Reverend Dr. Irene Taylor (MDiv ‘87) and the Reverend Dr. Manuel Villalobos Mendoza (PhD ‘10) named 2023 Distinguished Alums
October 4, 2023
Reverend Dr. Irene Taylor (MDiv ‘87) and the Reverend Dr. Manuel Villalobos Mendoza (PhD ‘10) have been named the 2023 Distinguished Alums of Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary. Each year the seminary chooses two alums to be honored as Distinguished Alums. One alum is chosen from the most recent 25 years of graduates, and one alum is chosen from alums who graduated over 25 years ago. Both Taylor and Mendoza will be honored for their remarkable ministries at this year’s Homecoming at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary.
Reverend Dr. Irene Taylor
Master of Divinity, Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, 1987
“My heart is filled with joy, and my faith is renewed in the reality that God sees us and rewards faithfulness,” says Rev. Dr. Irene Taylor, Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary’s 2023 Distinguished Alum, as she reflects on the legacy of her seminary education after more than thirty years in ministry.
The life and work of Rev. Dr. Taylor are indeed characterized by faithfulness. Through her multiple appointments as an Elder of The United Methodist Church and her involvement with diverse types of ministries, Rev. Dr. Taylor has cultivated a holistic ministry of spiritual formation for the empowerment and transformation of God’s people. After completing her Master of Divinity at Garrett in 1987, in 2005, Taylor received her Doctorate in Ministry in Spiritual Formation from United Theological Seminary with a project titled, Christian Spirituality: A Resource for Equipping, Enabling, and Empowering African American Youth.
Her commitment to the church began at an early age, when, through many life transitions, Taylor found a home in the church. She says, “My earliest or most impactful memory of the church was it was the one place where I felt affirmed and most alive. . .. Despite my age, my gifts were affirmed, and I could let them shine. I felt safe and affirmed.” Because of this, one of the central aspects of Taylor’s ministry has been equipping youth, particularly young women.
In 2018, in honor of Rev. Dr. Taylor’s thirty years since graduating from seminary, the Irene Taylor Scholarship Fund was established at Garret-Evangelical. Taylor regards her seminary education as foundational for her commitment to justice and love, particularly in the face of challenges. She adds, “I am grateful for the gifts, sound theological preparation, and spiritual formation I received from this great institution and the local church’s ministry.”
Although she is now retired, Rev. Dr. Taylor affirms she still feels the call to serve God through the ministry of the church. She is hopeful about the future of the church and encourages the next generation of leaders to hold on to the calling to be a beacon of light amid much darkness.
Reverend Dr. Manuel Villalobos Mendoza
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, 2010
What is the liberating news of the gospel to those who experience otherness? The 2023 Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary Distinguished Alum, Father Manuel Villalobos Mendoza, PhD (’10), has dedicated his ministry and scholarship to this question.
Father Villalobos uses the Latin American biblical interpretation method of Vida-Texto-Vida (Life-Text-Life), which sees the body and the experience of the community as the birthplace of biblical interpretation. In this way, his publications center on the bodies that have been excluded from the biblical narrative. Dr. Osvaldo D. Vena (Professor Emeritus of New Testament), who served as his PhD supervisor, describes Father Villalobos as a “creative and courageous scholar,” whose research has made important contributions to Dr. Vena’s own work.
Alongside being a prolific writer with monographs published in both English and Spanish, Father Villalobos is a Roman Catholic priest and founder of the Instituto Bíblico Claretiano (IBICLA), based in the Catholic Theological Union of Chicago. IBICLA seeks to empower minority groups who have been marginalized through abusive readings of scripture. Dr. Osvaldo Vena highlights that one of the qualities he most appreciates of Father Villalobos is “his concern for the education of the laity.” Father Villalobos’ work with IBICLA, his teaching engagements in Mexico and the United States, and his YouTube channel Escuela Bíblica Claretiana all demonstrate his commitment to promoting liberation through the study of scriptures for and from the margins.
Father Villalobos received a Bachelor of Arts from Universidad Pontificia de México and a Master of Divinity and Master of Arts from Catholic Theological Union. In 2010, he earned a Doctor of Philosophy in Bible and Culture from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, and his dissertation, Abject Bodies in the Gospel of Mark, was published by Sheffield Phoenix Press in 2012. Today, Father Villalobos is an affiliated assistant professor of New Testament Interpretation at Chicago Theological Seminary and a faculty member at IBICLA.