SACRAMENTO, California, Sept. 19, 2014 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — To mark Hispanic Heritage Month, The National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference/Conela (NHCLC/Conela), which serves 40,118 churches in the U.S. and more than 500,000 churches worldwide, will focus on the issues that matter most: advancing justice, life and evangelism in communities across the world.

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“As we celebrate Hispanic Heritage month, faith, education and religious liberty continue to occupy significant space in our daily operations. I am persuaded that as a movement, NHCLC/Conela can shine the light of Christ in a world darkened by relativism, violence and intolerance. There is no such thing as comfortable Christianity,” said Dr. Samuel Rodriguez, president of NHCLC/Conela. “Accordingly, we are passionate about advancing an agenda of truth, grace and love. I want America to remember we are His-panic; His (God’s)-Panic. We are here to bring panic to the kingdom of darkness in the name of Jesus.”

The NHCLC/Conela continues to filter their agenda, purpose and work through the idea of Imago Dei. The Imago Dei campaign is built on one of the foundational truths of the Bible — that the image of God exists in all human beings: black and white; rich and poor; straight and gay; conservative and liberal; victim and perpetrator; citizen and undocumented; believer and unbeliever.

“During Hispanic Heritage Month we acknowledge the value and worth of every person and every culture, recognizing the image of God in every member of the human family. We celebrate the distinctiveness of Hispanic culture among many cultural backgrounds and recognize God’s redemptive work among us in history,” said Dr. Albert L. Reyes, President and CEO of Buckner International and NCHCL/Conela board member.

In order to practice the principles of Imago Dei, the NHCLC/Conela is working to bring about a moral and comprehensive immigration plan, and to decrease the number of children at the border to zero through education in Mexico and aid in the U.S. They are also working on other issues of justice like sexual trafficking and other violations of rights and religious freedoms.

“This month we remember the sacrifices of great American leaders, such as Cesar Chavez, who have fought for equality and freedom for the Hispanic community, and we should make a commitment to support the struggle of our brothers and sisters, in Christ, who are systematically persecuted in countries around the world,” said Dr. Yuri Mantilla, Chairman of the National Latino Evangelical Justice Coalition and NHCLC/Conela board member. “This is especially important, as we witness the brutality of the actions of terrorist organizations, such as ISIS, against innocent human beings. As Hispanic Americans, we must use our freedom to express solidarity to those whose natural rights to life, freedom of expression, and freedom of religion are constantly violated.”

Another important part in the fight for justice and equality is on the education front.

On September 7th, the NHCLC/Conela had unprecedented participation in their National Hispanic Education Sunday. Over 4,000 member churches participated in the event, with pastors urging parents and students to “‘Raise the Standards’ for education in their homes, schools, and communities,” said Carlos Campo, Chair of the Alliance for Hispanic Education and leader of NHCLC/Conela’s education initiatives. “This Education Sunday event highlighted our commitment to the most critical justice issue of our day: that every one of God’s children receives equal educational opportunities.”

NHCLC/Conela is the largest Hispanic Christian organization serving millions of Evangelicals, 40,118 U.S. churches and more than 500,000 churches across the globe. For additional information, visit http://www.nhclc.org.