Alberto Najera

A native of Nicaragua in Central America and a committed Christian since childhood, Rev. Alberto Nájera grew up in the Pentecostal tradition, where he assumed increasing ministry responsibilities in the areas of children, youth, and evangelism with the Evangelical Pentecostal Church in Nicaragua.

Alberto first came to Peace and Joy Metropolitan Community Church (ICM/MCC) in Nicaragua in 2000. In the years that followed, his participation was marked with great passion and commitment: ordained a deacon in 2002; later appointed as interim pastoral leader; and in 2006, after an intensive process of theological studies, training, accreditation, and recognition of studies completed, he was ordained as clergy in Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches (UFMCC). At that time, Rev. Nájera continued to serve as pastor of MCC Peace and Joy in Managua, Nicaragua, and was the founding pastor of four additional ICM/MCC mission groups in the country of Panama: La Chorrera, David Chiriquí, Colón, and Panama City.

Rev. Nájera is also a journalist who has worked professionally in radio, television, magazine publishing, and public relations; other previous work includes working with various NGOs in both Nicaragua and Panama, where Rev. Nájera provided leadership and developed programs in the education and prevention of HIV/AIDS. As an important part of this work, he coordinated the “Peace and Joy” Social Action Program - a partnership between the MCC church in Nicaragua and various community organizations to provide education, communication, prevention programs, pastoral and spiritual support to families and people living with HIV/AIDS.

In the United States, his professional focus includes public health education and prevention in the areas of HIV/AIDS prevention and care, as well as administrative work with Virginia Beach City Public Schools, working specifically with immigrant families.

Since 2013, Rev. Nájera has served as staff clergy at New Life MCC of Hampton Roads, Virginia. In this role, Rev. Nájera has organized and led Spanish Language worship, taught Spanish classes for the church and community, and has helped to coordinate both church and community involvement for marriage equality and various other human rights issues both in Hampton Roads and in Richmond. In addition, Rev. Nájera has provided support to the Unidos Latino Ministry of MCC Washington, DC. His service to MCC churches worldwide includes serving as a member of the International Judicial Pool of MCC since 2012, and as a member of the global Governing Board of MCC from 2019 to 2025.

Through the years, both in Nicaragua and after coming to the United States, Rev. Nájera has remained close to his family in Nicaragua. With his parents and three older siblings, his early years were spent on a rustic mountain cattle ranch where Rev. Nájera developed a lifelong love for riding and horses. Today, he lives in Virginia Beach with his husband, Mark, and their yellow lab, Nica.

This profile was written by Alberto Najera.

Biography Date: September 30, 2025

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