Certificate in Migrant Ministries

Ministering with Migrant Communities

Why is it that God reminds us so frequently throughout Scripture to care for the sojourner or immigrant in our midst? Do you need tools and strategies to help your church accompany and advocate for immigrants in your community? Would you benefit from learning with a multicultural cohort of other PCUSA members and Central American partners in a six-month, weekly online program of leader formation focusing on the following?

Intercultural Studies: Intercultural communication and conflict, decoloniality, and cultural humility as foundational understandings for mission in the way of Jesus
Migration and the Theology of Migration: An analysis of the new face of migration; the needs and capacities of migrants, understanding migration from a biblical-theological perspective; the role of justice in God's mission; the theology of migration
Accompaniment and Advocacy: Case studies in social movement/church collaboration; the skills, capacities, and strategies needed to support migrants through an uncertain future

About the Non-credit Certificate in Migrant Ministries

God’s mission moves across lines of difference by building on human relationships. In this program, readings, presentations, and classroom interaction will all be translated/simultaneously interpreted into English/Spanish to allow learning and friendships to cross borders. It will form local leaders in Central America, Mexico, and the U.S. to work together in the Central American Migrant Mission Network to care for the migrants in our communities and to advocate for a more just future for all. The Network is a joint venture of Presbyterian Mission Agency, Frontera de Cristo (Mexico), The Protestant Center for Pastoral Studies in Central America (CEDEPCA/Guatemala), Calvinist Reformed Church of El Salvador, Presbyterian Church of Honduras, and Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. Participants who complete the program will be awarded the Seminary’s non-credit Certificate in Migrant Ministries.

The creators of the formation program are:

David Bonillo, Frontera de Cristo, Agua Prieta, México
Nancy Carrera, Central American Center for Pastoral Studies (CEDEPCA, Guatemala)
Carmen Diaz, Calvinist Reformed Church of El Salvador/ALFALIT
Hunter Farrell, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary (USA)
Betsabé Reyes, Presbyterian Church of Honduras
Joseph Russ, Presbyterian Church (USA), based in San Salvador

The first cohort will be limited to 40 leaders and will meet together weekly from October through December 2024 and from February through April 2025. The cost of the entire program is $250 per participant; however, no applicant will be excluded due to lack of financial resources to make payment. Scholarships are available.

Program Class Dates

We will be holding weekly 90-minute Zoom classes on Monday evenings on the dates indicated below. Each class will be supported by simultaneous interpretation, with the help of a team of two interpreters from the PCUSA's Global Language Services. The students and instructors will be located in places across the U.S., Mexico and Central America.

Here are the dates and times:

Program start date: Oct. 14, 2024
Virtual sessions, first semester: Mondays, Oct. 14, 21, and 28; Nov. 4, 11, 18, and 25; and Dec. 2 and 9, 2024
Virtual sessions, second semester: Mondays, Feb. 10, 17, and 24; March 3, 10, 17, 24, and 31; and April 7, 2025
Class Schedule: Mondays at 4:30 p.m. Pacific/5:30 p.m. Central America/6:30 p.m. USA-Central/7:30 p.m. Eastern Time.
Each class session lasts 90 minutes including readings, presentations/lectures, discussion, small group work, case studies, and group projects. The cohort will be highly interactive, seeking to create a space where deep and lasting relationships can be formed across lines of language and cultural difference. We seek to embody the Body of Christ as we develop insights and skills to accompany and advocate for/with migrants in countries or origin, transit and destination.

Apply to the Certificate in Migrant Ministries Program

This program is made possible by the generous support of PCUSA World Mission, Presbyterian Women, and the Presbyterian Foundation.

Applications are now closed for the 2024 cohort. To express interest in a future cohort, e-mail .