right Rev. Michael Schmied of St. Augustine Catholic Church in Chesterfield said there are many reasons why Hispanics convert to other religions. Many who come here are not aware of the availability of Mass in Spanish or the church's charismatic movement, he said.
Many Hispanics find greater freedom of religion when they come to the U.S., Schmied said. Just because they were baptized or grew up Catholic doesn't mean they'll stay Catholic.
Some priests and church officials worry about the exodus of Latinos to other denominations, but others, especially some who don't see much change in their parishes, don't have that awareness, Schmied said.
The Catholic Diocese of Richmond founded the Office for the Hispanic Apostolate 10 years ago. Twenty-three of 150 parishes in the Richmond Diocese offer Spanish-language Masses on Sunday, Schmied said.
He and his family found what they wanted at Pentecostal Living Waters about five years ago. He is now treasurer. At a recent service, he waved his hands, shut his eyes and sang at the top of his lungs.
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