AETH's mission is to promote theological
theological formation of Hispanic leaders in their service to the Church and the world.
service to the Church and the world. The mission of the Garett Evangelical Theological Seminary
(GETS) is to form courageous leaders in the way of Jesus to cultivate communities of justice
communities of justice, compassion and hope. The guiding vision of Garrett's mission is "the prosperity of the world.
Garrett's mission is "the prosperity of the Church and the healing of the world.
vision that dovetails with that of AETH.
As part of GETS' strategic plan
GETS, partnered with AETH on a Lilly Endowment-funded project to convincingly preach through a multilevel
to preach convincingly through a multilevel approach that will involve
involve large group activities, small group peer-to-peer learning experiences, and resource development
peer-to-peer learning experiences in small groups and the development of audio-visual resources focused
on various aspects of the preaching task and its intersection with issues and strategies contextually relevant to and within
contextually relevant issues and strategies for and within the Latino community. The
project will run for five years.
Project activities will include
will include weekend virtual conferences, which will expose preachers to contemporary issues such as
preachers to contemporary issues such as: trauma-informed preaching, preaching in bicultural
trauma of immigration, preaching in bicultural and multi-generational
multigenerational settings, community advocacy/political engagement preaching,
public speaking in civic contexts, preaching for spiritual formation and discipleship
spiritual formation and discipleship, the use of technology and its theological implications,
preaching styles, and the preacher's self-care and spirituality.
These will be followed by six workshops to be held once a month. The
launch of the project will take place at GETS as part of the Justo and Catherine Gonzalez
Justo and Catherine Gonzalez of AETH on October 13 and 14.
The Justo y Catherine Gonzalez Resource Center is a research and dialogue center that "explores new
Catherine Gonzalez Resource Center is a research and dialogue center that "explores new frontiers in Latino and Latin
Latin American and Latino theology and provides a forum for people committed to the well-being of Latino churches and communities.
committed to the well-being of Latino churches and communities to explore and develop new visions and practices.
to explore and develop new visions and practices". Dr. Gonzalez's research and
Dr. Gonzalez's research and historical theological work were recognized at Garrett's 157th graduation
Garrett's 157th graduation when the seminary conferred a doctorate honoris causa to the distinguished Methodist historian and theologian.
Methodist theologian. One can see how the partnership is not new between the two institutions.
institutions.
Over the years, GETS has contributed to the wider ecology of Latin
contributed to the broader ecology of Latino theological education through its Latino faculty and
Latino professors who have been part of its faculty and members of AETH:
people like Dr. Luis Rivera Rodriguez, who is the current vice president of the AETH board.
of the AETH board. Today the Centro Hispano Latinx is directed by Dr. Débora
B. A. Junker, associate professor of critical pedagogies who is also part of this ecology.
of this ecology. GETS alumni such as Dr. José Irizarry (2001) who has been elected president of GETS.
elected president of Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary and has been a member of the AETH network.
been a member of the AETH network also connects the two institutions. Likewise,
we can see the association in Emanuel Padilla, a current Ph.D. student at GETS, who is co-host of the
D. student at GETS, who is co-hosting with AETH director Elizabeth Conde-Frazier the
Conde-Frazier, of the podcast Mestizo.
This
year, at its 166th Commencement, GETS awarded an honorary doctorate to Dr. Elizabeth Conde-Frazier for her work in "strengthening the Church in the
Elizabeth Conde-Frazier for her work in "strengthening the Church in the U.S. and throughout Latin America through her teaching
the United States and throughout Latin America through her teaching, scholarship and advocacy.
advocacy. These are the goals of both institutions. AETH and GETS are
intertwined in the work of Hispanic theological education at many points.
Their collaboration through this and future projects will certainly enhance the broader ecology of Hispanic theological education.
the broader ecology of theological education and the prosperity of Latino congregations.
Latino congregations.