^aPennsylvania State University, PA

Abstract

This article examines the formation of a Protestant church in northwest Iowa, Amistad Cristiana, as a hybrid religious site of Anglo/Latino worship. The church is the product of three larger social phenomenon: the development of a global Christianity that increasingly finds its most fervent members originating in Latin America and Africa; the movement of Latinos to new sections of the US, including parts of the Midwest and South; and growing numbers of Latino Protestants. While some critics have argued that Protestantism is linked to assimilation, I show the inadequacy of this notion and demonstrate rather the hybrid practices that define Amistad and bring together the dominant Dutch Reformed ethnic group with the Latino newcomers. While differences remain, the two groups are united by their reliance on a Protestant work ethic. It remains to be seen, however, whether the Reformed Church will work against an economic system that increasingly relies on Latinos to constitute the low-paid workforce for the meat-packing plants and dairy farms.