Regent Honors Former Professor José L. González

It is fitting during the National Hispanic Heritage Month to call attention to the many years of faithful service and help by our dear friend and colleague, Pastor and Professor José L. González. He has been a professor in our School of Government and, since 1983, has been an advocate, mentor, and coach for so many from throughout the diverse Hispanic world. He has journeyed with Regent since its early years as we have aspired to train Christian leaders to change the world, helping us pursue that aspiration in the Latinx countries and cultures.

Professor González is now retiring from his role as president of Semilla. Semilla, a Latin American Christian leadership development organization, recommends Latinx students for a longstanding program we have had in place through a vision co-birthed by our Chancellor and Professor González. As Semilla notes: In “partnership with Regent University, the Latin American Leadership Program (LALP) is a highly selective program which offers principled and professional training to emerging Christian leaders in Iberoamerica. The Latin American Leadership Program equips participants with a biblical worldview and promotes Christian scholarship and Biblical principles of self-government. …Through this mechanism, the awarded individual becomes part of a community of Christian servant-leaders that share a vision to serve the continent and to transform their culture by the Word of God.”

If you are unfamiliar with the history of United States national special emphasis on Hispanic heritage, now recognized from September 15-October 15, here is a discussion from the EEO: “National Hispanic Heritage Month honors the culture, heritage, and contributions of Hispanic Americans each year. The event began in 1968 when Congress deemed the week, including September 15 and 16, National Hispanic Heritage Week to celebrate the contributions and achievements of the diverse cultures within the Hispanic community. The dates were chosen to commemorate two key historic events: Independence Day, honoring the formal signing of the Act of Independence for Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua (September 15, 1821), and Mexico’s Independence Day, which denotes the beginning of the struggle against Spanish control (September 16, 1810). It was not until 1988 that the event was expanded to a month-long period, which includes El Dia de la Raza on October 12, celebrating the influences of the people who came after Christopher Columbus and the multicultural, multiethnic society that evolved as a result; Chile’s Independence Day on September 18 (El Dieciocho); and Belize’s Independence Day on September 21. Each year a different theme for the month is selected and a poster is created to reflect that theme.”