Evolving communities, evolving faiths: A three-article series on Hispanics and religion in North Carolina

The Hispanic population in North Carolina grew 80 percent in 2000-08, mostly because of immigration. Church is at the center of many of these Hispanic immigrants' lives. In three long-form news articles, this thesis explores the dynamic relationship between Hispanics and their churches. The market for these articles is North Carolina news publications. The first article is about St. Julia's Catholic Church in Siler City. It explores the challenge of integration and the church's expanded role in Hispanic members' lives. The second article tells the story of St. Julia's Charismatic Renewal group and gives background on the movement in the Raleigh diocese. The third article discusses Hispanic conversion to evangelical faiths through the story of La Iglesia Bautista Comunidad en Cristo, a Southern Baptist Hispanic Mission in Graham, N.C. Sidebars about funding struggles for Catholic Hispanic ministries and the stances of major denominations on immigration reform accompany the articles.