Rev. Dr Tapia at the WCC's Commission on WCC World Mission and Evangelism Pre- Assembly event in Manila, Philippines, 23 March 2012 Photo: WCC
World Council of Churches News | June 11, 2025
GENEVA — The World Council of Churches is mourning the death of the Rev. Elizabeth S. Tapia, a pioneering United Methodist theologian from the Philippines. She was the first Asian female theologian to serve as professor of mission and contextual theology at the group’s Ecumenical Institute at Bossey. She was also the first women’s concerns program secretary for the Christian Conference of Asia. She previously served with the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries. Tapia died June 5. Read remembrance
The first Asian female theologian to serve in that capacity, she led seminars, lectured, and participated fully in academic planning and preparation. She was also actively involved in the life of the students of Bossey, through informal contacts, counselling, and worship.
In addition, she was an active and ongoing participant in theological inquiry, through research, writing, and participation in academic conferences, particularly on issues related to missiological issues including mission theology and feminist perspectives.
She was also the first women’s concerns programme secretary for the Christian Conference of Asia.
A distinguished Asian theological educator, she passed away on 5 June.
An ordained minister of the United Methodist Church in the Philippines, Tapia’s life and ministry left an indelible mark on churches and communities across Asia and the world.
Recalling their time together as members of the Asia Task Force of the WCC Secretariat in Geneva during his tenure as Asia secretary of the WCC, Christian Conference of Asia general secretary Dr Mathews George Chunakara stated, “Dr Tapia was a very refined ecumenical colleague who always dealt with others with pastoral care and personal warmth. She consistently demonstrated her commitment to the transformative witness of the Gospel and was a steadfast advocate for justice and inclusion.”
Chunakara expressed heartfelt condolences to Rev. Dr Tapia’s family and acknowledged the pivotal role she played.
A passionate teacher and advocate, Tapia taught widely in the fields of mission, contextual theology, and ecumenism. Her academic and missional service included roles as professor of Theology, Bible, and Mission at John Wesley College of Divinity; dean of Union Theological Seminary in the Philippines; and faculty member at Harris Memorial College. She later served as director of Mission Theology at the General Board of Global Ministries of the United Methodist Church.
Union Theological Seminary, in a memorial message for Tapia, honored and celebrated her life.
“As a feminist theologian, she challenged prevailing narratives, asked difficult questions, and amplified voices long pushed to the margins,” the message reads. “She illuminated how gender, race, class, and culture intersect in the lived experiences of women around the world.”
During her deanship at Union Theological Seminary, she created pathways for women to enter influential spaces and redefine them. “In her gentle, life-giving manner, she contributed to dismantling patriarchy,” reads the message. “She taught her students that true power empowers the powerless.”
During her time, using inclusive language in liturgy and term papers became a policy.
“Her legacy is evident in the many initiatives she has founded, the policies she has championed, and the lives she has touched,” reads the message. “As we honor her, we also commit ourselves to continue the work she has so courageously advanced — to speak truth, to resist injustice, and to imagine a world where dignity and equity are realities for all.”
Tapia is survived by her husband, Rev. Alan Cogswell.
Her earthly remains rest peacefully at Bethany United Methodist Church in Guiguinto, Bulacan.