La Misión

Rooted & Revolutionary: Navigating Traditions, Bending Toward Liberation

I embody the dynamic intersection of Pentecostal spirituality and Lutheran theology – a unique fusion I embrace as "La_Luthercostal." This distinctive spiritual journey shapes my ministry as a preacher, teacher, and transformational leader who answers the Gospel's radical call to action.

Spiritual Formation

Rooted in Pentecostal tradition and renewed by the Gospel encounter through the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, my ministry reflects a profound synthesis of Spirit-led charisma and Lutheran grace. I seek to partner with the Holy Spirit in the divine work of restoration, addressing both institutional fragmentation and individual spiritual wounds.

Ministry Focus

My pastoral calling centers on practical ministry grounded in theological depth. I aim to co- create brave spaces for communities to:

• Confront systemic injustice while nurturing hope

• Navigate institutional challenges without losing sight of Christ's transformative vision

• Develop effective leadership skills within complex church systems

• Challenge inherited power structures that limit the Church's witness

• Embrace vulnerability as a pathway to authentic community

Leadership Development

I specialize in walking alongside leaders who:

• Hold the tension between institutional realities and holy possibilities

• Remain steadfastly committed to Jesus's teachings while questioning traditional interpretations

• Seek practical wisdom for contemporary church leadership

• Navigate the intersecting challenges of patriarchy and white supremacy

• Dare to engage in difficult conversations that lead to collective liberation

Vision for Transformation

My embodied prayer is to cultivate sacred spaces where leaders can:

• Discover their authentic voice within inherited traditions

• Define new possibilities for church renewal

• Co-create communities of radical welcome and transformative practice

• Engage in the messy yet holy work of institutional and spiritual reformation

Through preaching, teaching, and prophetic presence, I invite communities into deeper engagement with the Gospel's liberating power, fostering spaces where both traditional wisdom and revolutionary hope can flourish.

La Vocación

Rev. Ortiz is a pastor and theologian in The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and serves as the bishop of The Metropolitan Washington D.C. Synod since the fall of 2019. She works alongside pastors, councils, and church members as they discern their call in the church for the sake of the world.

Leila completed graduate degree coursework and comprehensive exams at United Lutheran Theological Seminary of Pennsylvania and is currently “All bur dissertation.” Her concentration was in Systematic/Contemporary Theology with a special interest in Protestant Latinx Liberation Theologies in the United States and the impact of Latina hermeneutics on Lutheran ecclesiology.

Given her particular perspective and call to the church, in the fall of 2012 Leila served as a representative from the United States at The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) Global Theological Consultation in Wittenberg, Germany, to assess Lutheran heritage and the Reformation in defining what it means to be Lutheran in a fast-changing world. She served in this capacity again at the 2016 consultation in Geneva, Switzerland.

In the spring of 2013, Leila served as a member of the LWF Resource group, which prepared Lutheran Theological Education Network guidelines that would define the goal, process, roles, and responsibilities of the network at different levels within Lutheran communion. That fall she was invited to participate in The Global Ecumenical Institute in Busan, South Korea; an initiative of The World Council of Churches that gathered theological students and lecturers for a major project promoting ecumenical leadership formation, intense theological learning, and mutual dialogue.

Leila is an alumni of the 2015 Lewis Fellowship sponsored by the Lewis Center of Church Leadership of Wesley Theological Seminary. She is also a current participant in A Convocation of Christian Leaders, a series of four gatherings designed for promising young leaders from around the country who seek extended conversation about the theology and practice of leadership in Christian institutions hosted by Leadership Education of Duke Divinity.

Leila is a contributing author in “Global Lutheranism: Vitality and Challenges,” co-authored a chapter entitled “Pentecostal Latinas: Engendering Selves in Storefront Congregations” in Faith on the Avenue: Religion on a City Street (Oxford University Press, 2014), and has published articles and commentaries in Gather Magazine, in the journal Dialog: A Journey of Theology (Wiley Online Library), and workingpreacher.org. Currently she serves as the Conference of Bishop’s liaison to the Association for Teaching Theologians of the ELCA and is on the board of Select Learning.