Today, Esperanza joins with the Hispanic faith community in the United States to mourn the passing of one of our faithful, dedicated spiritual leaders – the Reverend Dr. Adolfo Carrión Sr. As we grieve the loss of one so dear to our community, we also celebrate that Reverend Carrión is now in the presence of his savior. God blessed Reverend Carrión with a long and fruitful life, using him to make a great impact on the church and the people of faith. We want to take this moment to recognize and celebrate a life so powerfully and faithfully lived.
Reverend Adolfo Carrión Sr. was the Superintendent of the Spanish Eastern District of the Assemblies of God for nearly 40 years, after spending several years pastoring a church on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. During his extensive career in ministry, Reverend Carrión was at the forefront of many admirable achievements – including shepherding the organization under his care as it grew from 47 congregations in the New York City area to more than 360 congregations throughout the Eastern United States and internationally; developing a 120-acre camp in the Catskills that housed a Bible college and provided a retreat for ministers and youth; and providing his guidance and insight as a board member for many other organizations. He was awarded several honorary doctoral degrees by various institutions, and at one time received the “Keys to the City” of NYC by then-Mayor Koch.
However, it was not all of these tremendous accomplishments that made Reverend Carrión a great man and a true role model within the church. Reverend Carrión’s greatest gifts to the church were his vision, humility, compassion, perseverance, and faithfulness. Reverend Carrión was a leader in all of the most important ways: He was a man of unshakeable integrity, who focused on the gospel of Jesus Christ with a sense of clarity and purpose. He was a servant first and foremost, to Christ and to everyone under his care. At Esperanza, we were blessed to have him as a close friend for many years, and it was for these qualities that we awarded him our Lifetime Achievement “Spirit” Award at the 2009 National Hispanic Prayer Breakfast.
We will miss Reverend Carrión dearly, but we thank God for his presence in our lives! He has left a lasting legacy that will continue to bear fruit for many generations to come. We invite you to join us in thanking God for the life and ministry of Reverend Dr. Adolfo Carrión Sr.