|
The Reverend Dr. Ignacio Castuera is the first national chaplain for Planned Parenthood Federation of America, and currently also serves at St. John's United Methodist Church in the Watts area of Los Angeles.
Rev. Dr. Castuera is a graduate of the School of Theology at Claremont University, where he studied and wrote about the problems of violence and the patriarchal worship of a mother goddess in Mexican culture. After completing his education, Rev. Dr. Castuera served at churches in Mexico, as well as in Hawaii and California. He was elected to three Jurisdictional Conferences and to the General Conference of the United Methodist Church in 1984. He has served on the National Council of Churches Faith and Order Commission and on other boards and task forces as a representative of his denomination.
Rev. Dr. Castuera was also the first Mexican-American district superintendent of the United Methodist Church in the Los Angeles District and went on to become the pastor of Hollywood United Methodist Church. During his 11 years at Hollywood United Methodist he transformed the church into a center of the growing movement aimed at creating a positive religious response to the AIDS pandemic. Gigantic red ribbons on the tower of the Hollywood United Methodist Church still proclaim its commitment to ministering to people living with HIV/AIDS and their families.
An accomplished preacher and author, Rev. Dr. Castuera has edited a collection of sermons culled from those given on the Sunday after the infamous Rodney King riots. The book, Dreams on Fire: Embers of Hope: From the Pulpits of Los Angeles After the Riots, became one of the top 10 religious books of 1992. He has preached in a variety of venues, including The Protestant Hour. Several of his sermons are available online and in print. In May 2004, he was invited to preach at The Riverside Church in New York City, where he received enthusiastic acclaim. That sermon is available upon request from The Riverside Church. In November 2004, Dr. Castuera served as the Jameson Jones Preacher in the Prophetic Tradition at the Iliff School of Theology. Beyond his professional duties, Rev. Dr. Castuera is the proud father of three daughters and one son, ranging in age from 10 to 30, and loves to read, sing, and play tennis. | 