Faculty

Bishop Emilio Alvarez is one of the up and coming scholars and commentators on the intersection of religious education and theology in America. As a ministerial practitioner, his two decades of vast experience within the Christian Church world-wide has positioned him as a prophetic voice, especially within Afro/Latino communities of faith.

A widely sought lecturer and preacher, Bishop Alvarez has traveled to nearly a dozen countries preaching and teaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ and has worked diligently planting churches for over 18 years. As an educator Bishop Alvarez has presented academic papers at various theological seminaries and universities including Georgetown University and New York Theological Seminary. He also has a strong track record of developing course curriculums and ministerial educational programs for theological seminaries and Bible colleges alike. He is the founding director of the Institute for Paleo-Orthodox Christian Studies (formerly the certificate in Convergence Studies Program at New York Theological Seminary), a program which trains clergy and laity alike in Christian classical consensual faith and practice.

As a proponent for Christian unity, in 2014, Bishop Alvarez was honored to have been invited along with other Bishops to the Vatican in Rome, to have an audience with Pope Francis around the theme, “The Miracle of Unity,” and has serves as an ecumenical officer developing strong ecumenical relations around the world with clerics from a variety of Christian traditions, including the Greek Orthodox Church and beyond.

Bishop Alvarez was consecrated a Bishop in the Lord’s Church in 2011 and is currently a member of the Union of Charismatic Orthodox Churches. A Christian Union which reverences the historic Christian faith and practice of the early church while striving to become relevant within postmodernism. As Bishop he serves as the Ordinary for the Diocese of Christ the King, a network of urban Afro/Latino churches representing 8 states and 6 countries. He is currently the founding pastor and Rector of The Gathering Place: Where Love Meets in the city of Rochester, New York. He is also the Religious Service Specialist for the Department of Homeland Security at the Buffalo Federal Detention Facility through Jesuit Refuge Services.

Bishop Alvarez holds a Bachelors in Christian Education, a Master of Arts in Religious Education from New York Theological Seminary and a Ph.D. in Religious Education from Fordham University in the Bronx, New York. He is a member of the Religious Education Association and has been awarded both Kappa Phi Kappa as well as Alpha Sigma Nu, the highest academic honor bestowed in any Jesuit university or college.

Bishop Alvarez is happily married to his wife of 19 years, Denene Alvarez and together they have three beautiful children Eli, Siomara and Lucas.

Dale T. Irvin is President and Professor of World Christianity at New York Theological Seminary, in New York City. He previously served the school as Vice President for Academic Affairs and Academic Dean. A graduate of Princeton Theological Seminary (MDiv, 1981) and Union Theological Seminary in New York (PhD, 1989), he has been a member of the Seminary’s faculty since 1989.

He is the author of several books, including History of the World Christian Movement, a three-volume project he has written with Scott W. Sunquist. Over the past several decades his articles have appeared in a number of journals such as Christianity Today, Christian Century, The Ecumenical Review and The Journal of Pentecostal Studies.

He is a founding editor of The Journal of World Christianity and serves on the editorial board of The Living Pulpit.

Dr. Irvin has held visiting or adjunct appointments at a number of theological schools and universities, including the University of Uppsala in Uppsala, Sweden, and has lectured and preached throughout the world. An ordained minister in the American Baptist Churches USA, he is a member of The Riverside Church in New York City.

Mother Gaye has been in ministry for approximately 20 years in varying capacities including assistant pastor, administrator, evangelist, teacher, prayer ministry and service coordinator.

​Ordained into the Diaconate in 2013 and into the Priesthood in 2016, she completed a Master of Divinity degree from the New York Theological Seminary in New York City in 2018. Prior educational pursuits include earning her Bachelors of Arts in Psychology in 1981 and a Bachelors of Science in Computer Information in 2003. In addition to her formal degrees, Mother Gaye has earned a certificate in Christian Ministry and a certificate in Convergence studies both from an accredited theological institution and has completed 7 units of Clinical Pastoral Education as a part of her chaplaincy formation.

She currently serves at the Cathedral at the Gathering Place in Rochester New York overseeing the catechetical formation of its members and is a key part of the prayer ministry.

​As the outreach coordinator and administrator for the Ministry of Encouragement Hidden Church, Inc., a 501(c)(3), a para ministry organization whose focus is the social integration of individuals with disabilities and their surrounding communities, she has developed and implemented numerous community events. She has experience with curriculum development, outreach organization/event planning and counseling.

​A motivational speaker and dynamic educator, Mother Gaye believes in the communal life of the believer as an intimate element in claiming our rights to the Kingdom of God.