CTS Partnership with Hispanic Scholars Program is a Reflection of the Seminary’s Deepest Commitments 

 

Nuestra historia apenas comienza – our history is just beginning. This is an apt sentiment for the Hispanic Scholars Program (HSP) which offers theological education, mentorship, and professional development to the next general of Latine/Hispanic leaders. The program equips Latine students to navigate the evolving landscapes of theology and pastoral counseling. In doing so, the program aspires not only to take part in theological education, but to lead it. CTS is proud to be a member of this organization.  

Formerly known as the Hispanic Summer Program, the HSP’s overall goal is to integrate Latine/Hispanic students into mainline theological education. Since its start in 1989, it has grown to include both undergraduate and graduate student programs as well as support the development of the Latine/Hispanic community. All of this has been done in partnership with existing programs and seminaries.  

“CTS has demonstrated itself to be a highly engaged and active member of the program, consistently investing in and promoting these opportunities for the benefit of its students and broader community,” said CTS Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Faculty Dr. Francisco Lozada, Jr. CTS joined the Hispanic Scholars Program in the early 2000s.

Lozada is also Chair of the HSP Governing Board whose mission is to bring together the diversity in the Latine/Hispanic community, build bridges with non-Latine/Hispanic organizations, and empower the next generation of Latine/Hispanic leaders. He works with representatives (e.g., Deans, professors, Presidents) from partner institutions as well as the Executive Director to oversee program development. “It’s both leadership and a collaborative role, requiring attention to both big-picture goals and practical implementation,” he said. HSP offers programming that engages Latine/Hispanic community, culture, and history with religious studies and theological exploration. 

This is one of the reasons that Tyne Parlett (current CTS dual degree student) joined HSP and attended summer programming in 2023. “It was an opportunity for me to engage not only in practical theology more fully, but to be in community, embedded into a culture of learning, wrestling, praying, and forming one another. Academia that seeks to challenge power, culture, inhospitable conditions of the world, and that ignites possibilities for learners to grow is where I wish to spend my days,” Parlett shared. 

For CTS, the goal of affiliation was to promote the seminary’s values of embracing diversity, advancing scholarship, and promoting wholeness throughout creation. According to Lozada, CTS students in particular, the program enriches their experience by providing access to courses and perspectives that are not otherwise available on campus. It also fosters intercultural competence, which is increasingly essential for ministry and counseling today.  

“These courses disrupt the binaries and punctures holes in any border that keeps them contained in their thinking,” Lozada said. “And, more broadly, it signals CTS’s commitment to our value that all are made in the image of God.” 

Students enrolled in one of the over 40 affiliated schools can take part in HSP programs. The flagship Summer Session classes are geared to address different domains of theological education, including biblical studies, pastoral care and counseling, ethics, and theology, foregrounding the Latine identifications. Lozada stated that students can also engage with their own and other diverse spiritual and religious traditions through the courses. It is truly an ecumenical experience. 

“There is a rich diversity in the Latine community,” he said. “The courses are rooted in the Latine experience and the human condition.” Lozada added that students do not need to identify as Latine to take part in the program. “It is intentionally open to all representations of students just as they are – with intentional inclusion regarding gender and sexuality, ethnicity and race, class, etc. It is for whoever is interested in engaging these perspectives.” 

CTS student Cindy Gil Perez is Latinx and joined HSP in 2025 to gain greater insight into the history of her community in the United States. “I wanted to be able to identify shortcomings and assets for and within our communities. Also, I wanted to carve space for personal reflection and growth.” Perez is enrolled in the Master of Theological Studies Program.  

Each summer, HSP classes are offered at different campuses, and during the 2026 schedule, they will take place at Villanova University. Those on the calendar include courses in ecology, education, indigenous feminist perspective, immigration, and pastoral question.  

Parlett said the ESPERANZA, PLAY, AND PRACTICE course was their best experience, in part because of community immersion.  “The chapel services, community meals, walks and adventures into the city, and the breaks in the day to laugh, sing, dance, and play made the learning experience memorable,” they said. “This did not just academically inform me about how to bring hope alive; it created the conditions for hope and connection to sustain it.”  

According to Lozada, each course represents an intentional effort from the faculty, staff, and leadership of the HSP team. “Each course approaches Latino/a/x identity alongside other fields, including Latine theology combined with gender and sexuality, feminism, or grassroots activism,” Lozada said.  

“This program has allowed me to strengthen my sense of belonging as a Latinx scholar and to better articulate my contribution to the field of practical theology,” Gil added.  

Beyond the classroom topics, Lozada emphasized how HSP students relate to faculty, peers, and mentors across multiple institutions. This expands their academic and vocational horizons, he said. “It reminds the students that they belong and that their questions are everyone’s questions.” 

“As we often say in Spanish, it is about doing teología latinamente (doing theology from a Latinx perspective) and teología en conjunto (doing theology together). Its future is rooted in sustained partnership, innovation, and a shared commitment to elevating Hispanic voices and epistemologies in theological education,” Lozada said.  

Gil agreed, “When you join HSP, you are not alone but become part of a constellation of scholars that grow and develop en conjunto. I was fortunate to have learned about HSP early in my journey and found exactly what I was seeking. I have met scholars from other institutions and developed friendships and a network with seminarians across the country from Puerto Rico to California.” 

Parlett echoed this by saying, “If you find yourself with the capacity to engage in HSP in any of the incredible offerings, do not hesitate. There is magic contained within the program, the faculty, and the learning that is durable, formative.” 

As one of the over 40 schools that takes part in the program, CTS has a position in the HSP governing board which includes access to professional development, diversity, and collaborative initiatives. The HSP Executive Director Rev. Dr. Daisy Machado will receive an honorary Doctor of Divinity Degree at this year’s CTS Commencement Ceremony and is preaching at the upcoming Baccalaureate Chapel during graduation weekend.  

 Click here to learn more about the Hispanic Scholars Program. The summer course list can be found here.