The Mama Leo Latinx Lecture series housed at Union Theological Seminary is funded by the Mama Leo Lecture Fund which you can give directly to here.

The 4th Annual Mama Leo Lecture Committe consists of:

Founder - Rev. Dr. Samuel Cruz

Chair - Rev. Dr. Elizabeth D. Rios

Co-Chair - Rev. Dr. Kittin Silva

Event Outline

Herencia Profética: Latina Voices Shaping the Church and Society
(Prophetic Legacy: Latina Voices Shaping the Church and Society)

A Celebration of the Latina Pentecostal Legacy of Social Transformation, Public Theology, and Prophetic Preaching

8:30 AM – 9:00 AM | Registration & Coffee

• Welcome table with event materials

• Networking opportunity

9:00 AM – 9:15 AM | Opening Worship & Welcome -Dr. Sam Cruz

• Scripture reading & invocation

• Brief remarks on Mama Leo’s legacy & why this lecture was started

9:15 AM – 10:15 AM | Keynote Address
Speaker: TBA
Topic: Latina Faith Leadership in a Changing Church & a Changing World

A prophetic call to elevate Latina voices as vital to the renewal of church, society, and Spirit-led leadership

10:15 AM – 10:30 AM | Break

10:30 AM – 11:45 AM | Panel: Cloud of Witnesses: Hidden Figures and the History of Latina Pentecostal Pastoring and Preaching
This panel will bring the Hidden Figures website to life, featuring stories of five overlooked Pentecostal women from the Northeast. Scholars, pastors, and descendants will discuss their preaching legacy, spiritual authority, and how their ministries inform today’s public theology and resistance work.

12:00 PM – 1:00 PM | Lunch & Networking

1:15 PM – 2:30 PM | Panel: Public Theology: Digital Púlpitos and Prophetic Witness
Exploring how Latino/as preachers, practitioners, and theologians use social media, podcasts, and digital platforms to challenge empire, preach justice, compel action in communities and embody Gospel truth in the public square.

2:30 PM – 3:30 PM | Panel: Hermanos en Solidaridad- Male Allies Lifting Latina Voices

In a church world that has often silenced or sidelined Latina voices, male allies have a critical role to play just like they did for Mama Leo not as saviors, but as co-conspirators in justice, equity, and Spirit-led liberation. This session highlights and hears from men actively working to create space, share power, and honor Latinas' prophetic and pastoral leadership in Pentecostal and justice-rooted ministry. These hermanos understand that true allyship requires risk, repentance, and radical partnership. Whether as mentors, colleagues, or community leaders, they model what it looks like to be in solidarity, not just in words, but in action.

3:45 PM – 4:15 PM | Closing Word - Rev. Dr. Liz Ríos
Theme: The Mantle Remains: Picking Up Where She Left Off

4:15 PM – 5:00 PM | Closing Reflections & Benediction