Miami, Florida, United States…[Libna Stevens/IAD]
The Inter-American Theological Seminary (IATS) recently reached a milestone when it graduated the first generation of pastors to complete a doctoral degree in Ministry. Nineteen ministers from throughout Mexico presented their doctoral thesis and received their graduate diplomas during a special ceremony held in Montemorelos University in Monterrey, Mexico, on Aug. 11, 2007.
Montemorelos University, an Adventist educational institution belonging to the Inter-American Division (IAD), was the first of nine IATS sites throughout the church territory to host such a high academic level.
“This is so significant for Inter-America,” says Dr. Jaime Castrejon, president of IATS. “To produce the first generation of many to become graduates with a doctoral degree, the maximum you can aspire to in any field, proves the capacity, capability of IATS to produce doctoral level education successfully.”
It’s an achievement that has taken over 20 years to realize since church leaders began studying ways to provide higher education to its budding ministers in 1986.
IATS originally began in the 1980s with the help of Andrews University in Michigan under the direction of Dr. Castrejon, who was then ministerial association secretary for IAD. Once all the paperwork was done and the constitution and by-laws written, the new seminary began coordinating with Andrews to offer graduate programs in theology to ministers in three initial sites: Montemorelos University, Antillean Adventist University in Puerto Rico and Northern Caribbean University in Jamaica. Soon after that, two more sites were added, the University of Southern Caribbean in Trinidad and Colombia Adventist University in Colombia. Four additional sites were added in the 1990s, totaling 9 sites where ministers could take 48 credit courses during the summer time in the span of four years to pursue master degrees in pastoral theology through the direction of Andrews University.
“There had been some groundwork done [for IATS] previously with Dr. Herbert Fletcher, former education director for the church in Inter-America and Dr. Atilio Dupertuis of Andrews University and others who studied how it could work before it became a project,” Dr. Castrejon says.
Meanwhile, says Dr. Castrejon, the seminary was taking form as courses were being offered, “ministers were happy and churches and local fields were feeling the difference.”
While the IAD was handling most of the costs it became apparent that IATS had to let go of Andrews University because it was too expensive. By the time IATS was declared a candidate for accreditation, it submitted its self-study and Andrews University encouraged IATS to be independent. Soon after the year 2000, IATS was holding its own.
“We have come a long way,” says Dr. Castrejon, “It is exciting what is taking place in such a short term. Seven years since 2000 and here we are already graduating the first generation of doctors.”
As he travels throughout the sites and throughout the church territory, Dr. Castrejon, who holds a Ph.D. in Religious Education with Administration of Higher Education, says the benefits of IATS can be seen throughout Inter-America.
“You can feel it throughout our church membership, as you travel throughout the Division, you can feel the satisfaction of our pastors,” he says. “It is nice to tackle the difficult responsibilities and challenges that a pastor faces in this day and age. Pastors are better able to speak to the membership as they stand behind the pulpits in our large cities, parishes, college churches with a Master’s degree than they were when they only had their bachelor’s or college level training.”
Since 2003, IATS has graduated 335 students throughout its nine sites. Next year, IATS expects to graduate a number of ministers who are enrolled in the Doctoral in Ministry program at Northern Caribbean University in Jamaica.
The Inter-American Theological Seminary is accredited by the Adventist Acrediting Association and has been pursuing accreditation from the Association of Theological Schools.
For more information on the Inter-American Theological Seminary, go to www.interamerica.org or call IATS Main Office 305.403.4575 or Registrar’s office at 305.403.4541.
