Bishop Gutiérrez has called the diocese to be different. A place where no one should have to “fit in” at church. Where the church is led by the Spirit to the heart of Jesus. Where everyone finds a place not of only welcome, but a home where they belong. Where faith is the encounter with God and the sacred connection with one another. A truly different kind of community. Not afraid to outlove everyone else. A different, counter-cultural and revolutionary church, where all can flourish rather than fade.
Since his ordination, hundreds of ministerial goals have been realized including the incorporation of the diocese and a unified budget and financial reportings which were made available to the public for review. In 2019, the diocesan offices were moved to Norristown to better serve the people of God. Through worship, fellowship, and study, the diocese has embarked on an intentional path of mission, service, and addressing poverty.
Bishop Gutiérrez comes from a family dedicated to public service and he spent over two decades serving in government. He is now using his extensive experience in government, economic development, and business development to effectively enable ministry within the diocese. Over the past six years, administrative functions, operations, and programs were restructured to address the community's needs.
Listening and working collaboratively with clergy and laity, ineffective programs have been discarded, technology expanded, and new ministries initiated. Closed churches have re-opened. New programs are flourishing and the diocese is becoming a significant community presence. Things once thought impossible are now being lived out. There is a unity of purpose and no fear of failure. The diocese is experiencing a resurgence in unity, ministry, communications, and service.
Gutiérrez believes strongly in the global ministry of the Anglican Communion. The diocese is deeply engaged with the work of the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Anglican Consultative Council; a groundbreaking covenant was signed with the Diocese of Jerusalem; and new ministries formed with dioceses in Latin America, Wales, Africa, Asia, and South Asia. Gutiérrez sees the church as the foundation of a moral and loving nation and the cornerstone of all human relationships in the world.
Before his calling as bishop, Gutiérrez had a distinguished career in both The Episcopal Church and in public service in New Mexico. Rebuilding and growing churches were the hallmarks of his time in key leadership positions at The Episcopal Diocese of the Rio Grande. At the request of the Presiding Bishop, he served in an administrative oversight position for The Episcopal Church in Navajoland, which included being vice president of the Navajoland Economic Development Corporation.
His career in public service included serving as chief of staff to the Mayor of Albuquerque and Director of Economic Development. More than 25,000 private sector jobs were created as a result of his efforts to recruit new businesses and expand existing ones.
Through his involvement in local, state, and national politics and extensive experience and expertise in government, Gutiérrez also taught political consulting and marketing as an adjunct professor at the University of New Mexico. In 1998, he founded a strategy, marketing, media, and political consulting company called Mensajes.
Throughout his years in public service and in the Church, Gutiérrez has served as a board member for numerous national organizations. In 2022, he served as chair of The Social Justice and International Policy Committee for the 80th General Convention of The Episcopal Church, and will serve as chair of the same committee in 2024 at the 81st General Convention. He currently serves as president of The Compass Rose Society, which supports the work of the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Anglican Communion throughout the world, and was appointed by the Archbishop of Canterbury and the General Secretary of the Anglican Consultative Council to serve on the Church Growth and Planting Commission for the Anglican Communion. He is chair of the Board of Trustees for Episcopal Community Services, The Church Foundation, and the Clergy Assurance Fund of Pennsylvania. He serves as a board member for The American Friends of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem, The Church Farm School, and The Episcopal Academy. In addition, Gutiérrez is an officer of the Order of St. John; a co-convener of the Bishops United Against Gun Violence; a member of the Religious Leaders Council of Philadelphia; and Vicar-General of the British Officers Club of Philadelphia.
A native of New Mexico, Gutiérrez comes from a family that settled in "the Land of Enchantment" in the 1500s. He holds sacredly his indigenous ancestors from Mesoamerica and the American Southwest. He also takes great pride in his Indigenous and Mexican ancestry. His great-grandparents immigrated from Jalisco, Mexico, in the early 1900s. Gutiérrez received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and History and a Master of Public Administration (concentration in budgeting), all from the University of New Mexico. While at the University of New Mexico, he was named a Graduate Scholars Fellow. Gutiérrez earned a diocesan certificate in Anglican Studies through the Trinity School for Ministry and a Master in Theological Studies from St. Norbert College.
Aside from his faith, Gutiérrez counts as his most important role and greatest responsibility a position he assumed on June 26, 1998, when he became the extremely proud father of his son Jude, a graduate from the University of New Mexico with a degree in criminology. Jude is a High School basketball coach and earning his Elementary School Teacher’s certification. It is a joy he shares with his wife, best friend, and partner of 35 years, Suzanne Fletcher Gutiérrez. The family shares this joy with a household of dogs, turtles, pheasants, foxes, rabbits, owls, and the other miscellaneous “pets” that wander through their lives.
He invites you to join this revolutionary diocese as we seek to know Jesus and change the world.
