Evangelical
Seminary of Theology
EVENTS
/ June-July 2007
Credits Contacts
Leadership Professor
Interviews
SET VISITED
BY MARTIN VOLKMANN
WORKSHOP ON
BIBLICAL SCIENCES AT THE SET
SET VISITED
BY YONGSTERS FROM CONGREGATION OF SAN ANDRÉS
SEVENTH BIBLICAL-PASTORAL
INSTITUTE AT THE SET
SET
VISITED BY MARTIN VOLKMANN
From
June 5 to 7 the SET (Evangelical Seminary of Theology of Matanzas) was visited
by
As regards the exchange
program between the two institutions, he said: “This program began over
ten years ago when some of our professors taught at the SET and helped with the
library work at this institution. Later on students started being exchanged;
Brazilian students came to
“We are also
thinking of new ways of exchanging; for example, we could exchange literary
works and projects on fields of common interest.”
The
2006-2007 school year has come to an end in our seminary. The Bachelor’s
Degree in Theology and Major in Theology programs had an enrolment of 31 residential
students. The presence of students from
Out of the 18 students
who enrolled the Master’s Degree in Theology program, seven completed
their academic training, and another one successfully defended his
master’s degree thesis on theology.
The Biblical-Theological
Training program opened new branches this academic year, so our seminary
increased their number to eight. With an overall enrolment of 212 students from
different denominations, these branches are spread across the country and are
located in
This year the
Another important event
for our institution, which had been expected by the Cuban churches, was the
opening of the Guided Bachelor’s Degree in Theology program, which is
aimed at helping pastors from evangelical churches to get their degrees. The
first meeting of this new program was held from March 5 to 9. Since then a
total of 27 students from six denominations and one ecumenical movement have been
attending this seminary course. Five students come from the
The Chair of Practical
Theology of the SET made preparations this summer to hold, for the seventh
time, the Biblical-Pastoral Institute (July 1 to 7). The 25 students that make
up the enrollment are from the Episcopal Church, the
The
program for the end of the academic year and graduation was held from May 29 to
June 7. It included taking final exams and defending dissertations; an
excursion to 
The following students
completed their studies and fulfilled the requirements for their corresponding
degrees:
Biblical-Theological Training
Program: 19 students graduated: ten of them were from the branch in
from
the
Bachelor’s Degree
in Theology Program: Valeria González Naranjo (Episcopal Church), and
Major in Theology
Program: Roberto Manuel Cemillán López and 
González
Vera (Episcopal Church), Haydee Padrón Rodríguez and Antonio Santana Hernández
(Fraternity of Baptist Churches),
Master’s Degree in
Theology Program:
The graduation ceremony
of the programs of Biblical-Theological Training and the 
of
Korea delivered a speech to the graduates. At night the SET community attended
the consecration worship, organized this year by the community of the
Fraternity of Baptist Churches. The speech for the occasion was delivered by
the Reverend and Professor
The graduation ceremony
program of the 2006-2007 class began with the traditional graduation parade
(June 14). The graduates, the faculty, the board of directors, all walked
together before a large audience composed of the SET community, representatives
of the Council of Churches of Cuba, the Biblical Society of Cuba, members of ecumenical
movements, presidents of churches, pastors and lay leaders, as well as
Also among those who were
so kind to come to the ceremony were Bishop Julio Murray, President of the
Latin American Council of Churches (CLAI), and the Reverend Jairo Barriga, work
coordinator of CLAI for the
The Reverend
The 2006-2007 graduation
marked the end of a special period in the graduate’s lives. The two
students who received their bachelor’s degrees in theology presented
papers; out of the nine graduates in major in theology, three of them took
final exams and the six others wrote excellent papers; and the one that got a
Master’s Degree in Theology completed a thesis that earned him the
highest score.
Full of hope and eager to
fulfil their commitments to the Church, the graduates are ready to go, but
first some of them kindly opined about the papers they wrote and their studies
at the SET:
Sarahí
García Gomez
Sarahí has a degree in
psychology. She belongs to the Presbyterian-Reformed Church of Cuba. Sent to
study theology by the Christian Student Movement, she wrote a paper entitled:
Pastoral Counseling Directed at People with Problems. A Critical Evaluation
from the Cuban Context.
In regard to this work
she said: “My paper is a critical approach to a method of pastoral
counselling for its proper 
implementation
in the Cuban context. This method is directed toward helping people with
problems so that they can find resources and solutions to their difficult
situation. It was introduced in
Alison has an arts
degree. He is a member of the Presbyterian-Reformed Church of Cuba and is the
current leader of the Christian Student Movement. He wrote a paper called:
Ecumenism and Youth Participation.
As regards his academic
work, he told us: “Today’s world is a complex scene and the
ecumenical phenomenon is part of it. In this research I analyzed different
elements that determine today’s ecumenical phenomenon; which demanded
consultation of a large number of bibliographies, consideration of opinions
from ecumenical leaders, as well as systematization of my own experience since
I am part of the ecumenical movement. I undertook this research work from an
interdisciplinary approach, and it provides theoretical elements that may be the
starting point for the development of pastorals channeled into ecumenical
promotion. Being a member of the Christian Student Movement of Cuba increased
my motivation to write this paper; it has helped me greatly with my training in
such a necessary field for the integrity of the Church.”
Roberto
Cemillán López
Roberto is a general
practitioner and a member of the Presbyterian-Reformed Church of Cuba. He wrote
a paper 
entitled:
A Christian Interpretation of Death. It’s Application to a Pastoral for
Terminal Patients.
With regard to his paper
Roberto explained to us: “I got motivated to write about death because we
physicians are trained to save lives, and death is seen as a failure. When we
treat terminal patients, we face it. Inside the Church we often see the issue
of death as a taboo, so speaking about it is avoided. My research is based on
different interpretations about death. I tried to give an interpretation in
which the main emphasis is laid on the continuity of life. Furthermore, I
provide some practical suggestions that can help pastoral counselors when they
work with terminal patients. This is not a complete work; it is an attempt to
highlight the importance of talking about death in our congregations. I have
acquired a broader and more complete view about human beings concerning our
responsibility to help people make decisions, keep hope, and seek meaning to
their lives.”
Vivian has a bachelor of
chemical enginering and is a member of the
“Jesus’
innovative stance in his context constitute a challenge to our generation. He
thought reconciliation was possible, as well as the construction of a society
based on the power of love, and not the power of force.”
Antonio
Santana Hernández
Antonio graduated from
music school. He is a pastor at the 
ordained
in 1999. Currently he is the vice president of the Fraternity of Baptist
Churches of Cuba (FIBAC). His paper is called: On the Path of Evangelization
for Life.
With respect to his
research he said: “I noticed there is so much criticism of the
traditional models of evangelization, but there isn’t a coherent proposal
for our time, and I was sure we are commissioned to preach the announcement of
the
Daniel has a bachelor of
architecture and a bachelor of theology. He is a pastor at the 
In respect of his thesis,
Daniel told us: “When I wrote my paper, the analysis of the Doctrine was
aimed at culminating in the missionary applications of reconciliation. But as
it is such a complex subject, mainly in the field of social relations (and
“Having understood
this, you realize that spiritual tools are needed for an effective reconciling
ministry. After deciding on prayer I continued working on one of the intuitions
that my first research work seemed to suggest. It is not very wise to try to
prove the effectiveness of prayer for reconciliation from academic viewpoints.
Therefore, I undertook the task of systematizing academic subjects, which
allowed me to prove such effectiveness.”
Beatriz
Ferreiro García
Beatriz
wrote a paper called: The Role Played by Some Cuban Women in Evangelism (1902
to 1959). About it she told us: “In spite of the existence of a large output
of historiography about the evolution of Cuban Protestantism, the fact that
little research has been done about the literary activity of women has
prevented a deeper understanding of it. My research aims to provide historical
and bibliographical information, so besides identifying and assessing the main
contributions of these women, it attempts to paint an overall picture of what
they wrote from 1902 to 1959. Even though most of their writings are unknown,
they are of special significance for the future study of protestant thinking in
WORKSHOP
ON BIBLICAL SCIENCES AT THE SET
Sponsored
by the United Biblical Societies and the Biblical Commission of the Council of
Churches of Cuba, another workshop on biblical sciences was held at the SET
from June 18 to 22. José López Martínez, who has been the secretary of the
Biblical Commission of the Council of Churches of Cuba for 24 years, used to be
the coordinator of these workshops. About them he explained to us: “These
workshops began in 1989. Since then they have been held in all provinces twice
a year. They are aimed at helping pastors and lay persons with their
biblical-theological training, and the courses are imparted by professors who
are translation consultants of the United Biblical Societies (SBU). These
meetings are very helpful. We have always tried to guarantee high quality
lessons, the necessary biblical literature, and a fraternal ecumenical
atmosphere, so that students can really benefit. This workshop in particular
has been designed for professors and students of the SET, as well as for
professors of Bible from the rest of the evangelical seminaries in
SET
VISITED BY YONGSTERS FROM CONGREGATION OF SAN ANDRÉS
From
June 22 to 29 the Evangelical Seminary of Theology of Matanzas was visited by a
group of young Episcopalians from the congregation of San Andrés,
SEVENTH
BIBLICAL-PASTORAL INSTITUTE AT THE SET
Sponsored
by the chair of practical theology and led by Master Daniel Montoya, the
Seventh Biblical-Pastoral Institute was held at the SET from July 1 to 7. This
year’s theme was Reconciliation. As part of the plan lectures were given
in the mornings, and in the afternoons workshops were held. Nights were
occasions for recreational activities on the main theme. However, other themes
were dealt with over the course of this meeting: Ministry of Reconciliation in
the Bible, Education and Conflict, Education for Peace, The Church as a Healing
Community, Pedagogy of Understanding, and Reconciliation in Plastic Arts.
As the writing of this
newsletter was coming to an end this institute was being held, for the second
consecutive year, at the B. Lavastida Center in
VISITORS
FROM
From June 18 to 22 the
Evangelical Seminary of Matanzas was visited by Doctors
“I went to the
Biblical Church in the
“In this workshop I
spoke about seven worlds of John: the Roman Empire, the Old Testament,
literature on Revelation, the
“Now I am writing a
four-volume book on the theme: Methods for Researching Revelation. The first
edition of the first volume already sold out, but a second edition has been
launched. The second volume has been launched too. The third volume will be
made up of chapters from 12 to 16, and the fourth volume of chapters from 17 to
And this interview wound
up as Doctor
On the other hand, Latin
American Biblical University Professor Elsa
Támez has a doctorate in Theology and a degree in linguistics. In
addition, she is a specialist in Bible and a translation consultant of the
United Biblical Societies. She taught these themes at the workshop: Bible,
Theology and Preaching; Gnostic Texts and the Gospel according to Jude (I and
II); Women in the Movement of Jesus; Latin American Reading of Justification by
Faith in Romans; and Conflicts in the Origins of Christianity, 1 Timothy.
With regard to the
courses she imparted, she said: “I presented various themes that, to some
extent, have to do with how to read the Bible taking into consideration three
aspects: analysis of the text, historical context, and significance of the text
for us today. We read the Bible and want to apply it right away; that’s
why it is necessary to take into account the political, economic, and cultural
contexts of the moment it was written. The themes presented emphasize a relationship
between the Bible, theology and preaching. Sometimes we fall victims of strong
fundamentalism and lose a lot; we lose the original spirit. Therefore today it
is important to balance the texts. The main criteria are to be found in Jesus,
the Christ that helps us understand the rest of the texts.”
Elsa also told us about
other projects she is working on: “Currently I am working on an
interlinear Bible (Greek to Spanish). It will be very helpful because today
there are many versions of the Bible in Spanish. It will contain literal
translations with footnotes for students of Greek and for those who don’t
know this language. On the other hand, I am working as a translation consultant
of Nasa Yawey, a language spoken by a Colombian indigenous group. And I have another
project in mind: I am planning to be a consultant for the translation of the
Bible into the sign language used in
BOARD OF
DIRECTORS
President of the Board: Bishop Miguel Tamayo Zaldivar
Vice-President of the Board: P.P.
Secretary of the Board: Odette
Naranjo Colón
-00-
Rector:
Vice-rector: Pablo
Dean:
Vice-Dean:
Chaplain: Wil
Arts Ph.M.
Clara L. Ajo Lázaro, Th.D, Theology,
VISITING PROFESSORS
Prof. Ildefonso Acosta
Escobar Music, Prof. Wil Arts, Ph.M. Practical Theology, Dra. Mercedes Cárdenas Hodelins Complementary Courses,
Edition, Design and typesetting
Elizabeth González R., Ing.
Writing
Elizabeth González R., Ing.
Photography:
Calle Dos de Mayo Final, Apartado 1439, Matanzas,
Cuba
7: (53-45) 25-3391
http://cuba-theological-seminary.com
Hinicio