With Gratitude and Joy
AUGUST 31, 2026
McCormick Welcomes New Leaders and Celebrates New Beginnings
As McCormick Theological Seminary prepares to begin a new academic year with Convocation next week, we are joyfully welcoming two new members of our academic community while celebrating the leadership, service, and new beginnings of two beloved colleagues.
“At McCormick, transitions are not simply moments of departure and arrival; they are opportunities to celebrate the multitude of prepared and called individuals whose gifts strengthen theological education,” said President Dr. Maisha Handy. “We give thanks for the colleagues whose leadership has helped shape McCormick, rejoice with them as their work expands into new places, and warmly welcome those who will help us imagine and build what comes next.”
Welcoming Rev. Dr. Reginald W. Williams, Jr.
McCormick is pleased to welcome Rev. Dr. Reginald W. Williams, Jr. as Visiting Professor of Preaching and Worship. Dr. Williams will also be leading our weekly worship services.
A respected pastor, preacher, scholar, and author, Dr. Williams brings a deep commitment to prophetic preaching, public theology, and the formation of leaders equipped to serve the Church and the world. His presence will further strengthen McCormick’s longstanding commitment to preparing thoughtful, courageous, and contextually grounded leaders for ministry.
We look forward to the wisdom, experience, and pastoral presence he will bring to our classrooms and community, particularly as he leads our weekly worship.
Welcoming Dr. Efraín Agosto
McCormick is pleased to welcome Dr. Efraín Agosto as Visiting Professor of New Testament & Latinx Studies.
A distinguished biblical scholar, theological educator, author, and academic leader, Dr. Agosto brings decades of experience in New Testament studies, Latinx theology and ministry, and the formation of leaders for the Church. His scholarship explores the New Testament, leadership, migration, and the life and ministry of Latinx communities.
His presence at McCormick will deepen the ways our students encounter scripture—bringing biblical scholarship into conversation with culture, context, and the lived realities of Latinx communities.
Welcoming Paola Márquez Leones
McCormick also welcomes Paola Márquez Leones as the new Director of the CTU-MTS Writing Resource Center.
A PhD candidate in Religious Education at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, with a concentration in Theology and Ethics, Paola is an ordained minister in the Colombian Methodist Church, and earned their Master of Divinity from Drew Theological School. The Writing Resource Center serves students from both McCormick Theological Seminary and Catholic Theological Union, providing support that helps them grow as confident, effective theological writers and communicators. In this role, Márquez Leones will guide the Center’s work of helping students develop and express their ideas with clarity while honoring the distinct voices, languages, cultures, and lived experiences they bring to theological education.
“We enter this academic year with genuine excitement about the faculty and staff who will accompany our students,” said Interim Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Faculty Dr. Jina Kang.” Dr. Williams, Dr. Agosto and Paola Márquez Leones bring valuable gifts to an already robust academic community. Together, we are ready to welcome and prepare another remarkable group of individuals who have answered the call to learn, lead, serve, and help shape the future of the Church and the world.”
Celebrating Dr. Lis Valle-Ruiz
With deep gratitude, McCormick celebrates Dr. Lis Valle-Ruiz, who has concluded seven years of service to the Seminary as Associate Professor of Homiletics and Worship and Director of Community Worship Life. She is returning to Puerto Rico, where she will continue her scholarship, teaching, and creative innovation.
Throughout her time at McCormick, Dr. Valle-Ruiz enriched our community through her teaching, scholarship, mentorship, and leadership. Her care for our shared worship life helped make weekly worship a deeply meaningful and beloved part of the McCormick experience. Through her creativity and theological wisdom, she invited our community to encounter worship and the sacraments as vital expressions of faith, identity, vocation, and belonging.
Dr. Valle-Ruiz leaves a lasting imprint on McCormick and on the many students, colleagues, and community members whose lives she has touched. We send her home to Puerto Rico with our gratitude, affection, and prayers for continued flourishing in all that comes next.
Congratulating Adriana “Dri” Rivera
McCormick also celebrates Adriana “Dri” Rivera on their appointment to a tenure-track faculty position at Eden Theological Seminary in St. Louis.
Rivera’s leadership within McCormick’s Trauma Healing Initiative has helped advance vital conversations about trauma-responsive theological education, embodied learning, healing, and community formation. Their collaborative spirit, creativity, and deep commitment to the Initiative’s mission have contributed meaningfully to its growing impact at McCormick and beyond.
We rejoice with Rivera in this significant and well-earned milestone and look forward to the ways their scholarship, teaching, and leadership will continue to shape students and the broader landscape of theological education.
As the McCormick community gathers for Convocation on September 8, these arrivals and transitions remind us that our mission is carried forward through people—those who join our community, those who shape it through their presence and gifts, and those who carry the spirit of McCormick with them into new places.
We begin this new academic year grateful for all they have given, excited for all that lies ahead, and reminded once again of the many ways faithful leadership takes root, grows, and moves into the world.