“This is a mission,” Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary provost Frank James added. “This isn’t just about demographics. This isn’t just about capturing a rising segment of the evangelical community. It’s about reaching out to everyone.”

The Latino population in the U.S. is exploding but leaders say when it comes to college, their students are falling behind.

Now Christian colleges are organizing, saying they want to meet the needs of these students who may feel more at home at a Christian college than anywhere else.

Christian college administrators and presidents recently gathered at Regent University in Virginia Beach, Va., to find new ways to reach out to them.

The Alliance for Hispanic Christian Education Summit event was sponsored by the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, America’s largest Hispanic Christian organization.

Understanding the Numbers
U.S. Census data shows 47 million Hispanics currently live in the U.S. By the year 2050 that number will rise to 100 million — a quarter of the U.S. population.

Already, one in five schoolchildren are Hispanic. In California, Latinos now make up a little more than 50 percent of the state’s public school student population.

“When we see the demographic growing so rapidly, we know it will change the face of America,” Regent University President Carlos Campo said.

Educators like Campo say the issue is that many Latinos are not pursuing higher education. Among college-aged Latinos ages 18 to 24, only one-third are enrolled in college compared to 42 percent of all young adults.

Read More: http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2010/November/Hispanic-Students-The-Future-of-Christian-Colleges/