The Seminario Teológico Bautista (STB) offers these creative initiatives, according to the Dean, Josué Fonseca.

+ New projects: offering Christian literature for Sunday school, e-learning, continuing education, itinerant faculty, modules taught at churches, in other cities, programs for regularization of studies, programs for youth, women, or lay leaders, not just for ministry, etc.

+ Classes, using all sorts of methodologies, ‘develop a project’ way of learning, small groups, etc.
Use of the Web and a web site, photolog, blogs, YouTube advertising, live videoconference with professors abroad, etc.

+ Openness; as we are opening the Seminary for all people, from all denominations, including the chance for people outside the seminary community to join all of our activities: retreats, worship services, evangelistic programs, concerts, rallies and choirs. This also includes professors from other traditions to teach. Openness for accreditation as well.

+ Inclusiveness, equality for men or women in joining the same programs, including pastoral ministry, as a revolutionary concept in churches here; we have developed a ‘Cross-form Commitment’, a kind of ethical code for all personnel, faculty and students that exemplifies what we want in theological education, values, moral standards, roles, identity and goals.

+ We have sought to be creative in administration especially by renting our buildings partially, using facilities for a Retreat Centre and using dorms as Christian Hostel.

+ We have engaged in cooperation by preparing agreements for mutual enrichment with other theological schools, with Catholic Faculty and with Christian world organisations.

+ We have encouraged participation in the world of the culture with Universities and with the Government in areas of mutual interest. This has involved serving the Congress of the Republic in areas of consultancy on ethical issues and laws (perspectives on divorce law), the abolition of the death penalty, peace and reconciliation, non-discrimination regulations and the day-after pill.

+ Worship, creativity in worship services, always intending to create a sound environment for new ideas, new guest speakers, such as a Rabbi, an Orthodox or Roman priest and what we called ‘silence-in worship service’. We arrange worship services according to different traditions such as an Anabaptist service from the 17th century, a John Wesley styled service, a John Bunyan service (we called it ‘The Pilgrim Service’), a nonconformist service, ‘the Franciscan service’, the ‘women service’, the ‘hip-hop service’ etc.

Dr Geoff Pound

Image: “The hip-hop service.” The image above is from a ‘holy hip-hop’ service in the USA but can you imagine hip-hop with Latino flair plus un poco del Flamenco?

Related:

Chile: Learning Theology Together in the Field, TWB

Update from BTS in Northern Chile, TWB