Emilio Alvarez (born January 16) is a religious leader in the United States, and founding bishop of the
Union of Charismatic Orthodox Churches The Union of Charismatic Orthodox Churches (UCOC) is a predominantly African American and Hispanic/Latino Christian denomination forming part of the Convergence Movement. Established in Painted Post, New York, on July 31, 2019, the UCOC describes ...
. He is also the founding director of the Institute for Paleo-Orthodox Christian Studies (formerly the certificate in Convergence Studies Program at New York Theological Seminary).
Biography
Emilio Alvarez—born Emilio Alvarez Jr.—was reared in a
Holiness-Pentecostal
Pentecostalism or classical Pentecostalism is a Protestantism, Protestant Charismatic Christianity, Charismatic Christian movementChurch of God (Cleveland, Tennessee); he is the son of a bishop within the denomination. As a minister within the Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee), Alvarez transitioned into the Convergence Movement after questioning his childhood denomination's
anti-Catholicism
Anti-Catholicism is hostility towards Catholics or opposition to the Catholic Church, its clergy, and/or its adherents. At various points after the Reformation, some majority Protestant states, including England, Prussia, Scotland, and the Uni ...
.
In 2011, Alvarez was consecrated to the episcopacy as a bishop for the Communion of Evangelical Episcopal Churches. He was invited to attend an audience with Pope Francis in 2014; Alvarez served as official translator for the meeting, themed, "The Miracle of Unity".
In July 2019, Alvarez helped establish the
Union of Charismatic Orthodox Churches The Union of Charismatic Orthodox Churches (UCOC) is a predominantly African American and Hispanic/Latino Christian denomination forming part of the Convergence Movement. Established in Painted Post, New York, on July 31, 2019, the UCOC describes ...
archbishop
In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdi ...
and primate for the Union of Charismatic Orthodox Churches.
In 2022, Alvarez published ''Pentecostal Orthodoxy: Toward an Ecumenism of the Spirit'' through InterVarsity Press. He became an associate provost at Asbury Theological Seminary, relocating from Rochester, New York where he pastored The Cathedral at The Gathering Place.
Selected works
* ''Pentecostal Orthodoxy: Toward an Ecumenism of the Spirit'', 2022 ()
* ''Pentecost: A Day of Power for All People'', 2023 ({{ISBN, 978-1-5140-0054-0)