Apparicio

I am delighted to intern at DCBC. For the past few weeks, I have been immersed in learning church history outside of the classroom and into the halls of records, and it has been a blast. I love researching and being able to view documents about church formation dating back to the late 1800s. Many churches are still in existence after weathering life’s storms and changes for more than 100 years; that is amazing. Even when the nation was in turmoil from war, depression and pandemics, the church remained, which is a powerful testament to God and God’s people. I am also looking forward to the DCBC Annual Gathering this October and helping to plan the time for older adults. For more than 20 years, I worked helping develop and support older adult services in local communities, so it is nice to work with seniors again.

By way of introduction, I am a New Yorker now living in Maryland. A few years ago, I felt a tug in my spirit to go into a deeper study of Christian education. I began working on a manual for church resources, both internal and external, that includes tools on lay leadership development and external resources focused on grant development. I attended Samuel Dewitt Proctor School of Theology and obtained a Master of Arts in Christian Education. I thoroughly enjoyed the program, believed I grew tremendously from that experience and was ready to “go on to run the race.” The tug to go deeper was still there, and I believed I was being called into ministry: both Christian education and to preach the gospel. Amid the Covid-19 quarantine, my family and I joined Covenant Baptist United Church of Christ in DC.Also, during Covid, I began a full-time job online, which gave me the time to think of seminary because I am also a caregiver to my husband. At each turn, God has opened the door to the means to afford to continue my studies and has given me the time to do so.

I am now in my third year at Wesley Theological Seminary in DC. I am also a Community Engagement Fellow and work with a nonprofit in DC providing strategic development coaching. This is a new chapter in my life. Before entering full-time ministry, I taught business and health administration courses at a university and was a campus director at a coding school. I enjoy working with churches on structure, leadership training, and curriculum and look forward to doing more of that. I recently launched a podcast called Homilies with Dr. Robin on Spotify. The podcast is a weekly message of God’s love and encouragement to give those who need a love boost. I hope it will be received as a virtual hug. Blessings and then some!

Dr. Robin S. Apparicio, DCBC Intern

*Dr. Apparicio will soon join the DCBC staff as the Older Adult Ministries Coordinator.