Rev. Edgardo Rivera is the lead pastor of Emmanuel United Methodist Church, appointed on July 1, 2021. Pastor Edgardo is a native of Puerto Rico and was ordained as an elder in the Philadelphia Episcopal area of the United Methodist Church in 2005.
For Pastor Edgardo, the will of God in heaven along with its kingdom values should also be the reality of God’s beloved community on earth today. “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” This prayer request from the Lord’s Prayer is a call to action to love as God loves, to love those whom God loves, and to be a neighbor to all. To live within these kingdom values through GRACE becomes a vital part of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus the Christ and to our identity as part of the Christian community.
Before coming to Emmanuel, Pastor Edgardo served as Frederick District Superintendent. He has pastored churches in Harrisburg and Reading Pennsylvania. He currently serves as the Wing Chaplain at the 175th Wing, Warfield Air National Guard Base in Baltimore, MD.
Edgardo has two sons, two grandchildren, and is the caregiver for his mother, Nereida. Edgardo enjoys participating in local running races for fun and exercise, such as half marathons and 10Ks, fitting in at least a couple of races each year.