SENDAS celebrates a graduating class of 51 students
Few imagined that in the middle of the COVID-19 Pandemic we would be able to celebrate the our 2020 graduation. Yet, God made it possible through the support of Nazarene Communications (Mesoamerica Region) and the event took place on Saturday, October 31 – via Facebook Live.
During this totally atypical year, every student, every graduate, every professor, and every SENDAS study center can say “God has helped us so far.” Their lives are a testimony to the way God speaks and act…
SENDAS celebrates historic graduation in the USA
The Nazarene Seminary of the Americas (SENDAS), through an agreement with the Kansas City District (USA), celebrated the first graduation of their Bachelor’s of Theology with an emphasis on Pastoral Ministry for the district, on November 7, 2020.
SENDAS President, Dr. Rubén Fernández, opened the graduation event with greetings and congratulations from the campus in Costa Rica.
Kansas City District Superintendent Dr. Eddie Estep brought an inspiring and challenging message from the Word o…
Seeing The Invisible: The Testimony Of Haury Cerdas
The global pandemic has challenged the way academic education is advanced on all levels of instruction. SENDAS continues the teaching and training of pastors and leaders in the midst of it all. But it has also brought some new challenges, as you could imagine. Online instruction works for most people, but not all. For example, what if one is blind? Can someone without sight participate and succeed in online courses? For SENDAS the answer is “yes.”
Meet Haury Cerdas. Haury is participating in…
SENDAS graduate appointed new Education Coordinator for the Portuguese language in the Africa Region
Dr. Oziel Morais —a SENDAS alumnus— has recently been appointed Educational Coordinator for the Portuguese-speaking Field in the Africa Region of the Church of the Nazarene. He will have the responsibility of tightening the bond between the higher education institutions of the Church of the Nazarene in the field, energizing the process of creating a Higher Institute of Education capable of offering academic degrees and being a strategic ally in the education and development of pastors in the…
Elín Miranda: First Cuban student via videoconference
For many years we could only dream that one day we would have students studying from Cuba through our virtual platform. The possibility that they could connect in real time via videoconference seemed like an even more distant dream. But through God’s providence, little by little the conditions on the island have been changing. The internet is progressively becoming more common in the country, and despite the fact that there are still many limitations, Cubans are seeing a new world of possibili…
SENDAS signs agreement with South West Latin American (SWLA) District
After several conversations with leadership of the South West Latin American SWLA District, SENDAS had the honor and pleasure of signing an agreement to strengthen theological education for the leaders of their congregations. Through this agreement, all pastors who have already completed, or are about to complete, their district courses for ordination in the Church of the Nazarene, will be able to continue their education with SENDAS to graduate from the Bachelor’s of Theology with emphasis on…
SENDAS Faculty Provides Free Weekly Webinars to Pastors and Leaders
As COVID-19 settled down on the world, and more specifically, Latin America, SENDAS has developed some creative solutions for delivering content to pastors and leaders. One of these initiatives has been to broadcast live webinars on Facebook on a weekly basis. The Continuing Education Ministry, under the direction of Rev. Felipe Flores, began this initiative on April 1, 2020. Since that date, every Wednesday pastors and leaders have been able to access instruction on various topics at no charge….
SENDAS and Regional Clergy Development train the Dominican Republic in virtual education
In the midst of a global pandemic, some institutions that had little experience with virtual education saw the need and opportunity to start using it. This is the case of the Dominican Nazarene Seminary – SND, in Santo Domingo. In a joint effort between the Regional Ministry of Education and Clergy Development and SENDAS, leaders from all over the Dominican Republic, including district superintendents, faculty, and coordinators of study centers for organization, met via Zoom® on April 22 for…
Closed campus, open education
Although we are going through an unprecedented global crisis, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, at SENDAS we continue with the vision that the Lord has given us to train with the greatest excellence the highest possible number of ministers, for the extension of the kingdom of God.
Our central campus in San José Costa Rica has closed its doors to the public following the recommendations of the national government. The special events center is not operating, like all the hotels in the country…
God is willing indeed! Our commitment during COVID-19
We often use the expression “God willing” for things we plan to do in the future. As Christians, that can be a phrase of faith and assurance of our trust in the Lord. However, there is a risk in using the same expression to evade responsibility in matters that require our commitment.
I find it hard to believe that in times of a global pandemic we think: “God willing, the coronavirus will be destroyed.” Rather, God wants and is willing to beat the COVID-19 virus! The motivation driving Go…
Latin Grammy Award winner Danilo Montero endorses SENDAS’ Worship program
Danilo Montero is a known and loved singer, composer, writer, speaker and pastor from Costa Rica. He has among his accomplishments 20 Christian music recordings and two books. He has received nominations for various awards including the Latin Grammys and has received awards at the Arpa Awards, the Billboard Award for Latin Music and the Latin Grammys. Currently he is a pastor in Houston, Texas, from where he frequently travels speaking at conferences and giving concerts.
When he was younger, bef…
Eduardo and Graciela Lelli: SENDAS graduates making a difference in the Hispanic World
The year was 1983 when a young Argentine couple arrived at SENDAS following God’s call to prepare for ministry in the Church of the Nazarene. Still newlyweds, they’d been married for only 6 months. Their names were Eduardo Alejandro Lelli and Graciela Monica Portini de Lelli, and they would spend three formative years growing, learning and serving in the community of SENDAS.
Regarding his time at SENDAS Eduardo states:
SENDAS led us from being youth leaders in our local church in Bue…
Excellent beginning of 2020 for the Diploma in Ministry program in Costa Rica and Panama
2020 began with our coordinator of the Diploma in Christian Ministry program (ETED), Rev. Felipe Flores, has been working hard to promote and supervise our centers in Costa Rica and Panama, the countries under his charge.
The acronym ETED refers to Decentralized Theological Education and indicates the way these core courses to fulfill the educational requirements for ordination in the Church of the Nazarene are taught.
Rev. Flores says, “We want to share about the excellent start to the ETED p…
SENDAS Celebrates Third Annual LLAMADOS Conference
On Friday, October 25, more than 140 people from Costa Rica, Panama, Venezuela, Nicaragua, and the USA gathered to celebrate the third annual LLAMADOS (meaning “called” in Spanish) conference under the theme “Called to Innovation.” Revs. Albert and Christine Hung from California, USA, were the speakers for the conference. Rev. Albert Hung is the Northern California District Superintendent.
The conference began with an opening service with a time of worship and a message by Rev….
2019 Graduation celebrates 17 graduates for their accomplishments
On Saturday, October 26, the Nazarene Seminary of the Americas celebrated its 2019 graduation ceremony. The event was held at the same time as the closing service for the “Called to Innovate” conference organized by SENDAS.
On this occasion students graduated from a variety of programs including: Diploma in Christian Ministry, Bachelor of Theology programs with an emphasis on Pastoral Ministry, Master of Science in Religion with a mention in Family Orientation and Church Development….
SENDAS participates in AETAL theological forum
SENDAS was represented at the theological forum for the Evangelical Association of Theological Education in Latin America (AETAL). Dr. Marco Velasco, SENDAS Academic Dean, traveled to Brazil to take part in the X Theological Conference hosted by AETAL. The event took place from September 23 to 26, 2019 in the city of Campinas.
The key topic for the conference was: “New Realities Facing Theological Education”. According to AETAL Secretary General, Dr. Pablo Branch, the event had the objective…
Life of a Champion Ministries at SENDAS
After three years of preparation and planning, Lyle and Ginger Wensley along with their daughter, Cana, arrived at SENDAS on August 16. The Wensley’s vision to begin a soccer ministry – Life of a Champion Ministries – has become a partnership with SENDAS toward the goal of reaching the neighborhoods closest to the seminary.
Lyle Wensley is a middle school teacher and soccer coach who has felt God’s call to begin this ministry in Costa Rica. While not a Nazarene couple, they have a connec…
Dr. Dan Brewster, visiting professor for continuing education at SENDAS
During four Mondays in August and September, SENDAS hosted a Continuing Education course for pastors and leaders through its online study platform (CANVAS). The course was attended by 20 students, all pastors and leaders from countries such as: Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Bolivia, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, USA and Mexico. This course was conducted under the theme: “Strategically Ministering to Children: a view through the 4/14 window”, and was taught by Dr. Dan Brewster, renowned writer o…
ONU Women’s Soccer Team Serves in Costa Rica
The Olivet Nazarene University Women’s soccer team, led by Coach Bill Bahr, spent two weeks in June playing soccer and serving in the local churches in Costa Rica. Their competition ranged from playing soccer friendly against the team from Los Angeles Church of the Nazarene, to playing against the Alajuela first division (which ended in a tie).
While the evenings were spent playing soccer, the team lent a hand with several projects in and around the SENDAS campus and local neighborhoods….
Caribbean Nazarene College adopts SENDAS Administration Model
On May 23 and 24, 2019, in Santa Cruz, Trinidad and Tobago, the Council of Regents of the Caribbean Nazarene College (CNC) met. The College’s President, Dr. Orlando Seale, invited SENDAS Administrative Vice-President, Rev. Mary Anáis Rojas, to present to the superintendents and lay delegates of the Caribbean Area the model used by SENDAS campus administration in Costa Rica, to generate local income.
SENDAS has organized its administrations in two departments: academic administration and campu…
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