Rev. Dr. Patrick B. Reyes is the President of Auburn Theological Seminary, founded in 1818 and dedicated to building community, bridging divides, pursuing justice, and healing the world.
A Chicano author, ordained pastor, educator, and parent to children with disabilities, Dr. Reyes serves as a bridge between ancestors and descendants, drawing on the wisdom, love, and teachings of those who came before to create conditions for a more loving and healed future for the generations who follow. He sits between five generations of Carmelita’s: loved by his grandmother, raising his daughter, and making way for the descendants who come after.
At Auburn, he oversees the strategy and vision to identify and equip leaders with healing and future-focused practices. He designs and leads Faithful FuturesTM, Auburn’s immersive intergenerational leadership simulation. He is the award-winning author of The Purpose Gap and Nobody Cries When We Die, and Pedagogy of the Ancestors: Practices and Teachings for Future Generations (September 2026). He has authored dozens of articles and chapters on leadership, vocation, love, children, and imagination for a healed future. He has received awards from universities and national nonprofits, including induction to the Morehouse College MLK Jr. Collegium of Scholars. Boston University recently presented him with the distinguished alumni award, and he has received awards and recognition from organizations such as Children’s Defense Fund, Hispanic Youth Leadership Academy, Hispanic Theological Initiative, Center for Creative Leadership, among others.
He served as Co-Dean of the Freedom Seminary for the Children’s Defense Fund and as a director of the American Academy of Religion. He is a past president of the Religious Education Association and previously served as a Senior Director of the Forum for Theological Exploration.
He holds a doctorate and a master’s from Claremont School of Theology, an M.Div. from Boston University, and he is a proud graduate of the state education system, California State University, Sacramento.