Lee University, USA HEM Sign Historic Agreement
On June 21, 2016, Lee University signed a historic agreement with the USA Hispanic Educational Ministries (HEM) of the Church of God Division of Education. The Memorandum of Understanding allows students from properly-registered Hispanic Bible Institutes to transfer up to 30 semester hours after completing twelve hours as a student at Lee University—either on campus or as an online student in the Division of Adult Learning.
Dr. J. David Stephens, assistant general overseer and executive director of the Division of Education for the Church of God said, “This agreement is the culmination of a long history of one of the most effective training ministries in the eight Hispanic administrative regions of the Church of God throughout the United States.”
On behalf of Lee University, the official document was signed by Dr. Deborah Murray, vice president for Academic Affairs; Dr. Terry Cross, dean of the School of Religion; and Dr. Joshua Black, executive director of the Division of Adult Learning.
On behalf of the Church of God Division of Education, the document was signed by Stephens and Dr. Enrique A. DeJesús, director of Church of God USA Hispanic Educational Ministries.
The Hispanic Bible Institutes were begun at the same time the General Board of Education initiated the Bible Institute Program under the leadership of Dr. Robert Fisher in the late 1970s. Even though the Bible Institute Program was discontinued in the Anglo churches, the Hispanic regions discovered they were extremely successful in training Spanish-speaking church leaders. More than 100 vibrant Hispanic Bible Institutes are now operating throughout the United States.
Since the registered institutes have stringent requirements, such as proper academic degrees for classroom instructors, official student transcripts at the Division of Education offices, and so forth, transfer courses include many required courses such as Old Testament, New Testament, History of the Christian Church, Biblical Hermeneutics, Homiletics, and many more. If students have additional courses, they can count them as electives up to the maximum of thirty hours.
Stephens concluded, “Dr. DeJesús and the leadership of Lee University are to be commended for this historic and progressive step that enables Spanish-speaking students throughout the United States to be part of the remarkable family of the Lee University academic community.”
