[Seminary of the Southwest] Seminary of the Southwest announces the launch of Episcopal Theological Education for Emerging Ministries (ETEEM) slated to begin October 17 – 19, 2013.

ETEEM is a joint certificate program conducted in Spanish by Southwest and the Lutheran Seminary Program in the Southwest.
Designed to satisfy theological education requirements for ordination, the certificate program brings students to the campus in Austin, Texas, four times per year for three years in intensive three-day sessions.

Southwest will admit Episcopal students to ETEEM, will coordinate the internship of those students, and will offer the Anglican studies and polity course for the curriculum. The Lutheran Seminary Program, having offered alternative theological education for 10 years, provides the coursework for the program taught by PhD faculty.

“Theological education for Spanish speaking leaders in our Church will be enriched by Seminary of the Southwest’s partnership with the Lutheran Seminary Program. I’m confident that this will meet the needs of people who have not found traditional seminary degree programs accessible because of language barriers or educational background or time commitment,” says the Rev. Canon Anthony Guillén, missioner for Latino/Hispanic Ministries for the Episcopal Church. “I am pleased that the Office of Latino/Hispanic Ministry will be working with SSW and highly recommend ETEEM.”

Applicants must have the permission and letter of support from their bishop to apply to ETEEM.  The Rev. Paul Barton, PhD, is director of ETEEM and professor of the history of American Christianity and missiology and director of Hispanic church studies at Seminary of the Southwest. Admission information is available by contacting admissions@ssw.edu.

Seminary of the Southwest is an accredited Episcopal seminary in Austin, offering master’s degrees for ordained ministry and for people seeking education and formation for counseling certification, chaplaincy and pastoral care, spiritual formation, and for religion. The full-time tenured faculty teaches the core theological courses and over 30 professionals in central Texas make up the adjunct faculty. Seminary of the Southwest has 135 students from across the United States enrolled in its degrees.