A pastor and father of 10 passed away after his vehicle was struck by another car in a wrong-way crash in downtown Orlando on Monday morning.
Orlando Rivera, a 52-year-old pastor at Northland church in Longwood, was hit by a black Mercedes four-door, which was apparently driving the wrong way on the I-4, police told Spectrum News 13.
The driver of the other vehicle was seriously injured and is being treated at Orlando Regional Medical Center. Rivera's wife, Nancy, has reportedly visited him in the hospital.
"To be able to say, 'We want you to be redeemed in this. We want you to bring good. We want good to come out of something that's horrible.' And that just speaks to their heart," Kevin Urichko, the executive pastor of Northland Church, told Spectrum News 13.
Rivera, who had previously served as an adjunct lecturer at the Nyack College, was remembered by his colleagues for his dedication to his work and family.
"He preached [at Northland]. He was our mission's pastor. An incredible man, he and Nancy are dear, dear people and have several children, adopted many children, and they have a house full. So I want to just acknowledge how difficult this is for us, and our community," Urichko told Spectrum News 13.
Michael G. Scales, who serves as the President of Nyack College and Alliance Theological Seminary, described Rivera in a statement to The Christian Post as a "creative, high-energy agent of change who was deeply passionate about developing leaders for the Kingdom of God."
The college said Rivera had served as an adjunct lecturer there in the School of Bible and Pastoral Ministries in 2008. He became a full-time assistant in pastoral ministries at the college a year later.
Apart from leading Northland Church, Rivera was also known for volunteer work in his community.
"He was always looking for creative and innovative ways to bring about sustainable changes in communities like ours," said Demetrius Summerville, who worked with Rivera at a community center in Holden Heights in 2012, according to Spectrum News 13.
A GoFundMe campaign has been launched to raise $100,000 to help Rivera's family with their financial expenses.
Chris Winkler, who started the campaign, said that Rivera and his wife had adopted seven children after initially failing to have their own biological children. Nancy Rivera eventually gave birth to three biological children after raising the adopted children for several years.
