Theology of Women in Ministry at SENDAS
In 2020 a change was made during a review to the SENDAS curriculum on the bachelor’s level to include the course “Theology of Women in Ministry.” This course was taught for the first time simultaneously to two different groups of students via Zoom® beginning in January through March of 2021. Drs. Elvin Heredia of Puerto Rico and Monica Mastronardi of Costa Rica were professors for the course. Professor Mastronardi developed the new syllabus.
The foundation of the course, originally transl…
SENDAS Faculty Members Conclude Second Doctoral Program
This past March 25, 2021, the Evangelical University of the Americas in San Jose, Costa Rica, held a special graduation at their main campus. Unable to wear their regalia and with only one invited guest per graduate due to strict health codes, the graduates gathered in 15-minute segments to receive their diplomas and take photos. SENDAS professors Ruben Fernandez and Monica Mastronardi de Fernandez received their Doctor of Theology degrees with an Emphasis in Ecclesiology (ThD). This diploma is…
SENDAS Launches “Samantha,” 24/7 Virtual Assistant
Given the great number of inquiries from students and candidates received on Facebook, and as an initiative of SENDAS’s Unity of Technological Excellence (UET in Spanish), the virtual assistant, “Samantha,” has come to life.
This launch is possible after arduous and extensive programming via interdepartmental consultations, led by Rev. Andres Fernandez who oversees UET. During these consultations, questions and answers to those questions often asked by Facebook users as well as inquiries l…
SENDAS Partners with Latinos Adelante to Help High School Students in the USA Earn GEDs
On Saturday, February 13, 2021, Hispanic high school students in the USA gathered for their first GED (General Education Development) class through a new strategic partnership between SENDAS and the Latinos Adelante Initiative. Forty students participated in this new alliance with the goal of helping Hispanic students move forward in their holistic formation.
This project was born out of the understanding that having a high school diploma is key to opening doors for future study. For example, fo…
SENDAS Signs Agreements with Metro New York and New England Districts
Every day there are more districts and churches in the United States that are looking to Nazarene Seminary of the Americas to equip their pastors and leaders. For our institution it is a privilege to serve such a culturally rich country with a Hispanic church so passionate and growing. At the same time, we are aware of the great need for the highest quality of theological education for the people of God that is accessible according to time, space, and economy.
We are happy to announce the signin…
SENDAS Launches Bachelor’s Degree in Hispanic Pastoral Theology
For several years, Nazarene Seminary of the Americas has served pastors and leaders from the United States through agreements and academic programs with cultural and contextual adjustments. This is accomplished, for example, in the variety of delivery systems offered. For those whose time is extremely limited, we offer the option to study 100% online virtually – on the student’s own time frame and in their own location. For those who learn better in real time with a professor and students, b…
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….
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