25 Who Inspire | Bethany Rivera Molinar

Bethany Rivera Molinar is the Executive Director of Ciudad Nueva Community Outreach in El Paso, Texas.

By Aurelia Davila Pratt

I met Bethany a few days before our first classes at Truett Seminary began. After discovering we were both enrolled in the dual seminary and social work programs, we became fast friends.

Bethany came from El Paso, and from day one, her sense of call was clear: she would eventually return home and become a community organizer. That vision never wavered. But in seminary, we were all blessed by Bethany’s prophetic, tender, and big-hearted presence. A truth-teller and devoted Christ-follower, she brought this posture to every internship, class, and conversation.

As she always said she would, Bethany returned to El Paso and began her work at Ciudad Nueva. Though she’s had many achievements and accolades along the way, what sets her apart is her unwavering commitment to justice and advocacy in inner-city El Paso and along the border.

I’ve often said that while many of us spend time thinking and talking about “the work,” Bethany is simply out there doing it, not for attention or ambition, but out of genuine love for her neighbor. It’s a rare gift to know someone whose life and vocation are so beautifully aligned. I’m honored to call Bethany a close friend and am continually inspired by how she lives out her calling with courage and compassion.

—Aurelia Davila Pratt is a pastor and the author of A Brown Girl’s Epiphany: Reclaim Your Intuition & Step Into Your Power.