NCCD Invites You to Celebration for Course of Study Graduates

July 15, 2010

The Kentucky Annual Conference though the office of New Church and Congregational Development proudly invites you to celebrate the graduation ceremony of four Hispanic pastors who finished their five-year Course of Studies at Garrett Seminary. The four graduates are:  Iosmar Alvarez leading "Fuente de Avivamiento" (Hope Springs) in Lexington, Marco A. Ballesteros serving "Corazones Cristianos" in Bowling Green, Alfonso Rodriguez serving at "Eben-Ezer" in Louisville, and Nelson Figueroa leading "Florence Hispanic Ministry" in Covington. 

What was a dream five years ago is now a reality. We are eternally grateful to our former Bishop, Rev. James King, and our current Bishop, Rev. Lindsey Davis. We want to express our gratitude to Rev. Thomas Eblen, Director of NCCD;  Rev. Thomas Smith, Director of Ministerial Services; members of the Board of Ordained Ministry; district superintendents, pastors, and all lay leaders who believed that with God all things are possible. It is with humility that we are now making history and are looking forward toward a new future of expanding God's Kingdom on earth.
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Rev. Joaquin Garcia, after finishing one class with our Hispanic pastors, said, “I have been teaching in the Spanish Course of Studies for seven years, and the students from the Kentucky Conference were some of the best!  They wanted to be present, were willing to participate and interact, to learn new concepts, and were willing to work on each one of the assignments that were given to them.  It seems that the conference has worked with them and given clear understandings of what it means to be a local pastor."  
 
Garrett Seminary helped us equip "effective spiritual and prophetic leadership rooted in human experience and the histories, traditions, and cultures of communities. The Course of Study prepared our Hispanic pastors to be spiritual and prophetic leaders for the church."
 
Your presence and participation at the graduation ceremony will leave a lasting impression in our Hispanic pastors' hearts. The event will take place Saturday, August 14 at 7:30 p.m. (ET) at Mosaic UMC located at 8008 St Andrews Church Rd. Louisville, KY 40258.