The Presbyterian Church, U.S.A (PCUSA) announced on Wednesday that it will, for the first time, appoint an openly gay member to head of one of its agencies.
Luis Antonio "Tony" De La Rosa will be the interim executive director of the PCUSA's mission agency (Presbyterian Mission Agency). He will begin his term on December 1st, and the length of his term has not yet been determined. Marilyn Gamm, the chair of the PMA Board, said De La Rosa may serve up to three years, according to the Presbyterian News Service.
"I did not seek out this position; it sought me!" said De La Rosa regarding the appointment in an interview with the Presbyterian News Service (PNS). "Denominational colleagues reached out to me and asked that I allow my name to be considered. After consultation with friends and a great deal of prayer, I agreed to initiate discussions with PMA Board Chair Marilyn Gamm and members of the PMA Board's executive committee about the possibility of serving as interim executive director."
"My sense of call leads me toward opportunities within the church that make use of my training in both law and theology," he continued. "I believe that the opportunity to serve the PMA as an interim executive director at this pivotal time in its history permits me to exercise my training and gifts. I am humbled beyond measure to be asked to lead the PMA into the next phase of its history as the coordinated mission expression of the PC(USA)."
De La Rosa has earned his Bachelor of Arts, Master of Divinity, and Juris Doctor degrees from Yale University. He recently married his husband, Michael Bendgen, in June of 2015 at Immanuel Presbyterian Church.
When asked how he would deal with disagreements or opposition to his appointment by the PNS, De La Rosa said, "In my work within the Church, I have attempted to support and honor the views of others who may disagree with me with the same degree of respect and courtesy I have been shown."
"I would advise those anxious of what my appointment might entail to contact like-minded colleagues in New York or Seattle and hear from them directly whether my work has ever served to undermine their theological perspectives or ministries," he added.
He also qualified that most of his encounters were "nothing but respect and courtesy from those who might be otherwise discomfited" by his work, and that "the exceptions have been exceedingly few."
