DBU Awards Hispanic Baptist Leader Jesse Rincones with Honorary Doctorate during Winter Commencement

Dallas Baptist University awarded 449 degrees during its two Winter Commencement Services, held on the morning and afternoon of December 20 in the Patty and Bo Pilgrim Chapel on DBU’s campus.

During the ceremonies, Jesse Rincones, Executive Director of the Hispanic Baptist Convention of Texas, was awarded an honorary Doctor of Divinity. In his humorous but poignant address Rincones encouraged the new graduates to face the challenges of their calling with faith and to not underestimate the impact of doing small things with excellence.

Jesse earned a B.A. in math from Texas Tech and graduated cum laude with his Juris Doctor degree from the Texas Tech University School of Law in 1998. He is a licensed and experienced attorney, including three years of practice at Sprouse, Smith & Rowley. He also teaches as an adjunct professor in Business Law and Government at the Baptist University of the Americas in San Antonio. 

Jesse pastored three churches within an 18-year period, including Alliance Church in Lubbock, Genesis Church in Hereford, and Iglesia Bautista Mexicana in Anton. He has also published numerous Christian educational resource materials for BaptistWay Press, Buckner International, and the American Bible Society Latino Ministries. Over the years, Jesse has also ministered in southern Spain; Juarez, Mexico; and Lima Peru, providing leadership training and hosting church conferences for men and women, pastors and wives, and youth.

As Executive Director, Jesse currently ministers to Texas’s 1,100 Hispanic Baptist congregations. Next year, the Convention will celebrate 110 years of history and a decade of free-standing partnership with the BGCT.  

Jesse has been an active member of the Baptist Joint Committee on Religious Liberty in Washington, D.C. and currently serves on the board of the National Hispanic Leadership Conference.

He is married to wife, Brenda, and they have four children, including son Jonathan who graduated in the 3 p.m. service.