Right Reverend Emilio Alvarez, Ph.D. |
Bishop Emilio Alvarez is one of the up and coming scholars and commentators on the intersection of religious education and theology in America. As a ministerial practitioner, his two decades of vast experience within the Christian Church world-wide has positioned him as a prophetic voice, especially within Afro/Latino communities of faith.
A widely sought lecturer and preacher, Bishop Alvarez has traveled to nearly a dozen countries preaching and teaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ and has worked diligently planting churches for over 18 years. As an educator Bishop Alvarez has presented academic papers at various theological seminaries and universities including Georgetown University and New York Theological Seminary. He also has a strong track record of developing course curriculums and ministerial educational programs for theological seminaries and Bible colleges alike. He is the founding director of the Institute for Paleo-Orthodox Christian Studies (formerly the certificate in Convergence Studies Program at New York Theological Seminary), a program which trains clergy and laity alike in Christian classical consensual faith and practice. As a proponent for Christian unity, in 2014, Bishop Alvarez was honored to have been invited along with other Bishops to the Vatican in Rome, to have an audience with Pope Francis around the theme, “The Miracle of Unity,” and has serves as an ecumenical officer developing strong ecumenical relations around the world with clerics from a variety of Christian traditions, including the Greek Orthodox Church and beyond. Bishop Alvarez was consecrated a Bishop in the Lord’s Church in 2011 and is currently a member of the Union of Charismatic Orthodox Churches. A Christian Union which reverences the historic Christian faith and practice of the early church while striving to become relevant within postmodernism. As Bishop he serves as the Ordinary for the Diocese of Christ the King, a network of urban Afro/Latino churches representing 8 states and 6 countries. He is currently the founding pastor and Rector of The Gathering Place: Where Love Meets in the city of Rochester, New York. He is also the Religious Service Specialist for the Department of Homeland Security at the Buffalo Federal Detention Facility through Jesuit Refuge Services. Bishop Alvarez holds a Bachelors in Christian Education, a Master of Arts in Religious Education from New York Theological Seminary and a Ph.D. in Religious Education from Fordham University in the Bronx, New York. He is a member of the Religious Education Association and has been awarded both Kappa Phi Kappa as well as Alpha Sigma Nu, the highest academic honor bestowed in any Jesuit university or college. Bishop Alvarez is happily married to his wife of 19 years, Denene Alvarez and together they have three beautiful children Eli, Siomara and Lucas. |