Multi-lingual churches since the first Pentecost 50 days after Christ's resurrection, preaching the Gospel and worshiping the Triune God in languages other than Hebrew and Aramaic have spread across the globe. The New Testament is a Greek document. Rome's Latin was not the lingua franca of the Mediterranean world - Greek was. Thus, the early Church became a multi-lingual communion of believers very early in its history.

It still is today ... even in Cochise County.

Spanish and Korean are the two prominent tongues spoken in some area congregations.

If we look at history, it's easy to understand why Spanish language ministries are successful here.

Five Franciscan monks traveled through our region with the Spanish explorer Coronado in 1540. We do not know exactly where they camped, but they followed the San Pedro River, thus services were undoubtedly held in several places along its ancient embankments.

Latin may have been the language of the mass, but surely Spanish pervaded the sermons.

Despite the native Indians' own dialects, this region was claimed by Spain, and later became Mexican territory, thus Spanish became the primary European language of settlers throughout the Southwest prior to the arrival of non-Spanish speaking pioneers moving westward from America's borders.

It is difficult to comprehend why residents would complain now about Spanish language signs erected to benefit the locals, as well as our guests from across the border who come into Cochise County to shop.

Every border town around the world accustoms themselves to the languages that straddle that fine line...and they add English also, whether the locals know that tongue or not. The world has accommodated themselves to us. We need to be just as considerate to permit Spanish to be spoken freely here.

According to the 2000 US Census, 25.3 percent of the residents of Cochise County speak Spanish at home.

Almost one-third of the area population are Hispanics or Latinos, thus not all speak their heritage tongue at home.

In numbers, that totals between 8 and 10,000 Hispanic residents who are our neighbors.

It's obvious to most, then, that a need exists to proclaim the Christian Gospel in Spanish to those for whom it is their mother tongue. Both Roman Catholic and Protestant churches seek to do that.

In addition, 1.65 percent of our neighbors are Asian. Among them are many native-born Koreans.

There are at least four congregations here that provide ministries in the Korean language. For one or two, a dual-language worship opportunity is provided by translators.

The real surprise is that the county is home to 1.31 percent who speak German at home according to the 2000 Census.

While German language services were prominent throughout the country prior to World War I, only a few are regularly conducted today in the US.

Generally today, such services are found in American areas where German citizens reside while engaged in either academics, industry or diplomacy. None, to my knowledge, are conducted in Cochise County.

At one time, Orthodox, Lutheran and Reformed congregations catered to faithful immigrants who came to the U.S. in the 18th through the early 20th centuries. Many Scandinavian, German, Dutch, Middle European, Greek, Russian and other newcomers founded churches to minister to their own in the language the people knew. Most of those, however, were Americanized instantly with the onset of World War I.

For the most part, these fellow Christians, despite their origins, became patriotic American citizens, who never regretted their decision to leave the old world for the new.

Many, however, cherished their faith brought to these shores ... and they wanted to keep their mother tongues alive while embracing English.

It was the same for other religions, i.e., Jews, Muslims, Buddhists and Hindus, then as well as today.

Surely it was true of Roman Catholic ministries early on as well.

My parents were immigrants from Denmark. Ironically, they spoke Danish only when they didn't want my brother and me to know what was being planned.

They saw how the kids of Danish friends were treated when they went to school knowing no English. We were deprived of that downside, but also missed learning the family's native language.

The late Illinois Senator Paul Simon was a friend from college days.

He tried his best in House and the Senate to insist that, like Europeans, American students should learn to master at least two languages. It's still a need today.

Dick Andersen is a writer for the Herald/Review and a retired minister living in Cochise County.

Local Spanish Language Services:

ˆ Christian Life Center; 1660 East 20th Street, Douglas, 364-1102

ˆ Frontera de Cristo, Douglas

ˆ Iglesia Bautista del Sur Amistad; 795 East Fourth Street; Douglas; 364-6239