Who are we? José Ortiz

What kind of Baptists are we?

Born in Puerto Rico, José Ortíz worked in the New York City school system when his pastor – the Rev. Santiago Soto Fontanez – told him he had a gift for ministry. Soto mentored sores of young Latinos with that gift, and made sure they got proper seminary training for their profession. José  studied for his divinity degree at Union Theological Seminary while serving as pastor of the Iglesia Bautista Emmanuel Church in Brooklyn, New York.

José 's pastoral skills were quickly noticed by his regional leaders and he was named Director of Hispanic Ministries for the ABC Board of National Ministries. In this capacity, José mentored thousands of young Latinos who felt the call to ministry, including the Rev. Martha M. Cruz. Like his mentor, Soto Fontanez, José  made sure these young people prepared for ministry with a proper seminary education.

For the most part, José's leadership was unassuming and unsung. But the young people who were nurtured by José refer to him as "the Godfather" of ABC Hispanic ministries.

José also worked with leaders of Haitian congregations in a number of ABC Regions and coordinated the organization of the Haitian Alliance of Churches. He is now retired near the Valley Forge offices of the ABC and continues to serve as President of the ABC Hispanic Caucus.

When we think of the kind of Baptists we try to be, we think of him.