Bryan Stalder
Contributor

As Easter approaches on Sunday, April 5, many families across Northeast are preparing for Holy Week traditions — palm branches, Lenten fish fries, sunrise services and packed pews. For generations, much of Latin America has been described as “culturally Catholic,” with faith deeply woven into family life, holidays and identity.

But across the United States — including in Kansas City’s Historic Northeast — a quiet shift has been underway.

National research shows that while Catholicism remains the single largest religious tradition among Latinos in the United States, a growing number now identify as Protestant or evangelical. The trend reflects broader religious changes taking place across Latin America itself.

In Northeast Kansas City, one congregation reflecting that shift is Iglesia Bautista Palabra Viva, a Spanish-speaking Baptist church located at 217 Benton Boulevard.

Pastor Luis Mendoza says the change many Americans are noticing today has actually been building for decades throughout Latin America.

“The evangelical movement has grown significantly throughout Latin America over the past several decades,” Mendoza said. “As a result, when many people arrive in the United States, a good number of them already identify as evangelical Christians.”

For many immigrants, the search for community is just as important as theology.

“At the same time, immigrants often arrive looking for community, friendship, and a sense of belonging,” Mendoza said. “Churches can become an extended family where people find support and where their language and Hispanic cultural background are understood and valued.”

That sense of belonging is one reason Palabra Viva (Living Word) has grown steadily since purchasing the former North Eastminster Presbyterian Church building in 2012.

This stately stone structure — a long-time landmark along Benton Boulevard — is now home to a vibrant Hispanic Baptist congregation. Since acquiring the property, members have invested years of labor and financial resources into restoring and maintaining the historic building.

“When we acquired the property, it was in very poor condition,” Mendoza said. “Since then, we have invested a great deal of time and financial resources to bring it to the condition it is in today.”

Even with those improvements, maintaining a historic structure remains an ongoing challenge.

“At this moment we need to replace the roof, the gutters and drainage system, and some of the windows,” Mendoza explained. “We would also love to restore the stained-glass windows and, if possible, repair the organ.”

Because of those needs, the church is inviting help from preservationists and neighbors who care about Northeast history.

“Our desire is for the entire Northeast community to feel proud of this historic building and to see it preserved as an important part of the neighborhood’s history,” Mendoza said.

Beyond its Spanish-language worship services, the building has also become a gathering place for multiple congregations and ministries — reflecting the multicultural character of the Historic Northeast.

Palabra Viva currently shares the space with LifeConnection Northeast, an English-speaking Southern Baptist congregation, and Refuge KC, a ministry that offers English classes for refugees, immigrants and new Americans. In the past, the church has also hosted a Burmese Karen Christian congregation.

Mendoza says that diversity is intentional.

“Everyone who lives in Northeast Kansas City understands that our community is multicultural,” he said. “From the moment we obtained this building, our goal has been to minister to the different groups of people who live in this neighborhood.”

To support that vision, the church has launched what it calls Multicultural Ministries, an initiative designed to coordinate outreach efforts across cultural and language groups.

“If we want to see more people come to faith in Christ, improve their lives, and become stronger members of the community, we will need to work together,” Mendoza said. “It is my conviction that God is calling us to promote unity and combine our efforts so that we can accomplish our spiritual mission in this community.”

The growth of Hispanic evangelical congregations can sometimes create new dynamics within Latino families, where religious traditions have long been shaped by a Catholic heritage.

But Mendoza says those differences are often less divisive than people might expect.

“Many immigrants who arrive in the United States do not have their entire family living here,” he said. “Because of that, the religious influence that might normally come from relatives is often reduced. In other words, there is usually less family pressure when it comes to religious traditions.”

He also notes that Catholics and evangelicals share many core Christian beliefs.

“The theological affirmations found in the Apostles’ Creed are beliefs that we also share with the Catholic Church,” Mendoza said. “The celebration of the resurrection of Jesus is another example of a belief and celebration held by both Catholics and evangelicals.”

Even cultural traditions like quinceañeras, when a young girl transitions from childhood to young womanhood on her fifteenth birthday, often continue across denominations.

“This celebration is extremely popular throughout Latin America,” Mendoza said. “In my opinion, it goes beyond religion and is largely cultural.”

One difference between Baptist churches like Palabra Viva and Catholic practice involves baptism. Rather than baptizing infants, Baptist congregations typically baptize individuals who personally profess faith.

“We explain to people that in our church we do not baptize infants because we believe baptism is for those who personally profess faith in Christ,” Mendoza said. “However, we do dedicate children in the church. We pray for them, bless them, and pray for their parents as they seek to guide their children in the ways of the Lord.”

As Easter approaches, those theological distinctions become more visible.

In many Latin American countries, Holy Week traditions include large public processions and elaborate religious observances. Mendoza says evangelicals tend to place a simpler emphasis on the biblical meaning of the holiday.

“For us, the most important focus of Easter should remain the historical and spiritual significance of Christ’s resurrection,” he said.

At Palabra Viva, Easter services will include worship music, prayer and a message centered on the resurrection — much like neighboring churches throughout the Northeast.

Families will gather. Children will dress up. Meals will be shared.

Inside the former Presbyterian sanctuary on Benton Boulevard, however, the service will unfold in Spanish, shaped by Baptist theology and evangelical worship.

As the building’s stone façade continues to receive careful repairs and its pews fill week after week, Palabra Viva stands as both a symbol of demographic change and a reminder that faith communities — old and new — remain deeply intertwined with life in the Historic Northeast.

For many families, this year’s Easter celebration may look a little different than it did a generation ago.

But the gathering — around faith, around food and around family — remains as strong as ever.