Influencers for the kingdom

For three decades, Hispanic Presbyterian Women have carved out a vital space for worship, leadership, and community within the Hispanic/Latinx community.

From October 10-12, they will gather for their 11th triennial “Encuentro” to celebrate this milestone 30th anniversary. Themed “Influencers del Reino de Dios – Somos y Hacemos” (Influencers for the Kingdom of God – We Are and We Do), the conference will bring together nearly 170 women from across the U.S. and Puerto Rico. The Presbyterian Foundation is a proud sponsor of this historic event, which will be held in Atlanta.

Event registration can be found here. More information about the event can be found here.

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The Rev. Jeniffer Rodríguez, the Foundation’s Minister of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, will attend on behalf of the Foundation. Her role is especially significant as she is also the co-moderator of the event’s coordinating team, alongside Keren Diaz.

“This is a big thing for us. We are going to be celebrating our 30th anniversary of being together,” Rodríguez said. “Reaching 30 years as an organization has a lot of meaning. Despite the challenges of our current times — the economy and safety concerns — women said ‘yes’ to come. At this time, more than ever, we need to be present with each other.”

The organization’s history is rooted in the 1990s to address the challenges Latina women faced in finding their voice within the broader church. “A lot of women didn’t have a place at the table,” Rodríguez said, explaining the group was formed to give Latina women — from ruling elders to ordained ministers — a space to lead and worship in their own language. “That is the importance of this.”

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This year’s theme, “We Are and We Do,” connects that identity in faith with transformative action. The main speaker is the Rev. Agustina Luvis Nuñez, Dean of the Seminario Evangélico de Puerto Rico, chosen for her powerful voice on justice. The event’s preacher will be the Rev. Carmen Rosario-Riviere, a dedicated supporter since the organization’s beginning.

The conference is designed to be intentionally inclusive. Workshops will cover topics from safe church leadership practices to social media mindfulness for youth. To support all attendees, the conference will offer sessions in Spanish, English and Portuguese and on-site pastoral care. “We want everyone to feel included and supported,” Rodríguez said.

True to their theme, the attendees will not only learn but also do. Putting their theme into practice, attendees will support the local ministry Bendiciones en mochilas (Blessings in Backpacks). They will collect gift cards and dedicate the closing worship offering to the ministry’s mission of feeding the community.

The Presbyterian Foundation is sponsoring the opening dinner, with Presbyterian Disaster Assistance sponsoring a celebratory Saturday dinner. For Rodríguez, this support is a meaningful affirmation of the group’s journey.

“This is a big deal for us, as women, as Latinx,” she says. “By the grace of God, we have around 170 women who will be coming. We are so blessed, and we are going to have a wonderful experience together.”