Celebrating a decade of Hispanic Bible seminars: reflecting on growth and community

What began as a one-time seminar has grown into a lasting ministry. Led by Juan Hernández Jr., professor of biblical studies, the Spanish-language seminars at Bethel foster connection, learning, and spiritual growth while building relationships with the local Latino church community.

How it started

What began as a single Saturday gathering in 2016 grew from a simple request. After a guest speaker spoke in Chapel during a Hispanic Heritage Month celebration, someone asked if Bethel could offer a Bible seminar in Spanish. Professor Juan Hernández Jr. agreed to lead the first session. Expectations were modest—but the response sparked something lasting.

“What was most memorable was how many people showed up from all walks of life and how enthusiastic they were about having a seminar on the Bible in Spanish,” Hernández says. 140 people registered and attended a three-hour seminar on a Saturday morning. “Not only that—but they wanted to continue after our lunch break, even though we were only scheduled until 12 p.m.”

What followed was growth shaped almost entirely by community response.

“It was supposed to be a one-time, small event—but the enthusiasm opened doors for this to take on a life of its own,” Hernández says. “All of the developments since our first seminar have been largely unplanned. We simply followed the interests and growth of the community as they’ve come to Bethel.” 

Teaching from experience

Hernández’s ability to connect with participants is rooted in his own background. Before joining Bethel, he regularly attended, preached, and taught in Spanish-speaking Pentecostal churches. Raised bilingual and bicultural in a Puerto Rican family, language and culture were already central to his life and vocation.

“When the opportunity came to have a seminar in Spanish, I was able to simply tap into who I already was long before I arrived at Bethel,” he says.

While often described as theological seminars, Hernández emphasizes that the focus is Scripture itself. “I focus heavily on Scripture and its sociohistorical and cultural interpretations rather than on the theological doctrines that arise from it,” he says.

Over the years, participants have studied the four Gospels, the book of Revelation, and now 1 Corinthians, each covered in its entirety.

Why Spanish matters

For Hernández, teaching in Spanish is essential to serving a growing and often overlooked community.

“Spanish-speaking churches are not only thriving but part of an exponentially growing demographic that is reshaping Minnesota and the country,” he says. “They are in Bethel’s backyard and yet they might have well been a million miles away due to the socioeconomic and cultural differences.”

He believes offering seminars in Spanish helps bridge that distance.

“At the end of the day, it’s probably the most tangible way to be a ‘world changer’, while we also benefit from the change this creates here on campus,” he says.

Belonging in language 

Hernández recognizes the sense of camaraderie when learning is in a shared language. 

“Studying sacred text in a shared language and culture makes all sorts of things possible— especially spiritual formation through knowledge,” he says. 

That foundation has led to expanded opportunities at Bethel.

“The seminars of the last decade laid the groundwork for the development of fully-accredited, university-level courses in Spanish,” Hernandez says. “These are open to Spanish-speaking members of the community with a high school diploma, as well as undergrad and PSEO students,” he says.

The impact of the seminars have extended into student life as well.

“We have multiple Spanish-speaking student groups on campus whose connection with Bethel started with these seminars or people they know from them, including their own parents,” Hernández says. 

Consistent interest

In 10 years, Bethel has never canceled a seminar. Attendance ranges from 60 to 174 participants, with 30 to 40 percent attending for the first time each session. Hernández believes the content and delivery play a role in the program’s success. “I like to think that it’s the material that sells itself,” he says. “I love the material and I teach it as passionately and as joyfully as I can.” But he also sees something deeper at work. “I’ve no doubt that the whole event fills a need for fellowship,” he says.

Community built over time

One of the clearest signs of impact is how participants invite others. Families attend together. Some participants have earned GED certificates so they could enroll in Spanish-language courses. Others invite relatives to class.

“Perhaps the greatest tell is their continued presence at the seminars, participation in our courses, and the fact that they are sending their children or members of their churches to enroll at Bethel,” Hernández says. 

He’s seen this invitation ripple through families and communities, spreading to taking university level classes he offers in Spanish. “Not only will a husband-and-wife team take the class, but they will sometimes bring their teenage children to sit in on the class. What invariably ends up happening is that those who visit or spend time in the class somehow end up enrolling in Bethel.”

That trust has also influenced enrollment. “Our Hispanic students have become the greatest recruiters of new students,” he says. Last year, a Hispanic student alerted him of over 20 other Hispanic students that she knew of who were going to be coming to Bethel the following year.  

Living out Bethel’s mission

Hernández sees the work as deeply connected to Bethel’s mission. He recalls a conversation with a donor whose father attended Bethel in the early 1900s and was allowed to write his thesis in Swedish.

“He told me that what we were doing today with the Hispanic population was an example of Bethel returning to its mission roots,” Hernández says. “The difference is that now the mission is in Spanish rather than Swedish.”

That conversation led to funding for a Hispanic scholarship supporting students enrolled in Spanish-language courses. 

A strong finish to the tenth year

The most recent seminar, held in February, marked the gathering of the program’s 10th year—and drew the largest turnout since the pandemic. A total of 142 people registered, with 96 attending in person and 46 joining online.

Participants explored passages from 1 Corinthians 8–9, discussing questions of Christian freedom, cultural practices in the ancient world, and the responsibilities that came with Paul’s apostolic authority.  

For Hernández, the seminar reflected the strong sense of community that has grown around the program. "Despite everything that has happened in the Twin Cities recently, we gathered strength in our community, strengthened our resolve, and resolved to make our faith matter." Bethel faculty members delivered meals, and several Bethel students presented about campus initiatives and ministries.

The gathering also sparked new connections. Leaders from other Christian institutions attended, including representatives interested in exploring future collaboration after learning about the seminars. 

As Bethel marks this milestone, Hernández points to a clear next step: equipping more people to lead. “It's time to expand—to bring in native, bilingual Spanish speakers who can learn the Bethel ropes and serve this community that continues to show up at our doors,” he says.

As the seminars enter their eleventh year, they continue to develop leaders, strengthen churches, and deepen Bethel’s connection with the Hispanic Christian community across the region.

Spanish-Speaking tours are available Mondays & Wednesdays 8:45 a.m.; Thursdays 12:15 p.m. and 2:00 p.m.; Fridays 12:15 p.m.

Go deeper in your ministry.

In Bethel University’s Seminar for Hispanic Pastors, Leaders, and Servants, you’ll receive deeper biblical knowledge and practical insights for ministry. Led by Dr. Juan Hernández, Jr., this seminar meets three times a year and explores key theological topics to help strengthen your church and community.

Learn more