Who we are
We are the Association for Hispanic Theological Education (AETH), a network of people and institutions that since 1992 has been working in the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico and more recently in Latin America and the Caribbean.
We are a non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion and improvement of theological education and its impact on the lives of individuals, churches and communities.
We promote and certify the quality of Hispanic theological education programs and contribute to the leadership development of women and men who strengthen our congregations and communities.
We are a community of experts and leaders who share a passion for promoting theological education. Our network is made up of educators, researchers, directors of educational institutions, pastors, denominational leaders, NGO and FBO leaders, authors, speakers and students.
Our Vision
That in all the congregations and ministries of the Hispanic church there may be capable leaders for the service of the whole church and society for the glory of God.
Our Mission
To promote theological education of excellence and relevance of Hispanic leaders in their service to the church and the world.
Core Values and Principles
These are the fundamental beliefs that drive our actions and our way of doing things.
Values
These are the fundamental beliefs that drive our actions and our way of doing things.
Commitment
We made a conscious decision to achieve our mission and vision by investing our best resources, efforts and focus by investing our best resources, efforts and focus.
Collaboration
We foster innovation, support, leverage and encourage teamwork among members, partners, stakeholders and communities while teamwork among members, partners, stakeholders and communities as we work as one to achieve as we work in unity to achieve our shared goals.
Service
We exist to serve, and we do so by prioritizing the needs of our communities and providing support, guidance and assistance in educational matters. communities and providing support, guidance and assistance in matters of Christian theological education. Christian theological education.
Integrity
We are honest, trustworthy, transparent and consistent in our actions. our actions.
Excellence
We operate and perform to the highest standards, demonstrating mastery in what we do, committing to continuous learning, growth and improvement. mastery in what we do, committing to continuous learning, growth and improvement.
Principles
The principles within an organization are considered the actionable catalysts that enable us to deliver our values.
Approach
We pay attention to detail, work with clarity of purpose, intentionality and persistence while maintaining clarity, discipline and resilience in our objectives.
Agility
We can make decisions quickly, without sacrificing quality, and at the same time recognize the times to adjust, evolve and thrive recognize the times to adjust, evolve and thrive between circumstances, changing environments and/or requirements.
Responsiveness
We are proactive, empathetic in providing solutions to meet expectations about what we do and attentive to our environment.
Self-reflection
We are proactive, empathetic in providing solutions to meet expectations about what we do and attentive to our environment.
Responsibility
We are proactive, empathetic in providing solutions to meet expectations about what we do and attentive to our environment.
Frequently Asked Questions
There are many definitions of theological education. At AETH we understand it as the set of values, concepts, resources and programs necessary in the process of forming people who seek to serve God by serving their neighbor, caring for all creation and promoting fullness of life.
Education forms and educates people, but theological education does so with the aim of educating individuals and communities in the principles and values that cultivate and promote life, according to the teachings of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Therefore, theological education is vital for the development of society.
Theological education is an ongoing process that encompasses formation offered in the home, in congregations and parishes, and reaches into institutions that develop graduate programs. It is a process that never ends.
AETH is unique and its name represents it well, because we are an association formed voluntarily by people committed to Jesus Christ, who promote life in fullness and foster the preparation of leaders for faith communities and society.
COLLABORATION is one of our core values because it brings together the contributions we can make individually, enabling us to improve our service. It is also a way of resisting the selfishness that seeks to impose itself on society.
Theological education is vital for the development of society, educating individuals and communities in the principles and values that cultivate and promote life, according to the teachings of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
The Association for Theological Education (AETH) fosters the development of theological education in the Hispanic/Latino community to better serve individuals, congregations and communities.
We carry out our mission as followers of Jesus Christ and in collaboration with all individuals and organizations committed to improving the quality, impact and reach of Hispanic theological education. The vision with which we work has in view the entire church, with all its diverse understandings of its life and mission; with its doctrinal, organizational, ethnic and socio-cultural diversity.
ELEMENTS OF OUR BIBLICAL-THEOLOGICAL FOUNDATION
- God owns all creation and has given humans stewardship over it.
- Although human beings seek to generate wellbeing, their own will comes before God's will, thus producing rupture and much pain, both interpersonal and global.
- God has revealed Jesus Christ, the author of life, as the model and alternative for a new and full life.
- The Kingdom of God, revealed in Jesus Christ, is the context in which human beings taste and experience the fullness of life.
- The church, a sign of the Kingdom of God, sustained by the Holy Spirit, announces the good news of the Gospel, denounces the works that oppose God's will and forms believers in Jesus Christ to live as he lived.
- Church leadership should be able to live and instruct others as disciples of Jesus Christ, according to his teachings and example.
- The members of the church live their lives as followers and witnesses of Jesus Christ, so that here on earth God's will may be done, cultivating constructive relationships with all creation, with all people, with themselves and with God.
We serve all persons interested in theological education and Hispanic theological education. This audience includes:
- Professors, researchers and executives linked to theological education institutions.
- Institutions of theological education and ecclesiastical institutions that have ministerial formation programs.
- Students in ministerial formation programs and theological education institutions.
- Church pastors and denominational directors.
- Lay people and volunteers serving in a variety of ministries and churches.
- Workers and managers of NGOs, FBOs and community development organizations.
- We are focused on the Hispanic/Latino(a) community living in the U.S., and
- In the Spanish-speaking community-in the rest of the continent
AETH ENVISIONS A FUTURE IN WHICH:
- Churches, denominations and non-denominational groups:
- Prioritize increasing the number of Hispanic men and women trained to enter the ministry.
- Ensure that those already in ministry have easy access to resources and support, and are continually connected to quality programs and courses that are culturally sensitive and available in both English and Spanish.
- Recognize existing efforts to train church leaders and provide resources to support them, to promote the vitality of the church's impact on society.
- Institutions at various levels of theological education:
- Increase opportunities for Hispanic men and women of all ages, especially young people, to be trained for and during their service in ministry.
- Maintain a culture of continuous updating of educational content and mediations so that the training program is relevant and pertinent in the 21st century.
- Anticipate the needs of society and local communities, generated by the impact of global and local forces of change.
- Collaborate and participate in joint projects and programs through which knowledge and experience are shared, maximizing the use of available resources.
- To build a networking environment that allows students of theological training institutions to see themselves as part of an ecosystem that shares similar goals, exchanges knowledge and generates new opportunities for service.
- Entities that promote the quality of theological education:
- Stimulate and nurture a culture of innovation in the theological education system to foster an environment of shared excellence and relevance considering the needs of the 21st century.
- Collaborate with AETH and support its role as an institution that promotes quality theological education for Hispanics.
We seek to positively impact the whole society and the whole church through:
- Promote more broadly the expansion of theological education among Hispanic churches and denominations and among denominations that have programs with Hispanics.
- Promote the quality of Hispanic theological education in Bible Institutes and other ministerial formation programs.
- Strengthen relationships (to connect, collaborate and contribute) with key partners in the theological education ecosystem.
- Develop internal organizational capacity to support projects leading to the achievement of strategic objectives.
- Achieve financial break-even in all AETH operations.
- Disseminate learning based on the experience of theological education institutions, the network of Bible institutes and local denominations and churches.
In 1988, with PEW support, Dr. Justo L. Gonzalez conducted a study on the state of Hispanic theological education in the United States and Puerto Rico, which revealed that:
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In the Hispanic community, pastors play an important role and make a significant contribution to their churches in the communities;
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Leadership training for Hispanic churches is done primarily through Bible institutes and training programs in churches and denominations;
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Most Hispanics serving in church ministries do not have access to seminaries that are members of the Association of Theological Schools (ATS);
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There is a great need to promote greater dialogue and collaboration among the wide variety of institutions and programs that provide theological education to the Hispanic community.
This led a small group of women and men involved in theological education in the United States and Puerto Rico to organize the First National Encuentro of Hispanic Pastoral Teachers in August 1991. More than one hundred people from all regions of the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico gathered to share experiences, needs and dreams regarding the formation of men and women for pastoral ministry in the Hispanic church. This group, representing churches of various denominations, Bible institutes and seminaries, decided to create the Association for Hispanic Theological Education (AETH).
Thus, in 1992, the Second National Encounter of Professors of Hispanic Pastoral Ministry which was to be the first assembly of AETH. A similar group of people met this time to discuss the bylaws of the association, to elect the first Executive Director of the organization and the first Executive Board. Dr. Justo Gonzalez was appointed as the first president of AETH.
Since then, and uninterruptedly, members of AETH and partner organizations meet in Biennial Assembly to discuss and deepen open issues related to the expansion and quality of Hispanic/Latino theological education.
Thus, in response to the needs and expectations of Hispanic churches and their leadership, for more than twenty-five years AETH has developed a variety of resources and programs that have been appreciated and used by the Hispanic community, both for self-training and to support theological training programs conducted by churches, Bible institutes and seminaries.
True to one of its original purposes, AETH implements its work in collaboration with institutions of theological education and with denominational organizations and agencies interested in supporting the theological formation of Hispanic leadership.
These collaborations have given rise to the programs that today identify the work of AETH: the production of books and other resources for theological formation, the Tertulias Pastorales Program, the Certification Program for Bible Institutes, the programs carried out through the Justo y Catherine González Resource Center Foundation and, more recently, the Network of Hispanic Bible Institutes.
The creation of AETH and its more than 25 years of history are the result of the movement of the Spirit among people and institutions willing to collaborate for the expansion and quality of Hispanic/Latino theological education. AETH continues to mature and grow. Under the guidance of the same Spirit, it will continue its mission in favor of theological education, the church, society and all creation.