From Homiletical Training to a Theological Certificate

When the program first launched in 2015, initially funded by the Lilly Endowment and then funded by The Duke Endowment since 2022, it offered preaching training in Spanish, focusing on students who lacked formal theological education. The courses—now offered for $200 each, with scholarships and payment plans available—were a hit, and students kept signing up for more.

“Students were taking courses all the time because they just wanted to continue learning, they loved it. There was no beginning and no end. Finally, we developed the certificate in theology in 2023, so we could say, ‘Hey, you are graduating! You can go!’” Tinoco Ruiz said, laughing. 

The certificate is designed so students can journey together for three years in a cohort, taking two to three courses each semester in subjects including homiletics, theology, Christian ethics, biblical interpretation, Old and New Testament, church history, pastoral care, and courses such as Methodist and Baptist studies that explore denominational history, doctrine, and theology. The wide variety of courses now draws students who have had more formal education, including doctors, lawyers, educators, and pastors who already have theological degrees.

Students can also take courses for continuing education credit instead of pursuing the certificate, and continuing education courses have now been expanded into Portuguese, bringing in students from countries including Brazil, Angola, and Mozambique, in addition to previous students from Perú, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, México, Uruguay, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Honduras.

The courses, which are open to pastors, lay leaders, and congregants, are taught in Spanish and Portuguese by lecturers who have doctoral degrees in relevant fields and also have practical experience in ministry. Coursework is built around asynchronous study that students can work into their schedules, along with biweekly synchronous sessions that everyone attends together to experience learning and discussion in community. Online tutoring and writing workshops are also offered to supplement the classes.

Learning in an Ecumenical Community

The HLPI is open to all denominations and has enrolled Methodists, Baptists, Pentecostals, Catholics, nondenominational students, and students from other faith traditions.

The experience of learning as part of an ecumenical community is part of what makes the program special. 

“Having that interaction among our traditions and cultures is very important, and it’s unique to our online program,” said Tinoco Ruiz.

“It enriches the community to learn from different Christian traditions. It is especially meaningful in the same small group discussions within each course to have people who come from very conservative Christian traditions and others from more progressive Christian traditions. Students have to listen to each other’s perspectives and ways of understanding and interpreting Scripture.” 

The program also brings together leaders at very different stages of ministry. Some are young adults just beginning their pastoral work, while others have decades of experience. 

Learning alongside one another allows participants to hear perspectives shaped by different generations and to continue growing together.

The shared experiences nurtured in the classroom have led to meaningful connections among pastors and lay leaders from different countries, creating networks of pastoral support and strengthening their ministries beyond the courses they take.

“More than information, I received tools to grow from within; my way of thinking, serving, and relating to others has been transformed,” said Rosiel M. Florez Venecia, a children’s ministry leader from the El Camino Methodist Movement in Colombia. “Today I exercise leadership that is more intentional, empathetic, and centered on accompanying people in their journeys.”

Mario E. Vargas Granda, an adult discipleship instructor from the Church of God Zárate Congregation in Peru, also highlighted the transformative nature of the program: “HLPI has not only given me theological tools, but has also challenged me to see Christ’s mission through a broader, more diverse, and resilient lens,” he said.

“Today I understand that ministry is not only about delivering a message, but about genuinely connecting with the story and pain of the person in front of me.”

Tinoco Ruiz said that occasionally students are concerned about what they’re taught when it conflicts with their church’s teachings. “We respond, we meet with them, and then they continue in the program. Sometimes we think they’ll leave, but they don’t. That says a lot about the environment the program is creating—that people with opposing beliefs are still there, continue coming back, and even send others from their churches to participate.”

In one case, Tinoco Ruiz said they were concerned a pastor from a conservative church in Perú would abandon the program over differences in approach. Now the pastor, who is the leader of the denomination, has encouraged pastors in his denomination to participate in the program.

The program has shown the kind of effectiveness where the students who do it are its best ambassadors and have taken what they learned to even more communities. 

“We have a student who started with us when he was living in North Carolina but then had to go back to Costa Rica and joins the classes from there,” said Tinoco Ruiz. “He is now teaching in rural areas of Costa Rica to people who don't have access to these kinds of programs or to any theological education. So he’s receiving from this program and teaching at the same time. We also have two students who started in HLPI and are now Duke Divinity students enrolled in the MDiv program. So there’s a pipeline to the MDiv.”

The program has been a boon to many church leaders in Latin America who are looking for ways to nurture the theological education of pastors in their denominations. For example, the Rev. Dr. Evelyn Wibmer, president of the Methodist Church in Uruguay, uses HLPI as a requirement for those seeking to serve as local pastors who demonstrate a clear calling and gifts for ministry but lack formal theological education.

“For us, as a small church, support in the theological formation of young people is extremely important, as it represents a fundamental opportunity for our future development,” said Wibmer. “We thank the Lord for the generosity of offering these valuable courses online and in Spanish.”

“The program has grown beyond what we ever thought possible,” said Tinoco Ruiz. “And it continues to grow in ways we didn’t expect.”