The Hispanic Leadership Network is a five-year program funded by the Lilly Endowment to develop a mentoring and leadership program to support young, mid-career and experienced Latino pastors serving high-need rural and urban congregations across the U.S. The program will help to enhance the ability of pastors to serve the unique needs of Latino congregations and support them in key transition moments in their career.

By building a peer support network and undertaking an intensive, customized program of leadership training and reflection, the participants will be better prepared to lead initiatives and church programs that enhance the vitality of their congregations and serve the unique needs of multigenerational Latino communities.

The program will engage some of the pastors who have been closely involved in Hispanic Access initiatives over the past eight years. We will gradually incorporate new faith leader participants in diverse geographic regions, so they become more fully connected and supported by their peers. The program will build upon the lessons and needs identified by the pastors in their ongoing daily work and through their experience in educational and outreach programs serving the community surrounding their congregations.

The Hispanic Leadership Network program will provide leadership development and reflection for pastoral leaders. Additionally, this work will affect the lives of many others through the growth and impact of the program participants and a replicable training program model that is specifically designed for Hispanic pastoral leaders, free and accessible to all. The basic program framework that has been approved by Lilly Endowment includes these primary objectives:

• Provide a customized program of leadership development and reflection.
• Build a peer/mentor support network.
• Develop and adapt educational tools and resources that allow for replication.
• Community partnerships, outreach, and engagement.