Louisville City Wire

SBTS Hispanic Program Adds Doctor of Ministry Degree

Southern Seminary is now offering a fully Spanish online DMin degree with cohorts starting once a year. 

SBTS Provost Paul Akin said the new degree will build upon the success of Southern’s Online Hispanic Program (OHP), which has equipped ministers across the Spanish-speaking world since 2016.

“The Spanish DMin is held to the highest standard of academic rigor,” Akin said. “At the same time, it is tailored for pastors and church leaders. The online format gives Hispanic pastors and church leaders an opportunity to immediately apply what they are learning in their local context.”

Southern has a history of leading efforts in Spanish theological education and is one of the few institutions accredited by the Association of Theological Schools (ATS) approved to offer MA and MDiv degrees fully in Spanish. As OHP enrollment increased, so did the demand for post-graduate education.

Roberto Carrera, director of the Online Hispanic Program, and Felipe Castro, director of Hispanic Initiatives, saw the need to offer the DMin. Carrera was previously named Director of OHP in 2021.

“For years, many of our graduates expressed a desire to continue furthering their studies,” Carrera said. “Many asked quite pointedly if we'd ever offer a doctorate’s degree. We saw a need for more pastors and church leaders to become the thought leaders and expert practitioners in their sphere of influence, and the DMin at Southern is uniquely suited to meet this need.”

In view of the new degree, Akin preached at Iglesia Bautista Internacional—the church of pastor and Southern professor, Miguel Núñez, on February 5. Núñez has served on the SBTS faculty since 2016 and will host seminars in the Dominican Republic.

“We are thrilled to deepen our partnership with Miguel Núñez,” Akin said. “He is integral to our Spanish MDiv and will be an anchor to the Spanish DMin. Each cohort will have its first semester in the Dominican Republic at the Instituto Integridad y Sabiduría—giving fellow students and our professors the opportunity to connect.”

Akin said the new degree is a natural next step in fulfilling the Great Commission and will prepare Spanish pastors and church leaders with the best of theological education.

“I am convinced that there is a great opportunity for

Southern Seminary to help train and equip a rising generation of pastors and church leaders across Latin and South America,” Akin said. “This initiative is a natural outflow of our commitment to the Great Commission and a desire to see Spanish-speaking pastors, missionaries, and church leaders equipped to serve the Lord in the years ahead.”

Original source can be found here.