Samuel Rodriguez

At age 16, Rodriguez delivered his first sermon. He quickly grew to be a leading and acclaimed evangelical preacher.[4] In 1992, he became an ordained minister in the Assemblies of God, a Pentecostal denomination.[1] In 2000, he founded the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference (NHCLC/CONEL), the largest Hispanic Evangelical Christian organization in the world.[5] With over 40,000 Latino Evangelical churches as members, NHCLC/CONEL helps to cultivate a network of Latino leaders in the Christian community.[6]

Rodriguez became a member of the board of the National Association of Evangelicals in 2013.[7]

In June 2016, Rodriguez's book, Be Light, reached #1 on the Los Angeles Times Bestseller List.[8] You Are Next, released in 2019, was a Publishers Weekly bestseller.[9]

Rodriguez was the executive producer for the 20th Century Fox motion picture Breakthrough.[10] In 2019, Rodriguez was announced as the executive producer for the Fox Searchlight film Flamin Hot, a true story about the man behind Flamin' Hot Cheetos. The film was produced by DeVon Franklin of Franklin Entertainment and directed by Eva Longoria.[11][12]

During the George W. Bush administration, Rodriguez advocated for bipartisan discussion on immigration reform.[13][14] He participated in President Obama’s 2009 inaugural prayer service at Saint Johns Episcopal Church, reading from the Gospel of Luke.[15] As a spokesperson for Hispanic evangelicals, Rodriguez has been a featured speaker in White House and congressional meetings. He has served as a member of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships initiative and the President's Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships (both under President Barack Obama).[16]

Rodriguez was invited to offer readings and deliver an invocation at the inauguration of Donald Trump on January 20, 2017.[17] In his remarks, Rodriguez read from the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5.[18] On Inauguration Day, Rodriguez was interviewed by CNN.[19] Rodriguez met with Trump administration officials to discuss a comprehensive immigration reform measure that would provide a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.[20]

In a letter acquired by Politico in January 2017, Rodriguez was one of several evangelical leaders that pressed President Trump to reconsider the suspension of the refugee resettlement program that temporarily prevented refugees from several countries from emigrating to the U.S. The letter argued that the program provided a lifeline to many oppressed individuals and an opportunity for churches to minister to them.[21][22]

On January 25, 2017, Rodriguez issued a statement indicating he agreed with President Trump that securing the U.S/Mexico border was vital for the safety of the U.S. He added that he opposed forcibly removing undocumented individuals and families already in the U.S. (with the exception of criminals and drug dealers).[23]

In 2013, Rodriguez received a nomination for Time Magazine's "Top 100 Most Influential People."[24] He also received an honorary doctorate from William Jessup in 2019 where he delivered the keynote commencement address.[25][26]

In 2015, Rodriguez and his wife, Eva, received The Rosa Parks Courage Award for their civil rights work from the Southern Youth Leadership Development Institute (SYLDI) and the Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA). The award was granted in commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the Montgomery Bus Boycott.[27]