PYM is Proud to Welcome F. Salvador Orellana To Our Staff as Deputy General Secretary (DGS)
Salvador brings vast experience in direct support to the General Secretary in this new PYM operations leadership role. Salvador’s passion lies in organizational change and strategic relationship-building to transform the lives of communities he connects with. Many of you may have met Salvador this past July at The College of New Jersey, as on day one he graciously jumped right into serving our community during this year’s Annual Sessions.
Salvador considers himself a dedicated mobilizer committed to initiating and executing intercultural programs that will grow membership, engage Friends and increase diversity/inclusion, justice, and respect. He has been credited with designing and implementing a national training program, CeCaLi XXI, which was created to cultivate over 1,000 Latino leaders from the United States and Puerto Rico, preparing them to become 21st Century leaders. Additionally, Salvador served in various roles over his 14-year tenure at American Baptist Home Mission Societies (ABHMS) including Director of Intercultural Ministries, Director of Rebuilding, Restoring, Renewing Puerto Rico and as a National Coordinator for Latino Ministries.
Salvador has served in congregational ministry for 19 years. In his last pastorate at the First Hispanic Baptist Church of Trenton, New Jersey, he guided the congregation to establish “La Casita,” a legal services program that helps immigrants deal with the U.S. immigration system. Since its foundation in 2006, “La Casita” has helped hundreds of people from over 35 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Europe.
He has been an active Board Member for various organizations including National Ministries and the National Baptist Hispanic Caucus. Salvador holds a Master of Divinity degree from Palmer Theological Seminary, a BA in Theology from Central American Theology Seminary, and credits towards Clinical Pastoral Education from Robert Wood Johnson Hospital. In 1992, he received the prestigious honor of Professor of the Year from the Evangelical University of El Salvador. As a native Spanish-speaking Latino American, Salvador looks forward to connecting the Latin community of Friends to PYM.
When Salvador is not at work, you can find him spending time with his wife, walking at the park, reading, or watching a good program. One of his favorite pastimes is connecting with people and learning about different cultures; he has visited countries on four continents.
We encourage you to reach out and welcome Salvador! He can be reached at Sorellana@pym.org
