History
CETI is a continent-wide community of believers filled with dynamism, concern, creativity, and commitment to the Kingdom of God and God's justice. Throughout our history and in the wide variety of our contexts, questions like these have connected us within our theological work:
How are our faith and the various fields of knowledge and professional practice linked? What contribution should the People of God make to the broader communities in which they are immersed? How does the Gospel shape family relationships? Does evangelical faith have anything to contribute in the midst of the urgent problems that our continent faces?
The Background
For the young leaders of the nascent Christian university movements in Latin America in the 1960s, the question was unavoidable. Participants in the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students (IFES) dedicated themselves to exploring how the good news of God's love in Christ connected with their mission field: the university. They soon recognized that, although they could draw on theological approaches from other latitudes, these were not sufficient. They needed to generate a contextual theology, with local ingredients and approaches relevant to the revolutionary context of the university and the broader social context.
Over time, those associated with IFES shared their concerns in broader forums and contributed to the founding of the Latin American Theological Fraternity (FTL) in 1970. As this Fraternity grew continentally and extended beyond its borders, the vision for fostering theological reflection that is born from and nourishes the Church's mission in all areas of life continued to grow in Argentina.
The Beginnings in Argentina
In the mid-1970s, in Villa María, Córdoba, individuals such as Miguel and Plinio Zandrino and Luis Perez Seggiaro, linked to the Biblical Athenaeum and the Villa María Bible School, gathered together. At the same time, in Buenos Aires, building on the initiatives of the Association of Evangelical Theologians, the Kairós Community was consolidated, with individuals such as Andrés Kirk, Samuel and Lilly Escobar, René and Catalina Feser Padilla, David and Elsie Romanenghi Powell, Eduardo and Elvira Ramírez, among others.
Both groups shared the vision of training young professionals, pastors, and the next generations of evangelicals in general to fully experience the Gospel in the world. Together, they began to dream, pray, reflect, and support each other in their professional fields. Over time, they created the Center for Interdisciplinary Theological Studies (CETI). The program began in Villa María, and in 1982 it was handed over to Kairós to be administered by them. The courses were organized around areas of life, with modules dedicated to work, family, church, and society. They were developed communally through intense study sessions, with the input of the students and under the dedicated direction of Dean Catalina Feser Padilla.
Initially, CETI offered a master's and bachelor's degree, and over time, CETI became a member of ASIT, the Association of Seminaries and Theological Institutions (ASIT), the organization that gathers and accredits theological education centers in the Southern Cone. Over time, CETI identifies a need for a more accessible program for individuals without a university degree. Particularly important in the development of CETI "Básico" (Basic-level) was the collaboration with Carlos (Seoung) Park and the pastoral training programs of the Chung Ang Korean Church in Buenos Aires.
Growth and Continental Consolidation
In the 2000s, an agreement between CETI and Semillas de Nueva Creación, a local organization sponsored by the Christian Reformed Mission, gave access to theological training to hundreds of pastors, leaders, men, and women from the Elim Christian Mission and other churches in El Salvador through CETI Básico.
Toward the end of 2010, those involved in CETI's administration in both Argentina and Central America began to propose a new and broader vision of collaboration to renew the methodology and content of CETI's holistic program and to expand its reach throughout the continent. Consequently, in early 2011, the program was transferred to CETI Continental, a new international entity based in San José, Costa Rica. With a Board of Directors, a continental team, and a student body composed of individuals from various Latin American countries, CETI today identifies itself as a Community of Interdisciplinary Theological Studies. It offers several certificates, including Life&Mission and Counterurrent; a Master's Degree in Leadership for Transformation with university accreditation (through Bakke Graduate University, Texas, USA); and other learning opportunities through webinars, open courses, and the Caty and René Padilla Summit.