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In 1985, when pastor Alberto Delgado and 30 church members founded Alfa & Omega ministry, they raised a tent in Southwest Miami-Dade's Tamiami Park.The pastor's goal, he said, was to have the freedom to do the work he said he was called upon to do by God-"and not what a council ordered.''This year, during Easter week, Delgado invited a rabbi to recreate a Jewish Passover service, so the faithful at his independent church could become familiar with the Last Supper of Jesus-an admittedly unusual step for a Christian church.Increasingly, ''people in Miami are looking for churches where there are no rites and ceremonies,'' explained Delgado, who three years ago built a church in Kendall large enough for his 4,000-member congregation.Independent churches, such as Alfa & Omega, which offer contemporary music, audio-visual enhancements and charisma, are attracting thousands throughout Miami-Dade County. Unaffiliated with any denominations and governed by their own boards, these churches are transforming the fabric of Christianity in Miami-Dade.Some of the independent congregations have grown so much in recent years that they are now among the county's largest and most influential: colossal temples such as Jesucristo el Todopoderoso (Jesus Christ the All Powerful), El Rey Jesús (Jesus the King), and La Catedral del Pueblo (The People's Cathedral).Others remain smaller, more intimate and familiar; their worship services are often held in rented locations in residential areas, shopping centers and strip malls.''Independent churches have proliferated in Miami, because the pastors are closer to the local needs,'' explained Samuel Pagan, dean of academics at the Florida Center for Theological Studies, an interdenominational seminary in Miami.He added:"There are churches that stand out also for their marketing strategies and evangelical spirit that others might not have. Usually, they have ads on radio and in television, and they have large signs in front of their location that sometimes look like a movie marquee.''Though there are no formal statistics, Nicholas Woodbery-director of Mission Miami, a program that brings together pastors, laymen and evangelical leaders-estimates that between 40 and 50 percent of Protestant Hispanic churches in Miami-Dade would identify themselves as independent.In this sense ''independent'' means that the congregation has its own ecclesiastic governance that has the final word on internal decisions and does not depend on a regional office or an external bishop for guidance.Also according to Pagan, the pastors may not necessarily be formally trained in theology or be career clergy. They can be laity who have decided to dedicate their lives to Christian ministry.The growth of independent congregations in Miami-Dade comes at a time when one-fourth of the U.S. adult population has changed faiths or abandoned formal religion completely, according to a recent study on religion and public life by the Pew Forum of Washington, D.C.Rita Ayala, a Miami-based orthodontist of Dominican origin, is one of many who converted from Roman Catholicism.What began as a curiosity about evangelism,soon captivated her ''for the warmth with which they receive you,'' explained the parishioner of Cristo Fiel y Poderoso (Christ Faithful and Powerful), in Kendall.Ayala believes that religious denominations ''have their rules and they have to be followed to the letter.'' In contrast, she emphasized that independent congregations"don't have that obligation.''That's one of the main criticisms of independent churches: They lack a formal pre-established doctrine, so many consider them to be lacking in a hierarchy that can provide consistent direction.''There can be a negative vision toward the independent church. They can often be considered on the level of a sect,'' said Carlos Alfaro, president of the Minister's Association of Greater Miami and pastor at Cristo Fiel y Poderoso."But even if we are not affiliated to a large denomination, we always work together with other pastors.''According to Pagan, another challenge that faces independent congregations is that members may resent pastors who seem to enjoy too much power and wealth.That is not the case at Hialeah's Cristo Rompe las Cadenas (Christ Breaks the Chains) church, where Pastor Georgi Abdo attracts worshipers from as far away as West Palm Beach and Homestead for three prayer services each weekend.''I ask them why they come from so far away,'' said Abdo."They tell me that here they find a fresh word.''As in the days of Noah....
