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On November 9, SENDAS held the yearly campus graduation program to celebrate the 21 students who completed their studies in their respective programs.

Throughout the year 2013, there have been a total of 32 graduates. At some of the locations throughout Latin America where SENDAS serves, they hold their own ceremonies to recognize the graduates. One graduation program was held in April where seven students graduated in the Master’s of Religion with Concentration in Church Mission. Six of these graduates are from Brazil and one from Ecuador.

In May, another ceremony was held in which four students graduated, three in the Master’s of Religion degree with concentration in Family Counseling (two from Mexico and one from El Salvador) and the other graduate from Cuba, in the Master’s of Religion degree with concentration in Church Mission.

On November 30, SENDAS celebrated a beautiful graduation service with the Central Panama district at the Ancon Church of the Nazarene. Seven students graduated from the Course of Study diploma program, including both pastors and leaders. You can read more about this graduation below.

In the main campus graduation ceremony in San Jose, Costa Rica there were 21 graduates honored from the countries of Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Mexico, Peru, Ecuador and Brazil.

Many students could not attend the ceremony in Costa Rica since they live in other countries. For this reason, the ceremony was live streamed so all could participate in the event.

The service began with the traditional march of the graduates and faculty. Then Dr. Ruben Fernandez, the Seminary President, opened the ceremony with prayer. A video of SENDAS’ history was shown, reminding students they are part of a long-standing tradition of training pastors and leaders with excellence in theological education.

Three students, from different programs, gave testimony of their SENDAS experience and expressed their thanks to their professors and the administration of SENDAS. The three students were Laura Gomez, School of Leadership; Helen Herrera, Diploma in Christian Ministry; and Marcio de Souza Lima, Master’s program.

Rev. Sirlene Bustos, the Pastor of the Los Angeles Church of the Nazarene in San Jose, Costa Rica, and SENDAS Executive Board member, preached a message from Leviticus 6:8-13. She reminded the graduates of their role as pastors and leaders. They are to be in the Word of God, to offer their lives and projects to him each day, and to never allow the fire in the heart to be diminished.

The graduates then received their recognitions beginning with the students who completed the School of Leadership program in the Specialty area of Compassionate Ministries. All six who received this certificate are members of the Poas Church of the Nazarene in the Costa Rica North district. These are the first students to complete the Core courses, as well as a specialty area in the School of Leadership program.

Balmaceda, Gloria Maria
Castro Ledezma, Maria de los Angeles
Cervantes Bello, Alida
Gomez Sequeira, Laura
Herrera Alvarado, Mauren
Trejos Salazar, Flor

Then the six students, all from Costa Rica, who completed the requirements for the Diploma in Christian Ministry, were recognized. This program includes 30 courses and 90 credits, and it is the theological foundation for the Church of the Nazarene.

Calvo Quintana, Roland
Herrera Ortega, Helen
Rojas Hernández, Raul
Rojas Segura, Sonia
Segura Chacon, Ana Rita
Víquez Sossa, Sharon – Cum Laude

Finally, the nine graduates for the Master’s programs were recognized. This program contains 16 courses and 52 credits.

Master’s in Religion with Concentration in:
Mission of the Church
Acosta Gaitan, Scarlet Vanessa (from Nicaragua, living in Costa Rica)
Lima, Marcio de Souza (Brazil)
Durigan, Jorge – Magna Cum Laude (Brazil)
Gonzalez Perez, David – Cum Laude (Mexico, living in the United States)
Martinez Bautista, Moises – Cum Laude (Mexico)
Romero Salinas, Humberto (Mexico)
Vasquez Guevara, Samuel (Peru)

Family Counseling
Lazaro Perez, Jose Humberto – Cum Laude (Mexico)

Missiology
Rodriguez Fiallos, Jorge Luis (Ecuador)

Mario Vargas, the District Superintendent for the Costa Rica Central district, led the congregation in praying for the new graduates.

The service ended with much celebration as the graduates marched out of the chapel with camera flashes all around. Everyone enjoyed the reception afterwards, congratulating the new graduates and discussing new goals for the future.

SENDAS congratulates all the graduates and encourages them to continue serving the Lord as He leads and guides each day.

Beginning in January, more SENDAS students will graduate from the Master’s programs in countries such as Cuba and Brazil. SENDAS looks forward to celebrating with these additional graduates in the coming year.