An Ohio pastor has been named the first-ever president of the Hispanic Israel Leadership Coalition, which encourages support for Israel among Hispanic Evangelicals and looks to build “a firewall against antisemitism” in the Latino community, a passion he has had since his first trip to the Holy Land over 15 years ago.
The National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, a network consisting of tens of thousands of churches worldwide, announced the appointment of Juan Rivera, the lead pastor of Victory Church near Youngstown, as the president of the Hispanic Israel Leadership Coalition on Tuesday.
Rivera’s relationship with the NHCLC dates back to its founding.
“The Hispanic Church stands at a prophetic crossroads,” said Rivera in a statement shared with The Christian Post. “As antisemitism rises globally, now is the time for us to rise with clarity and conviction — declaring that we stand with Israel, we honor our Jewish brothers and sisters, and we will not remain silent. The work of HILC is not just political — it’s biblical. And it’s never been more urgent. Through HILC, and in partnership with the NHCLC, we are building the greatest firewall against antisemitism the world has ever seen.”
According to an online bio by the Jewish Federations of North America, Rivera participated in a transformational trip to Israel with his church in 2010, where he was motivated to build relationships with Jewish leaders and communities.
Afterwards, his community donated regularly to local synagogues as he forged relationships with local rabbis.
After becoming lead pastor of the large and diverse congregation at Victory Church, Rivera doubled down on his efforts to befriend Jewish leaders. In 2018, Rivera and two other local religious leaders helped plan a trip to Israel for pastors.
Rivera has held the title of executive director at the Hispanic Israel Leadership Coalition since 2017 and also served as the Ohio Chapter Director of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Coalition and a board member of the Hispanic Israel Leadership Coalition.
Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, praised Rivera as “a visionary leader,” saying his appointment “marks a transformative moment for the NHCLC and its relationship with Israel.”
“For decades, the Hispanic church has been one of Israel’s most passionate and dedicated defenders. We remain committed to building a firewall against antisemitism in all forms, and there is no one more qualified to lead this effort than Pastor Rivera.”
During his time working with the organization, Rivera has engaged in efforts “to build bridges of mutual respect, shared values, and strategic partnership between Hispanic and Israeli communities.” In his new role, Rivera will oversee strategic partnerships, advocacy and national initiatives.
Rivera’s appointment comes amid much international pressure against Israel’s ongoing military offensive in Gaza. The offensive began after terrorists from Hamas, which has controlled Gaza since 2007, killed over 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took over 240 hostages during an Oct. 7, 2023, attack in southern Israel.
The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry states that more than 60,000 people have died in Gaza since the war began. Those figures don’t differentiate between combatants and civilians.
Research has shown that Hispanic Christians tend to be somewhat supportive of Israel, with a 2017 Lifeway study suggesting that Hispanic Christians were nearly four-times as likely to say they sympathize with the Israeli suffering over Palestinian suffering. Just over 40% of those surveyed said they agree that the “formation of modern Israel is a fulfillment of God’s covenant with the Jewish people,” while 21% disagreed.
However, that support for Israel dwindles in the context of Hispanic society as a whole.
“In the Latino community, there’s an attempt through Spanish media to conflate the Latino struggle, be it the immigrant struggle or whatever it may be, with the struggle of the non-Jewish population in the Middle East, and there is a brotherhood supposedly in that,” Rodriguez told The Media Line in February. “And my objective is — with integrity, recognizing the image of God in every single human being without exception — to push back on that.”
In February, the NHCLC organized a trip of several Hispanic Evangelical leaders to Israel as part of an effort to strengthen Jewish-Christian solidarity.
Ryan Foley is a reporter for The Christian Post. He can be reached at: ryan.foley@christianpost.com
