Baptist Theological Seminary
Mexico City
Brief History
Decades ago, the Baptist Theological Seminary in the Lomas Verdes suburb of Mexico City was seen as one of the leading seminaries in Latin America. In its hay day it had outstanding scholars in its administration and faculty who were missionaries of the International Mission Board. When the missionaries left, this seminary decided to keep its doors open, to use local pastors as professors (teaching on a voluntary basis without financial remuneration), and even to explore the possibility of expansion through creative degree programs and extensions. The president, Daniel Jimenez, as well as the faculty members are to be commended for the remarkable job they have done of expanding their ministry even while seminaries of other denominations have closed. This said, the seminary faces significant challenges related to the upgrading of the academic level of their faculty, finding financial resources to operate and expand their extensions, and strengthening their ministry to the churches in the Mexican Baptist Convention.
Projects Involving a Champion Church/Partner
The pastor of the Champion Church could go to Mexico to teach intensive (weeklong) courses and or workshops in areas of studies that are greatly needed in Mexico today.
Members of the Champion Church could go and participate along with the students of the Seminary in missions projects related to evangelism, discipleship, ministry, VBS, etc.
Key members of Champion Church could assist the Mexico City Seminary with expertise and practical help in such activities such as the maintenance of a server, the operation of their online courses, etc.
Projects Related to the Faculty Development
As stated previously, the faculty members are pastors and church staff members who are doing the best they can to teach the students that are enrolling in their seminary. The President, Daniel Jimenez, is setting the example at great sacrifice by enrolling in a doctoral program.
Scholarships provided by the Champion Church for faculty members would be of inestimable value. Seeking to address this need, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary has designed the following degree programs
Master of Theological Studies — Totally in Spanish and Totally on line. Available at an incredible cost of $3,000 for the entire degree which will consist of 12 courses which professors can take without leaving their teaching posts in Mexico.
PhD in World Christian Studies which requires only 3 weeks a year at the Southwestern campus. Southwestern is in a position to offer this degree program in Spanish assigning Spanish-speaking professors as academic advisors to the PhD candidates.
Projects Related to Students
In light of their extremely limited financial resources some key students with high potential for leadership in ministries in the Mexican Convention could benefit tremendously from scholarships provided by the Champion Church.
Church Planting Projects involving Mexico City Seminary students in collaboration with the Mexican Baptist Convention and volunteers from the Champion Church.
Projects Related to the Seminary Extensions
The Mexico City Seminary has sacrificially started extensions in other cities to enable students who cannot come to the central campus to obtain a theological education. One of these extensions is with an indigenous groups that speaks its own language.
At this point funding is needed to provide for the travel, lodging and meals of the professors who go from the central campus to teach in these extensions.
The Mexico City Seminary is poised to start many more extensions in highly strategic areas but it needs financial resources to be able to accomplish this.
Projects Related to the Campus
Southwestern Seminary has already provided vital assistance by giving the Mexico City Seminary the entire Moodle Program in Spanish free of charge.
Southwestern Seminary has given the Mexico City Seminary a digital library with literally thousands of books which can be used in their campus library as well as in their extensions.
In collaboration with Southwestern Seminary, Trinity Academic can make available to this Seminary an electronic portal that will enable the seminary to offer online courses, virtual courses and an untold number of library resources to the students. A Champion Church can assist by providing the initial cost of installing this system and the very affordable cost to maintain thus saving the Seminary thousands of dollars in equipment and local personnel to maintain it.
To greatly enhance what the Mexico City Seminary is doing, additional equipment as well as training is needed.
Conclusion
This seminary is located in one or the largest metropolitan areas of the world (over 10 million). Its potential for impacting the country and all of Latin America is absolutely incredible!