Guest Bios

Samuel Rodriguez is the President of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference (NHCLC), the world’s largest Hispanic Christian organization serving as a representative voice for millions Hispanic Evangelicals assembled in over 40,118 U.S. certified member churches and thousands of additional churches spread throughout the Spanish-speaking diaspora.

Rodriguez stands included among many lists of influencers in America which have recognized his impact across the faith, and civil rights communities, including:

“40 People Who Radically Changed The World” – Charisma Magazine 2015 “101 Most Influential Leaders” – Latino Leaders Magazine 2015 and 2016

“Top 100 Christian Leaders in America” – Newsmax 2018
“2013 TIME nomination as 100 most influential people in the world – TIME 2013

“10 White & Brown MLKs of Our Time” – Black Christian News 2013 No. 1 bestselling author of “Be Light” – L.A. Times 2016

Rodriguez was also prominently featured in the April 15, 2013 TIME cover story, The Latino Reformation.

Additionally, a number of outlets have deemed Rodriguez as one of America’s leading Christian and Latino voices and as the leader of the Latino Evangelical movement, including CNN, Fox, NBC Telemundo, The Wall Street Journal, The San Francisco Chronicle and Charisma Magazine, to name a few.

In January 2013, he was the first Latino to ever be invited to deliver the keynote address at The Martin Luther King, Jr. 40th Anniversary Commemorative Service at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia.

Rodriguez delivered keynote speeches at a variety of gatherings including The Ethics and Public Policy Center’s 2013 National Religious Freedom Conference in Washington, D.C., as well as at The White House, Princeton, Yale, Promise Keepers, The National Association of Evangelicals and Liberty University.

Rodriguez worked with and advised President George W. Bush, President Obama and President Trump. He served on Obama’s White House Task Force on Fatherhood and Healthy Families, and he frequently meets and consults with members of both parties in Congress advancing the Lamb’s agenda.

Rodriguez is the recipient of the Martin Luther King Jr. Leadership Award presented by the Congress of Racial Equality; the 2015 Rosa Parks Courage Award given by the Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA) and the Southern Youth Leadership Development Institute (SYLDI); and the “Defender of the Dream” award presented in 2016 by Alveda King and the King Family as well as Bishop Harry Jackson of The Reconciled Church.

Rodriguez is regularly featured, profiled and quoted by The Washington Post, CNN, Fox News, NBC Telemundo, ABC, NPR, Chicago Tribune, Christianity Today, Newsweek, Univision, The New York Times, The Wall St. Journal, CNN Español, Bill Moyers, Boston Globe, The Atlanta Constitution, Ministry Today, The Christian Post, Charisma, CBN, TBN and many others.

An award-winning author, Rodriguez contributes to world-renowned publications such as The Washington Post, Time Books, Univision, Fox News.com, The Huffington Post, Outreach Magazine, Ministry Today, Enrichment Journal, Vida Cristiana, Christianity Today, Yale “Reflections” and others.

He is also the author of Be Light: Shining God’s Beauty, Truth, and Hope in a Darkened World, which landed No. 1 on the LA Times Bestseller’s list, The Lamb’s Agenda, and Path of Miracles.
His most recent books include “When Faith Catches Fire: Embracing the Spiritual Passion of the Latino Reformation” (WaterBrook, June 20, 2017), coauthored with Dr. Robert Crosby and “Shake Free” (Waterbrook, May 22, 2018).

Rodriguez likewise serves as a movie producer serving as executive producer of two films (Flamin’ Hot, and Breakthrough The Impossible) in partnership with Franklin Entertainment and 20th Century Fox.

He likewise serves as co-Founder and lead Pastor of TBN Salsa, an international Christian- based broadcast television network. Pastor Sam is likewise a television personality with appearances on “Dr. Oz”, cameo in “God’s Not Dead 3”. He hosts “New Season with Pastor Sam” airing on various networks.

Rodriguez currently serves on the Board of Directors of some of America’s leading Evangelical organizations such as Wheaton College, Congress of Christian Leaders, National Association of Evangelicals, Empowered21, PCCNA and Christianity Today.

On Friday January 20th 2017, Reverend Samuel Rodriguez became the first Latino Evangelical, and first Assemblies of God minister, to participate in a
Presidential swearing-in ceremony. With over 1 billion people watching around the world, Pastor Samuel Rodriguez read from Matthew Chapter 5 concluding his remarks by invoking the name of Jesus Christ.

He earned his Master’s degree in educational leadership from Lehigh University and likewise received Honorary Doctorates from Baptist University of the Americas and Northwest University. He is an Assemblies of God Ordained Minister since the age of 23.

Rodriguez serves as Senior Pastor of New Season Church in Sacramento, California, with campuses throughout California and Nevada. He resides in Northern California with his wife, Eva, and their three children.