Online Archives

Boston University
Anna Howard Shaw

Pupo-Ortiz first Hispanic to receive Anna Howard Shaw award

BY KAREN M. THOMPSON
UMCONNECTION CORRESPONDENT

The Rev. Yolanda Pupo-Ortiz became the first Hispanic woman to be given the Anna Howard Shaw Award from Boston University School of Theology. I received it in the name of my sisters who have accompanied me on the journey, pushed me where I needed to be pushed, she said. The ceremony was held at the Anna Howard Shaw Center at the university on Nov. 1.

In 1990, the School of Theology established the Anna Howard Shaw award in honor of the first woman ordained in the Methodist tradition. The award recognizes women who embody courage born of the Christian faith, dedication to increased opportunities for women, and devotion to social justice. 

In 1956, when the Methodist Church approved ordination of women, Pupo-Ortiz, a Cuban native, enrolled at the Seminario Evangelico as a Quaker. Quakers emphasized internal life, she said. Life is a sacrament. Every moment in life is a moment of communion and renewing the baptismal covenant, she said in a Nov. 27 interview.

While in the Cuban seminary, Pupo-Ortiz married into the Methodist Church. After she graduated in 1959, the Communist government took all church property except the main buildings, and forbade churches to do anything beyond the buildings, including social programs and camping. Young people who had ambitions and wanted to go to university were careful not to be identified with the church, she said.

In 1978, when Fidel Castro began to recognize the role of religion, the Iglesia Metodista de Cuba became an autonomous church with a covenant relationship with Florida. It is really flourishing now. Cuba is bringing people to be missionaries here (to the United States), Pupo-Ortiz said. 

As part of her ministry as an executive with the General Commission on Religion and Race, in Washington, D.C., Pupo-Ortiz helps the church learn to be inclusive. Being inclusive is living out the reign of God ... because everyone has God in them. We are brothers and sisters but we have different ways of doing things, ways of thinking. Thats exciting. Life would be very boring if everybody did the same, she said. However, she added, there is still a role for ethnic local churches. 

She suggested local churches begin building bridges with ethnic churches by having joint activities for worship, study and mission. You get to know a person once you have worked together hand in hand, she said. 

To help acheive inclusiveness, she said that the National Plan for Hispanic Ministry encourages non-Hispanic churches to be in ministry with Hispanic churches, Pupo-Ortiz said. As an example, she cited Epworth UMC in Gaithersburg, where Anna Brito is running a tutorial program with English-speaking teachers for 80 Hispanic adults to learn English.

In another area of inclusiveness, Pupo-Ortiz also works closely with the Commission on the Status and Role of Women. Sexism is still there, she said. Many women feel they get relegated to be associate pastors all the time. For some congregations it is difficult to accept a woman pastor. Some clergywomen have been told that they are going to get a certain salary because they have a husband, and they dont say that to the men, she said.