International Ministries (IM) missionary Ingrid Roldán-Román will receive an honorary doctorate of divinity degree from the American Baptist Seminary of the West (ABSW) during that school's commencement exercises on Saturday, May 19, 2007.

"We are delighted at ABSW to recognize the ministry of the Rev. Ingrid Roldán Román," said Dr. Keith A. Russell, the seminary's president. "Ingrid has been a faithful servant of the gospel to the poorest of the poor over many years both in El Salvador and Panama. She represents the kind of minister that ABSW seeks to train. She is a woman of compassion and determination who understands the importance of the poor in the fulfillment of the Kingdom of God," said Russell. "I pray that our graduates and friends would be inspired by the ministry of Ingrid."

Roldán-Román was appointed a missionary to El Salvador in 1987 and served until 1991. In 2001, she was re-commissioned and sent to Panama. Living near the Panamanian border with Costa Rica, Roldán-Román serves with the Federation of Baptist Churches of Costa Rica, and works through the Theological Center of the Caribbean, based in Limón, Costa Rica.

"Ingrid has endured some particularly tough circumstances to live out God's radical call in her life," said IM Executive Director Reid Trulson. He refers to a tragic accident that took the lives of 10 of her ministry colleagues on June 10, 2006, before Roldán-Román was suppose to return to Puerto Rico for a year of deputation. "She showed great strength to stay and mourn and care for those whose family members had just days before celebrated her ministry there. She also showed theological example of incarnational ministry and service, which we are pleased that the seminary is going to recognize," Trulson said. At that time, American Baptists, through One Great Hour of Sharing, provided a $3,000 grant for victims' families and funeral arrangements.

ABSW, founded 136 years ago, is one of nine seminaries related to the American Baptist Churches, USA, and the only such seminary west of the Rocky Mountains. Russell said 11 students are expected to be awarded degrees at the graduation, which will be held at the Beth Eden Baptist Church in Oakland, CA.

IM is a Baptist mission agency, established in 1814, which serves the more than 5,800 churches of the American Baptist Churches USA.

Globally, IM relates to more than 500 educational institutions and 125 hospitals and medical facilities. Missionaries work in partnership with some 15,000 trained national workers, who serve about 22,000 congregations and nearly 3,000,000 baptized members.