Dr. Luis Rivera to be inaugurated as Dean of Faculty Wednesday, October 28

10-19-2009

“It’s an exciting time to be at McCormick as we welcome Luis Rivera into this new role” - Cynthia Campbell.

McCormick Theological Seminary is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Luis Rivera as Dean of Faculty, Vice President for Academic Affairs, and the James G.K. McClure Professor of Theological Education for a five-year term beginning July 1, 2009. Dr. Rivera is the first Latino to hold the position of dean of faculty at a seminary of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

Dr. Rivera joined McCormick’s faculty in 1995 as Associate Professor of Theology after teaching for nine years at the Evangelical Seminary of Puerto Rico. He has served as Director of the Center for the Study of Latin@ Theology and Ministry since its establishment in 2000, building upon the longstanding Hispanic Ministries Program and advancing what he calls an “intercultural agenda” at the seminary.

“It’s an exciting time to be at McCormick as we welcome Luis Rivera into this new role,” says Seminary President Cynthia Campbell. “Luis’s appointment is an important step forward in McCormick’s vision for theological education as a cross-cultural venture in which the diversity of God’s people becomes the catalyst for new ways of being Church and community.”

Guided by this vision, Dr. Rivera’s work earned the Latin@ Center a LUCE Foundation grant in 2006 to support three of its program: a yearly lecture series on Hispanic Theology, the Consultation on Second Generation Latino/a and Asian American leaders in Ministry, and a year seminar on intercultural relations for Latino/a and African American pastors. In collaboration with directors of the Center for African American Ministry and Black Church Studies and the Center for Asian American Ministries, Dr. Rivera helped to develop the Institute for Cross-cultural Theological Education, unifying all three of the seminary’s ministry centers, in 2008.

Dr. Rivera succeeds the Reverend Dr. David V. Esterline, who concludes two consecutive terms as Dean of Faculty and Vice President of Academic Affairs at the end of June.

The special worship service at which Dr. Rivera will be inaugurated will take place on Wednesday, October 28th at 4:15 pm.  It is open to the public and will be followed by a reception.