BELL GARDENS, CA (December 7, 2004) – More than 300 people attended the 2004 graduation and 15th year celebration of CHET, the Hispanic Center for Theological Studies, held last Saturday at Primera Iglesia del Pacto.
Ed Delgado, dean and vice president, said that the commencement event included the awarding of degrees to 80 individuals who completed various programs and the installation of CHET’s first chaplains, Liria and Diego Cerne.
Special guests from the Evangelical Covenant Church (ECC) included Donn Engebretson, executive vice president; former Pacific Southwest Conference Supt. John C. Notehelfer; Dr. David Mark, Latin American coordinator for the Department of World Mission; Walter Contreras, director of church planting for the Pacific Southwest Conference; and the Dr. Pablo Anabalon, pastor of the Covenant Hispanic church in Eagle Rock.
Also attending and participating in the ceremony was the musical ensemble “Mi Primer Amor” (My First Love), composed of young musicians trained by church planting pastor Danny Martinez, a graduate of the CHET Licenciatura program. This ensemble comes from the Iglesia Filadelphia, pastored by another CHET Licenciatura graduate, Alejandro Mendoza.
CHET’s installation of chaplains was the culmination of a training process that had its roots in the area where the main campus is located. The Cernes are founding members of the Covenant Hispanic church of Eagle Rock and graduates of CHET’s Ministerial Program. Born in Argentina, they have been married for 51 years and have recently retired from their family owned business that focused on the repair of European automobiles. According to Delgado, more than 200 persons made commitments for Christ while having their cars serviced. Anabalon and Contreras officiated in their installation.
The school also honored two board members, Oscar Pierola and Lyle Stokes, for their significant ministry efforts. Pierola was a founding CHET board member and served as board chair for 15 years. Stokes was responsible for facilitating the Endowment Fund for CHET’s establishment through the sale of First Covenant Church of Los Angeles, participated in CHET’s founding and development, and was its board secretary for 15 years.
Stokes also was a respected professor of the Book of Revelations and the Gifts of the Spirit at CHET. He and his wife, Rosie, received recognition from CHET President Jorge Maldonado at the event.
CHET (Centro Hispano de Estudios Teológicas) is a theological and pastoral training center for Hispanic church planters, pastors, and lay leaders, having grown from 35 to more than 400 students since 1989. This year’s class included 40 graduates from CHET’s Basic Program, 26 from the Family Counseling Program, seven from its Ministerial program, five from the Licenciatura in Christian Ministry program and two from the Covenant External Orientation Program. About 27 percent of those being educated at CHET have Covenant backgrounds, said Delgado. CHET has long enjoyed a diverse student population as its demographic represents 16 denominations coming from 17 countries.
Approved by the ECC Board of the Ordered Ministry, CHET serves as a subsidiary of North Park University and is endorsed by three other prominent organizations: AHET, the Association for Hispanic Theological Education; FIET, The International Faculty of Theological Education; and EIRENE-Internacional, the Latin American Association of Advising and Familiar Pastoral Counseling.
To learn more about CHET and its programs, call Delgado at 562-806-8325 or email him at efdelgado@chet.org. More information is also available by visiting the school’s website at www.chet.org.
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