Rev. Adolfo Carrión dies at 79

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Rev. Dr. Adolfo Carrión passed away on Friday, September 5, at 11:39 p.m., at the home of his daughter Elizabeth, in Montebello, New York.  He was surrounded by his immediate family, including former Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrión.  

Rev. Dr. Carrión was 79 years old and had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer only two months prior.  He was the father of the former Bronx borough president of the same name.

He was born in Juncos, Puerto Rico on December 8, 1934, to Adolfo Carrion, II, and Carmen Garcia de Carrión.  He was the tenth of twelve children born to this marriage. 

In 1950, Rev. Dr. Carrión moved to New York City and worked in a variety of jobs, including diamond setting in New York City’s Diamond District.  Within a few short years, he gave his life to God and the ministry. 

In 1962, he became a pastor of a church on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, and by 1967, was elected the leader of that church’s organization, the Spanish Eastern District of the Assemblies of God, as Superintendent. He went on to serve in this capacity for almost 40 years.  

Rev. Dr. Carrión shepherded and grew the organization from 47 congregations in the New York metropolitan area to more than 360 congregations in the eastern United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, the Caribbean and Central and South America. While Superintendent, he envisioned and brought to fruition a 120-acre camp in the Catskills, Camp Manahaim, which served as the home for a new Bible college, ministers’ retreat, and summer camp for children.

In recognition of his life’s leadership, work, and service, Rev. Dr. Carrión was awarded, among other recognitions, honorary doctoral degrees from Fuller Theological Seminary, New York Theological Seminary, Valley Forge Christian College, and Nyack College. He was also presented with the Keys to the City by then New York City Mayor Ed Koch.

In the course of his long career, he presided over the Association of Interdenominational Pentecostal Leaders, Radiovisión Cristiana, the Assembly of God Bible College of Puerto Rico and the NYC Christian Children’s Parade. He was also founding chairman of the National Latino Evangelical Coalition.

He is survived by his wife Elisa; his four children Elizabeth, and her husband Kevin Stevens, Adolfo, and his wife Linda Baldwin, Damaris, and her husband Isham Harris, and Lizette; and his ten grandchildren, Jacqueline, Raquel, Alexandria, Rebeccah, Sara, Brittney, Olivia, Benjamin, Christiane, and Adolfo James “AJ”.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Christian International Relief Organization, World Vision, specifically for Latin American and Caribbean efforts. Kindly indicate in honor of Rev. Dr. Adolfo Carrion. 

Rev. Adolfo Carrion