Evangelical
Seminary of Theology
EVENTS
/JULY 2009
Credits Contacts
Leadership Professor
PAYING
HOMAGE TO PROFESSOR
CARLOS CAMPS CRUELL IN HIS 80TH BIRTHDAY
FOUR
YEARS LEFT AN INDELEBLE MEMORY: DIPLOMA WORKS AND EXPERIENCES OF THE STUDENTS
WHO FINISH THEIR BACHELOR OF THEOLOGY
THE SET
FACES STRONG CHALLENGES: BIBLICAL-THEOLOGIAN TRAINING COURSES
A
LEARNING SOURCE: THE
A
PRESENT TO THE SET FROM THE ORGANIZATION “LIVING WATERS FOR THE
WORLD”
11TH
MEETING OF THE BACHELOR IN THEOLOGY COURSE
A
MEETING OF THE BOARD OF MANAGEMENT OF THE SET
ACTIVITIES
THROUGHOUT THE GRADUATION WEEK
GRADUATION
CONCERTS OF THE
A
MESSAGE WITH REGARD TO THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE GRADUATION OF THE
CLASS 31 (YEAR 1984)
PAYING HOMAGE TO
PROFESSOR CARLOS CAMPS CRUELL IN HIS 80TH BIRTHDAY
On 1st July,
the chapel “Resurrection”, the community of the SET, payed homage
to Pastor 
anecdotes
which had joined both in long-lasting friendship He especially remarked his
work as a teacher of the subjects Theology and Homiletics and also as an author
of several books. Overall, Arce emphasized his uninterrupted work as a pastor
of several congregation (Nueva Paz, Sancti Spiritus, Santa Clara, Placetas,
Camajuaní, Matanzas, Cidra,
Pastor Camps has been
outstanding in the leadership of the church. He has held various charges:
Moderator of Cuba Presbytery, Chairman and Secretary of the Provincial
Consistory in Villa Clara-Sancti Spiritus, Moderator and Secretary of Matanzas
Presbytery, General Secretary of the National Assembly and Synod; He has been
part of some committee and of some commissions where he offered all his
experience and devotion. He has also been a restless fighter for the ecumenism
as in the national as in the international field. His work has left traces in
organizations as Church and Society, now ASEL, in the Latin American Council of
churches, the World Reformed Alliance and others; but his most important work
is his presence as a professor of many generations of pastors at SET, from his
chair of Theology and Homiletics.
FOUR
YEARS LEFT AN INDELEBLE MEMORY: DIPLOMA WORKS AND EXPERIENCES OF THE STUDENTS
WHO FINISH THEIR BACHELOR OF THEOLOGY
The Bachelor of Theology
Course finishes at SET with the presentation of the Diploma works which shows
the biblical- theological knowledge the students have acquired throughout four
years, achieving a link between the theory and the practice, what is expressed
in the marks record.
Involved in a touching atmosphere
-usual at the end of each academic year- the students talked remembering the
time they have lived in this institution. They said:
Milagros
de 
experience
of life, where we could learn and teach. We have had the opportunity to find
friends, but without recognizing that it has also been a journey of sacrifices,
efforts and bravery. The title of my work is “The spirituality in the
recovery of the anonymous alcoholics: an alternative of life”
The issue of the
alcoholism has much to do with my life. To discover that there is spirituality
in the recovery of the alcoholics inspired me to do a research during all this
time. I also discovered people who are not alcoholics working with them and now
they are important for my life due to my experience of Christian faith.”
Damaris
Oms Martinez also wanted to give her opinion.
She said: “The SET has been an experience with happy 
and
sad moments but they have come to train ourselves and to acquire learning from
all. For me, the most important thing has been to meet so many different people
and to be able to walk in the middle of this. The title of my work is
“Sarah, Hagar, Rebecca, Rachel and Leah: the protagonists of the
salvation history: I chose this theme because I was very concern to work a
biblical theme related to women from the church... In spite of women are
majority at church, our leadership does not stand out compared to men. It was
that: to look for women as guide to develop our work at church.”
The studies at the
seminary are opening doors, stated Maykel
Baez Bruffau and he continuous: because it has 
been
a great opportunity. It has allowed me to train
myself theologically with the quality the offered studies here have. I have met
people who have contributed to my pastoral formation and to my development as a
human being. I wanted to develop the work “Searching the meeting: a
pastoral accompaniment to family affected by the emigration process”. The
idea of this theme has come from the own experience of my church -the
Fraternity of Baptist churches in Guanabacoa- I had to say goodbye to many
members that were more than brothers, in other occasions I could realize how the
families were affected and the church itself when its leaders left the
country.”
With a smile, the student
Adianes Ponce Villalonga
explained: “Mine was not four years since I started to study 
here
in 2003: first as a special student -that means something offered by the
seminary to interested people wanting to do some subjects- and then I became
more and more interested and as result I became more and more engaged: I needed
to study all the subjects. All lessons were a journey, all works were a
challenge, and all professors were mine. Although I did not live at the
seminary -I am from
The seminary means for me
another home, another family where I could laugh, pray, dance or weep. If each
tear was a school, each laugh was a sharing.
Long time ago, I had an
experience which marked my life. I asked for its name, if there was any way to
share it, to validate it, since this experience made me a better human being. I
think it made me to mature... now I know its name. It is “religious
experience”. So, now to this study I dedicate my work entitle
“The religious experience, a philosophical discussion.” It has been
of use for me not only to make deeper my religious experience, but also to
realize that we are not alone. There is not doubt that God through the religious
experience joins all human beings”, she concluded.
Jose
Sergio Troyano Botello said: “to study,
to live, to be part or the community of the SET, has been one of the richest
experiences in my life. When I knew that I was to come here and in the first
months of the first year I thought 
that
it would be better our denomination had its own seminary, since to live
together with people having other ways to interpret the Bible, it was hard.
Then, I realize that living together with them was exactly what made me to grow
up and to become richer as a human being. The depth of the studies and the
opening to the dialogue and the acceptance of the other gave me a new
theological, spiritual and social horizon. “A pastoral contributing to
the improvement of the attention to deaf-blind at the Baptist church in
Babiney” is the title of my diploma work. I chose this theme because I
have been working in the program Pastoral for Disabled People in Cuban Council
of Churches for fifteen years. This work sensitized me and made me aware of it.
Besides, the acquired base as a teacher at the special school for deaf mute
children “Ernesto Che Guevara” in Bayamo, my work at the National
Association for the Blind (ANCI) as a chairman in the municipality of Bolivia,
in the province of Ciego de Avila and our relationship with the Baptist church
in Babiney –a town in the province of Granma- where a group of disabled
people meets, took me to work this theme for my Diploma work.
The student Jorge Perera Lopez presented a work entitled
“An analysis of certain doctrinal points at 
the
Assembly of God in
the
unexpected God’s dialogue, fed by the human differences and the
coincidences.
This dialogue has not
colophon because every day there is something to be reformed and someone to who
appreciate the opportunity to share and to reflect with the community in
devotionals at the chapel. My Diploma Work is entitled “A proposal to
reach the fullness of life at old age.” The church has a very important
mission to accomplish: to proclaim God’s word to all creatures, to get
the justice and peace in the achievement of the Kingdom. In this sense, I
believe that the church has a long way to go over and much social work to do.
Usually, churches are very concern with the work with children and young
people, althout I believe that it is very important; it is less frequent the
concerning for the work with the old age. That motivated me to develop my work
focused to this group, from 65 years old and on. Which is the longest period of
the life of the human being, but due to different reasons frequently it is
affected in their self-esteem. With this work, we propose to create a space
allowing them to recover their dignity and their own determination, throughout
the fulfillment of a plan of actions with the purpose to reach a fuller life
interacting with other ages.
THE SET
FACES STRONG CHALLENGES: BIBLICAL-THEOLOGIAN TRAINING COURSES
The SET has a large range
of programs of Theological Education going out its campus: extent courses of
the 
program
Biblical-Theological Training for leaders. The starting aims of these courses
are still the same and the challenges are enormous. We started teaching these
courses almost at the foundation of the SET. We took the first steps to bring
the Biblical-Theological knowledge near those interested people living in other
parts of the country
Master Ivan Gonzalez
Tassé vice-dean, is the coordinator of these courses. He remarked with regard
to this: “The extent courses, popularly so called, although its true name
is Biblical-Theological Training, are developing at this moment in several
points as: Banes, Bayamo,
A LEARNING
SOURCE: THE
At the current
circumstances, the exploitation of the Christian Education in the Protestant
churches acquires a special interest not only as an alternative to make better
their pastoral work but, in general, for their contribution as a source for
developing the theological education.
Professor
Nelson Davila Rodriguez, Master in Education Sciences and Master in Theological
Studies is the coordinator of the
Next academic year, we
think to start three new similar courses: in Ciego de Avila, San Nicolas de
Bari and in Luyanó (Ciudad de
A
PRESENT TO THE SET FROM THE ORGANIZATION “LIVING WATERS FOR THE
WORLD”
From 11 to 18 June, members
from the organization “Living Waters for the World” stayed at the
seminary installing a system for clearing water and teaching how to use it.
This six-layperson group, from the Presbyterian
“This organization
was created twelve years ago and this system has been installed in 20
countries. We are an ecumenical organization serving to schools, clinics.
etc… We have our headquarter in
Besides the installation
of the equipment, a group of them developed workshops to teach about the water,
its use and care and to biblically reflect about the subject using interesting
techniques and group dynamics.
In the morning, they
trained a group of facilitators who in the afternoon taught what they have
learned to other interested people. Ending the installation of the system, it
was inaugurated with a liturgical service.
The vice-rector Pablo
Oden Marichal appreciated in behalf of our community, all the effort this group
has made, recalling that since a year they have been working in this project.
During the ceremony all presents drank water and remembered the moment where we
made a commitment with God in our baptism. The participants in the workshops
and the community engaged themselves to take care of the water as a wonderful
present of our Creator.
11TH
MEETING OF THE BACHELOR IN THEOLOGY COURSE
1
to 12 June, the 11th meeting of the non-resident program, Bachelor
in Theology took place at SET
This time, the students
had the subject “Hebrew” taught by Professor of Biblical Languages
Daylins Rufin Pardo.
A
MEETING OF THE BOARD OF MANAGEMENT OF THE SET
On June 16 , the board of
management of the SET had an ordinary meeting to agree, among others matters, the
students who finish their studies in the different programs in this academic
year 2008-2009.They also agreed the schedule for programmed activities for the
next academic year 2009-2010.
At this meeting, Master
Presbyter Pastor Francisco Marrero Gutierrez was confirmed as Dean and Master
and Presbyter Ivan Gonzalez Tassé as Vice-dean of the SET.
ACTIVITIES
THROUGHOUT THE GRADUATION WEEK
On Monday, June 15, 2009
was the date chosen by the students for having the traditional graduation
journey which traditionally the Seminary offers to the graduates together with
the parents who live near.
The majority decided to
go the
“The
bus left the Seminary at seven o’clock toward the Southern coast of the
“We continued by
bus to Playa Girón to have lunch there and to share Cuban food in the
picturesque place called Cueva de los Peces. We remarked the macaroni made by Alexis
and Clarita, the fruits presented by Asdruval Toledo and Milagros tasty congri.
The beauty of the place is indescribable. There is a natural swimming pool
where beautiful colorful fishes live. That gives a special characteristic to
the landscape.
The children wished to
swim in the beach, the others, not so young wanted to go to the museum to know
a very important moment of our history. Two young women welcomed and invited
us to have a walk without a guide, giving us the possibility to ask
and to eradicate any doubts or curiosity about what really happened in April
After the visit to the
museum, we met the ones swimming in the clear waters of Playa Girón. Around six
in the afternoon, we left the place, since in a little while it would be dark
and the mosquitoes and jejenes, absolute owners of these coast places, were
almost ready to appear and to expel all the intruders invading their territory.
“Around nine in the
evening, we arrived in our seminary very tired but with the memory of an
excellent journey that joined tourism and amusement and historical learning.
Thanks to God and to the
management of the seminary for this beautiful and unforgettable experience.
Graduation
Banquet
On June 16, after
presenting and passing the presentations of the Diploma works to get a grade in
the different programs of Bachelor and Mastery in Theology, the community of
the SET gave to the graduates the traditional graduation banquet.
Consecration Worship
Wednesday, June 17, the
consecration worship of the graduate students took place. The Episcopal Church
had in charge the service. It was officiated by Reverend Ivan Gonzalez Tassé,
Vice-dean of the SET, and Vice-rector, Reverend Oden Marichal Rodriguez had the
reflection, leaded in a dialogue way.
Graduation
Ceremony at the chapel “Resurrection”
In the morning, on June
18, the graduation ceremony overflows the entire seminary. The chapel was not
big enough to receive all participants. At the entering parade came first the faculty,
then the youngest and the graduating students.
In
the opening of this ceremony, the Vice-rector Pablo Oden Marichal had in charge
the introductory words about the meaning of the graduation. Showing
satisfaction by the final results of the academic year;
The rector of the SET,
Doctor
In the framework of the
service, an special recognition to Reverend Doctor
After the grade
imposition, the student Maykel Baez, representing the graduates has the words
to thanks God, the institution that took them, and to all who made possible
this dream. His words ended reading a poem about the symbol of the tree bearing
fruit, written by the group, in which they represented their feelings as gotten
fruit, during their staying in this institution.
During this event were
installed by the Chairman of the Managing Board in charges, Master Presbyter
Pastor Francisco Vicente Gutierrez as Dean and to Master Presbyter Ivan
Gonzalez Tassé, as Vice-dean of the Evangelical Seminary of Theology,
respectively.
The gardens of the chapel
were witness and embraced the emotions, congratulations and hugs among parents,
relatives, friends, professors who said good-bye to the students.
GRADUATION
CONCERTS OF THE
Every year the SET opens
its doors to the students of the Professional School of Music who choose our
chapel “Resurrection” to fulfill their grade exams:
On May 28, the student
Adria Gomez, specialty of violin, of the chair of strings, performed a
graduation concert, having as tutor Professor Bienvenido Quintana Falcon. She
played works for violin by Henri Wienasky, Juan Sebastian Bach, Sarasate and
Mendelsohn.
On July 5, the student
Hector Luis Cabrera, specialty of violin, of the chair of strings, performed
his graduation concert under the tutoring of Professor Bienvenido Quintana
Falcon. He played works by Tchaikovsky, Anton Dvorak, Kreisler, Mendelssohn and
Astor Piasola.
On June 19, the
students Elorri Arcocha Mendinueta, specialty cello of the chair of strings,
had her graduation concert under the tutoring of Professor Felipa Moncada. He
played works by D.Popper, Juan Sebastian Bach, Tchaikovsky and L. Boccherini.
A
MESSAGE WITH REGARD TO THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE GRADUATION OF THE
CLASS 31 (YEAR 1984)
Dear brother:
I wish God keep on
blessing your work in our dear Alma Mater.
Care of Heidi and
Alberto, I received your letter saying that this week; you will be celebrating
the 25th and 50th anniversary of the respective class
graduated at SET.
It seems unbelievable to
me that I graduated 25 years ago!
My experience at SET was
deep and enriching. It was an experience of confrontation, enrichment and
transformation. I grew up in contact with my brothers; I grew up in my
understanding of God’s purpose to Humanity, I grew up in my capacity of
thinking and of theologically speak and I grew up in my understanding of the
personal and social implications of the ministery praxis.
I am grateful to the SET for my formation,
confrontation and transformation. I am grateful to God for my school-mates
Reinerio Arce, Carlos Emilio Ham, and Moisés Domingues Fernandez. I am grateful
to God for that person that has been a paradigm of the Gospel for so many
generations, the man who discovered in me the potential for the theological
education: Maestro Rene Castellanos Morente. I am grateful to God for so many
people who contributed to my formation and education:
Thank you for recalling me in the 25th
anniversary of my graduation. Everywhere I am and everywhere I go, I always
will be very proud to say I am a graduate from the Evangelical Seminary of
Theology of Matanzas.
I also wanted to tell you that yesterday I had the
opportunity to pay a visit to Reverend Francisco Sanfiel, from the class 1959,
and I told him about the celebration you are having at SET this week. He was
very happy to know he would be recalled in this historical celebration.
My love for everybody, my dear brother’s ands
sisters and friends at SET. I promise that in my next visit to
A fraternal hug,
Rev.dr.Rinaldo D. Hernandez (Rini)
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
President of the Board:
Vice-President of the Board: Bishop Miguel Tamayo Zaldivar
Secretary of the Board: P. P. Ismael Madruga Sotolongo
,
Lic.
lll
Rector:
Vice-rector: Pablo
Dean:
Vice-Dean:
Chaplain: Lic
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://www.cuba-theological-seminary.com/
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