Meet first year Master of Theological Studies (M.T.S.) student Yenny Delgado.

Yenny is a Licensed Psychologist and a ruling Elder and Session member in the Presbyterian Church USA (PCUSA). Yenny holds a Bachelor of Arts in Theology from Biblical Latin America University (San Jose, Costa Rica) and a Master of Arts in Cooperation and International Development at Jaume I University (Castelló de la Plana, Spain).

A native of Peru, Yenny is of Native American descent and holds citizenship in both Peru and the United States. She has a deep appreciation of her cultural roots, as from a young age, Yenny was immersed in the history of her indigenous people by her grandmother.

 “It was my grandmother who taught me about our traditions and resistance as a native population. She would share with me our culture, such as how they lived in the mountains and cultivated the land. Though she is no longer physically here, both her spirit and the lessons she instilled within me remain.” said Yenny.

 “I first heard of Wesley from a member of my church,” she remembered. “After our encounter, I learned of Wesley’s M.T.S program and the option for a specialization in Public Theology.”

That specialization option and Wesley’s innovative approach to ministry that interested Yenny and solidified her choice to study here at Wesley. “Wesley’s Public Theology program was intriguing as it focuses on developing responsive contextual theologies that incorporate our efforts to deconstruct systemic oppression, racism, and white supremacy ideology,” shared Yenny.

Yenny was already engaged in public theology as the founder of PUBLICA (Theology in Public Life, www.publicatheology.org). “PUBLICA is a forum where issues of theology, society, culture, and politics meet in thoughtful and timely reflections and articles. The website encourages active theologians to distill thoughts into written works for sharing and discussion.” said Yenny. 

Yenny is dedicated to lifelong learning and to a ministry that combines both mental health and community. “I am committed to merging and developing new insights from understanding the intersections between psychology, community and theology,” said Yenny. She loves when she can combine her passion for earning in ministry while also connecting with others.

Something we don’t know about Yenny? Her international explorations have given her exposure to many religious practices that have deepened her understanding of God. One of those practices is minimalism. “I have practiced minimalism for over half of my life. I’ve found that as humans we don’t need many things, what we truly need is more empathy and humanity,” shared Yenny.

A quote that inspires Yenny? “When you see injustice and oppression, silence is not an option.” #publictheology #minimalism #indigenouspeople #lifelonglearning #facesofWesley