By Whitney Knight
After celebrating the first-ever hybrid graduation ceremony for Spanish-speaking students earlier this year, MACU’s Bethel Series is looking to expand its global reach through new partnerships with churches around the world.
The Bethel Series is a deep study of the Bible offered in English and Spanish as a series of online courses taught by MACU President Dr. John Fozard. Program Director Melody Cepeda-Macri said that the series prepares students to have a deep understanding of the Bible and the context in which the books and epistles were written. Local students can also choose to take the courses for college credit, earning them up to twelve hours towards their degree.
“We have students from Argentina, the Dominican Republic, Mexico and Paraguay who graduated this January and who are already teaching what they learned in their home churches,” Cepeda-Macri said.
One of those students, Jefry Abreu, is a native of Paraguay. He said the Bethel Series changed his life and his relationship with God.
“I cannot fully express my gratitude for these courses,” Abreu said. “Through the Bethel Series, I am able to see the Bible differently now. I have grown and gone deeper in my
relationship with God and my understanding of His love and His plans for humanity.”
Many students like Abreu would not have the opportunity to enroll in the Bethel Series without the assistance of scholarships provided by local and international churches. First Church of God in St. Joseph, Mich., is one of several churches to sponsor students, and it served as the host site for January’s hybrid graduation ceremony.
The cost of the Bethel Series per student, per year, is $200 plus an additional $25 for textbooks. There are also certificate courses available for leaders and pastors in Latin America at the cost of $150 per certificate program.
Cepeda-Macri said the program is currently seeking sponsors to help enroll more students in the Bethel Series in Latin America as well as in India.
“Any amount that a church can sponsor will help pastors and leaders across the world continue to dream bigger and do greater for the Kingdom of God,” Cepeda-Macri said.