General Guidelines for Training Programs for Pastors and Lay Missioners

General Objective

The overall purpose of the training program is to equip lay missioners and pastors in a team work style in the development of faith communities, new and revitalized congregations, and community ministries. The curriculum of the training program will focus on enabling lay missioners/ pastors to experience growth in vision, knowledge, skills, and become agents of change in the family, church and society.

Basic Criterion of the Curriculum

The training program is the basic implementation tool of the National Plan for Hispanic Ministry. Each formative activity should follow these principles:

Be centered in the understanding of the role and mission of the church as participation in the mission of God, so that each congregation and its leaders may become active agents of change in the church and in society from the perspective of justice for the marginalized and the less fortunate.

Develop the consciousness of self-determination of the Hispanic community in the United States and Puerto Rico, in its personal, cultural, economic, theological dimensions and church structures.

Be based on the biblical heritage of the historic faith of the transforming action of God.

Be a faithful expression of our Wesleyan heritage and of the current pronouncements in the official documents of the United Methodist Church.

Be an authentic expression and affirmation of our socio-cultural and linguistic heritage and an understanding of its actual economic reality.

Teaching of Pedagogical Principles

1. The learning process will use the action/reflection method. through real-life situations (action) that are conducive to reflection (academic), action results as a way of transformation. It is not a rejection of the academic.

2. The educational process will emphasize the importance and practice of teamwork, creating a sense of collegiality and partnership between pastor and layperson, man and woman, youth and adult, Hispanic and non-Hispanic, academic and non-academic, professional and non-professional. This will provide a genuine atmosphere for corporate, ecumenical learning.

3. The learning method --"Action-Reflection-Action- "demands respect, consideration and the incorporation of the experiences and knowledge that the participants already possess. The process does not assume to form leaders from nothing.

4. The method of seeing-judging-acting shall be used as the method of analysis, interpretation, and planning in each of the parts of the training program. This will allow that the formation of teams for the development of ministry be closely linked to the concrete reality of the Hispanic people, to the biblical revelation, and to a transforming pastoral.

5. The specific development of the training plan, according to action/reflection/action pedagogical principle, will take place, insofar as possible, in the concrete field where ministries or congregations. Due to their homogeneity, this may be organized as groups, circuits, districts or areas of concentration.

6. The Institutes, regional centers and seminaries may also offer the training program of lay missioners and pastors by strictly Following the criterion and pedagogical principles.

7. The development of this training program assumes a formative process. For this reason, the model known as workshop shall be used. In a workshop, production is corporately through dialogue and active participation of all the participants, and professionalism does not exist or is minimized..

8. The training programs shall be available both in the Spanish and English, according to the makeup of the participants.

Formative Levels

The training program of Lay Missioners and Pastors shall be composed of the following:

1. Basic Instrument Module:

This first Module offers the participants the methodological and practical tools of instruments that will enable them to participate in work team in the development of ministries.

The module is composed of five units, of eight hours per unit. Each unit is self-contained unit; this will enable participants to enroll at the start of any unit, but they should complete the five units before proceeding to Module II.

The program development shall meet the availability of time and place of the participants. Programs can be scheduled during a whole week, or in workshops of one day, weekends or nights.

2. Basic Module on Knowledge and Skills

The second Module offers the participants the knowledge and skills in different areas of Christian ministry. In this Module, three units of eight hours each are required, and the participants may choose one unit (of 10 hours) out of three to specialize, for a total of 34 hours. Participants are required to be serving in a ministry for at least three months PRIOR to taking module II.

3. Continuing Education Module

The third Module, as its name implies, is to offer continuing formation in knowledge, methods, and skills for ministry. It also seeks to offer information and models of ministry in the different needs that society demands, whose characteristic is in constant change.

Requirements to Become Lay Missioners

Lay Missioners are those persons whom the Lord has called, have responded affirmatively, have received the initial training, and have been assigned to work in a team in some place or special ministry.

The requirements that are offered here have to do with the preparation of those candidates to become lay missioners. The assignment and certification, based on the national guidelines and pedagogical principles, are lodged in the annual conferences.

1. Basic requirements to Enter Training

Personal experience and commitment to the risen Christ and the Hispanic community. Openness to the leading of the Holy Spirit;
Active participation in and commitment to a local UMC and demonstrated appreciation for its tradition and doctrine;
Recommendation from the local pastor or appropriate local church committee or group, in which participant is a member.
Upon termination of this training, the participants shall receive a certificate of completion of Module I of the initial training.

2. Requirements to become a Lay Missioner

Willingness to take total and ongoing training and to be engaged in the action-reflection process;
Willingness to work in a lay missioner/pastor team; Commitment to, ownership of, appropriation for self of the National Plan for Hispanic Ministries;
Affirmation, appreciation, and understanding of the Hispanic culture in the United States and Puerto Rico;
Available for a period of time to be part of a team in the development of ministries;
Willingness to submit reports and evaluation regarding the ministry that one is involved at the request of the corresponding entities;
Completion of Module I, the Basic Instrumental Module, and of Module II, the Basic Module on Knowledge and Skills.

For more information contact:
Office of Committee on Hispanic Ministries
475 Riverside Drive, Room 350
New York, New York 10115
Tel. (212) 870-3693
Fax.: (212) 870-3748