Center for Hispanic Studies

All candidates must submit the following documentation to be considered for admission:

1. Basic competence in Old Testament, New Testament, and Christian Doctrine, as determined by passing a written exam or documenting that courses in these areas were passed.
2. Completion of an application for admission to the CHS program.
3. Satisfactory interview report from the District of the candidate.
4. Submission of a letter of recommendation from the candidate’s pastor.
5. Submission of a letter of recommendation from the District President.
6. Completed Partnership Covenant form with all required signatures as follows:
   • Applicant
   • Supervisor
   • Representative of the congregation or mission
   • District President or his representative
   • Any other funding partner or agency (e.g., mission society)
7. Protect My Ministry (background check).
8. Application fee of $50, payable to Concordia Seminary.
9. Official high school/college transcripts.

The application period closes on Feb. 28.

The student must complete 18 courses. The program is designed to be completed in four years.

Students in the CHS ministerial formation programs will be assigned as vicars in their locations of service upon admission to their respective program

CHS deaconess candidates must complete the same admission process as candidates in the Pastoral Formation program.

The student must complete 18 courses, which include some courses taken alongside men preparing for the pastoral ministry and other courses specific to deaconess formation. The program is designed to be completed in four years.

Deaconess students may take two electives from the following list, choosing courses in the areas of education, leadership, or missions (PRA423, PRA427, PRA431 or PRA432) or family studies (PRA429, PRA430, PRA435 or PRA436), which are all adapted for deaconess formation:

The process for assigning a concurrent internship to deaconess students and for placing deaconess candidates into their office will be carried out in a manner similar to vicarage assignment and final placement of pastoral candidates.

For more information about application deadlines, term dates, class procedures, etc., please see the CHS section of Concordia Seminary’s Academic Catalog.

Students in the CHS ministerial formation programs will be assigned as vicars or deaconess interns in their locations of service upon admission to their respective program.

Since Hispanics comprise the fastest-growing ethnic group in the nation, the mission of the CHS is to form future ordained ministers and commissioned deaconesses for The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod who will make Jesus Christ known in U.S. Latino communities.

The CHS partners with Continuing Education to promote and organize its Annual Lecture in Hispanic/Latino Theology and Missions, nationwide summer workshops and Hispanic theological consultations. These events offer workers in Hispanic ministry the opportunity to understand more deeply theological and practical issues that are of significant importance to the work of the church in U.S. Hispanic/Latino communities. CHS offers continuing education in Spanish, English or bilingual formats depending on the needs of the church. There are opportunities for participants to receive continuing education credit.

For recordings of the CHS annual lectures and other resources, go to CHS Resources.

For more information, please contact Continuing Education at 314-505-7286 or ce@csl.edu.

The Center for Hispanic Studies (CHS) was established by The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod and Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, in 1987 to provide a linguistically and culturally contextual route to certification for ordination of qualified men in Hispanic/Latino contexts. In 2002, the Seminary established the Hispanic deaconess program as a comparable alternate route for deaconess certification. In July 2006, the CHS was moved from Chicago to the Seminary campus in St. Louis, Missouri.