wfn.org | ABCUSA: TORRES NAMED TO RTCA POST

[RICH.SCHRAMM@ecunet.org]

AMERICAN BAPTIST NEWS SERVICE 
Office of Communication  
American Baptist Churches USA 
P.O. Box 851, Valley Forge, PA 19482-0851 
Phone: (610)768-2077 / Fax: (610)768-2320 
Web: www.abc-usa.org
Richard W. Schramm, Director 
 E-mail: richard.schramm@abc-usa.org

TORRES NAMED EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF RACE 
TRACK CHAPLAINCY OF AMERICA
 Dr. Enrique Torres, American Baptist educator and 
former director of Evangelistic Strategies for ABC National 
Ministries, has been named executive director of the Race 
Track Chaplaincy of America.
 Torres was appointed executive director at RTCA's 
annual meeting last month in Arcadia, Calif.  He worked 
last summer as an RTCA associate field director, visiting 
chaplains, backstretch workers and track executives at 10 
racetracks.  "When I saw the holistic ministry that was 
being performed at the tracks it touched my heart and I 
realized it would take a team effort to fill the needs," he 
noted.
 Torres presently is an adjunct professor at Fuller 
Theological Seminary, Pasadena, Calif.; New York 
Evangelical Seminary, New York City; and Andover Newton 
Theological School, Newton Centre, Mass.
 RTCA, founded by the (then) American Baptist 
Convention and the Southern Baptist Convention, has 
served for 30 years as a means of providing for the 
spiritual, emotional and material needs of track workers.  
Currently 35 RTCA chaplains serve at 55 tracks throughout 
the U.S.
 Torres said he plans to institute an education 
program focused on equipping chaplains in such areas as 
substance abuse, marital and grief issues, and crisis 
intervention.  "The racing industry is demanding more 
from our chaplains and it's up to us to help them get the 
best education possible," he said.
 American Baptists who have served as race track 
chaplains over the years have been eligible for 
commissioning as American Baptist home missionaries.  
 The American Baptist representative to the Race Track 
Chaplaincy Board is the Rev. Dr. Jeffrey Johnson, National 
Ministries' director of evangelism.

WFN0228A
 -0-