Public Theology in Practice

FEBRUARY 18, 2026

Rev. Gary E. Vázquez: Healing, Guiding, and Walking Alongside

For Rev. Gary E. Vázquez (McCormick Theological Seminary MAM; current PhD candidate), the gospel doesn’t wait for Sunday. It moves through kitchens, classrooms, and city blocks — where people actually live. She brings that conviction to the leaders she shepherds across Chicago, serving both as a pastor in Cicero and as Presbyter (Area Supervisor) for the Chicago Metro District of the Iglesia de Dios Pentecostal, M.I. – RMO (Pentecostal Church of God, Midwest Region).

FORMED BY RIGOR, GUIDED BY THE SPIRIT
At McCormick, Rev. Vázquez says she’s found the rare pairing of academic rigor and spiritual sensitivity needed for this moment. “McCormick’s formation prepared me to engage real-world challenges in both practical and spiritual ways — shaping my identity as a reflective practitioner, a Spirit-led leader, and a culturally aware pastor. The integration of theological education, spiritual formation, and contextual ministry training equipped me to navigate complex ministry environments with wisdom, humility, and discernment.”

LEADING WITH TRAUMA-INFORMED CARE
That integration shows up most clearly in crisis and conflict. Trauma —seen and unseen — shapes how people relate to authority, community, and spiritual practice. Rev. Vázquez’s approach balances empathetic, trauma-informed listening with the pastoral courage to counsel, correct, and guide. The result: healthier clergy, stronger congregations, and discipleship that attends to the wound before prescribing the work.

IT BEGINS WITH PRESENCE
As Presbyter, she equips ministers who serve vulnerable neighbors navigating immigration stress, addiction, systemic injustice, and violence. Her public theology begins with presence: a hot meal before a Bible study, a safety plan before a sermon, an agency referral before an altar call. In Rev. Vázquez’s hands, doctrine becomes dignifying practice, and proclamation becomes protection and provision.

SCHOLARSHIP IN MOTION
Looking ahead to completing her PhD at McCormick, Rev. Vázquez is clear about the gift of formation that links thinking and doing. “Theological reflection is not simply an academic exercise,” she says, “but a tool for interpreting and responding to real-world contexts. McCormick has encouraged me to discern how theology informs not just what I say from the pulpit, but how I shepherd, organize, and advocate in the world around me.”

This is gospel in motion — scholarship with a pastor’s heart, leadership with a neighbor’s touch, and a Chicago ministry shaped for the streets as much as the sanctuary.