Emilio Alvarez

The Right Rev. Dr. Emilio Alvarez is an Afro-Latino scholar/theologian, educator, and commentator on the intersection of religious education and theology in America. Currently, he serves as the Associate Provost of Lifelong Learning at Asbury Theological Seminary and the Primate of the Union of Charismatic Orthodox Churches: a network of charismatic/Pentecostal churches that are at home in postmodernity while reverencing the historic Christian faith and practice of the early church. He is also the founding director of the Institute for Paleo-Orthodox Christian Studies, a program which trains clergy and laity in Christian classical consensual faith and practice. Archbishop Alvarez has served in various ecumenical capacities, developing strong ecumenical relations around the world with representatives of a variety of Christian traditions. In 2014, Archbishop Alvarez was honored to have been invited along with other clergy members to the Vatican, for an audience with Pope Francis around the theme, “The Miracle of Unity,” and he served as the official translator for the meeting. Archbishop Alvarez holds a BA in Christian Education, an MA in Religious Education, and a PhD in Religious Education from Fordham University in New York City; he is currently pursuing a second PhD in Divinity at Aberdeen University, under the supervision of the Very Rev. Dr. John Behr. He is the author of three books: Pentecostal Orthodoxy: Toward an Ecumenism of the Spirit (2021); Pentecost: A Day of Power for All Peoples (2022); and Creedal Justice: Developing A Social Creedal Identity (forthcoming in 2025).