In August of 2025, The Rev. Leila M. Ortiz completed a six-year term as bishop of The Metropolitan Washington D.C. Synod of the ELCA and is currently "All but dissertation" with a concentration in Systematic/Contemporary Theology and special interest in Protestant Latinx Liberation Theologies and the impact of Latina hermeneutics on Lutheran ecclesiology. As of October 1, 2025, she is serving as Pastoral Theologian in Residence at Saint Peter's Church in Manhattan, New York.
Rev. Ortiz has significant experience in global Lutheran theological dialogue, serving as a U.S. representative at The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) Global Theological Consultations in Wittenberg, Germany (2012) and Geneva, Switzerland (2016). During the LWF Assembly in Karakow, Poland (2023), she was elected to serve a five-year term on the council and appointed to the Ecumenical Relations Committee. In June of 2025, she was elected to serve on the, "Special Committee for the Augsburg Confession 500," to develop a framework that can serve as a compass for LWF Communion Office programs, member church participation, and preparation for the Assembly in 2030.
She is a published theologian, contributing to "Global Lutheranism: Vitality and Challenges," co-authoring a chapter in "Faith on the Avenue: Religion on a City Street" (Oxford University Press, 2014), and publishing in Gather Magazine, Dialog: A Journey of Theology, and workingpreacher.org.
When not immersed in theological discourse or pastoral care, Rev. Ortiz enjoys exploring New York City’s diverse neighborhoods and cuisine, hosting friends and family, and experimenting with recipes that blend her Puerto Rican heritage with flavors from her travels.
