ABHMS collaborates with Andover Newton Seminary to equip young leaders at the Emmaus Encounters
VALLEY FORGE, PA (03/23/2026)—American Baptist Home Mission Societies’ (ABHMS) extensive network of partners in Puerto Rico was an asset in helping the Andover Newton Seminary (ANS) at Yale Divinity School organize Emmaus Encounters in Puerto Rico, the first in a series of three travel seminars designed to equip future ministers for building and cultivating community. Four ABHMS staff members—Rev. Abner Cotto-Bonilla, program director of Creciendo Juntos; Rev. Abigail Medina-Betancourt, national coordinator of intercultural engagement; Min. Matthew Rivera, national coordinator for Healing & Transforming Communities; and Alexzandria Sanchez, director of Scholarships, Ministerial Grants, and Emerging Leaders Initiatives—joined four ANS faculty members and 15 seminary students on this unique journey.
Puerto Rico is an important place for both ANS and American Baptists, and this is embodied in the legacy of Rev. Orlando Costas (1942–1987). Ordained by American Baptist Churches of Puerto Rico in 1965, he was appointed Dean of the Faculty of Andover Newton Theological School in 1984. He led the creation of a Latinx theological studies program there and cast an expansive vision of a liberative theological education.
Participants in the Emmaus Encounter in Puerto Rico enjoy the camaraderie of a group dinner at the close of their time together.
Reflecting the deep connections between theological education, community engagement, and ethical leadership formation, in January 2026 the students learned about Puerto Rico’s colonial history, current ecological challenges, and socioeconomic dynamics shaping the island’s existence during their weeklong stay. Partnering directly with local communities and ministries will help these emerging leaders develop a more equitable framework for community building.
“Faith leadership in the present moment can appear mysterious, and seminarians are curious about what the spectrum of ministerial leadership can look like,” said Rev. JaQuan Beachem, lead instructor and associate dean, Andover Newton Seminary at Yale Divinity School, who came to Puerto Rico.
The students themselves were a diverse group: some had Latino or Haitian backgrounds, others were African American and white U.S. students. They visited several sites where ABHMS has existing partnerships, which helped with the logistics: Loíza, El Yunque National Forest, Vega Baja, and The Happy Givers nonprofit. “Many of these organizations are helping people in the community—that is part of healing and transforming communities,” said Cotto-Bonilla.
The beginning of the seminar coincided with a geopolitical crisis—the extrajudicial removal of the Venezuelan president, Nicolás Maduro, and his wife, by the U.S. military. That event highlighted the problematic role that the U.S. plays in the region and reinforced the need to engage critically with the issues of justice and power in a decolonial way. “I think what I appreciate about the Emmaus Encounters program is that it’s a reckoning with missional and colonial history, and the many ways in which both of those have been intertwined as one collective project,” reflected Rivera.
Two ABHMS seminarian scholarship recipients and three Building Bridges cohort members joined the group for the closing dinner, further underscoring ABHMS’ commitment to investing in future leaders. For the Building Bridges participants, this experience was a part of their intercultural skills development program.
“The evening was filled with heartfelt moments, as several ANS students publicly expressed their gratitude to the ABHMS scholarship department for the ongoing financial support that has empowered their academic journeys over the years,” recalled Sanchez.
“The experience…caused me to reconsider how we do ministry in my local context and to consider how to develop theologies that are transformative,” said Maia Williams, an ANS student who participated in the program, in a report on the trip which the seminary distributed to its partners.
“When I say I am a product of the Emmaus Encounter: Puerto Rico, I am saying I am a part of something bigger than myself,” said B Laboy, another student participant, in the report. “I am saying thank you to my fellow travelers, to my trip leaders, and to the donors who got us here. I am saying thank you to the island of Puerto Rico, the people, the land, the food, the essence, and more not named.”
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By Rev. Dr. Anna Piela, ABHMS senior writer and associate editor of The Christian Citizen
