Despite four decades of serving students and a heritage stretching back 90 years, Spanish Eastern Bible College (SEBC) is one of the best-kept secrets in the U.S. Assemblies of God. That is about to change.

Since its founding in 1985, SEBC has equipped Hispanic men and women in the 16 states of the AG’s Spanish Eastern District for ministry, discipleship, and leadership, within the Church and beyond.

The Hispanic institution offers classes in both Spanish and English. Currently, SEBC has just over 400 students, mainly from the Spanish Eastern District, which ranges geographically from Maine to Tennessee.

“Our mission is deeply rooted in biblical teaching, spiritual formation, and academic excellence, serving a diverse and growing community of students,” says Daniel De Jesús, the school’s director of education. “We aim to equip leaders with biblical wisdom and practical ministry training, without pausing their lives.”

Last year, 41 SEBC students obtained credentials as certified AG ministers. Another 27 became licensed ministers, and 23 were ordained.

SEBC, which has a dozen faculty members, gained a higher profile in 2023 following its acceptance as an associate member of the AG Alliance for Higher Education. The school has also taken its first steps toward accreditation with the Association of Biblical Higher Education (ABHE).

“The route to accreditation is a dream come true,” says Manuel A. Álvarez, superintendent of the Spanish Eastern District for the past 12 years and chairman of SEBC’s board.

After stepping into his leadership role during 2019, De Jesús set out to update the Bronx, New York, campus. When COVID-19 curtailed in-person classes the following year, that location and several satellite sites quickly pivoted to virtual learning.

Although some in-person instruction has since resumed, distance education remains the primary delivery method.

“Offering virtual courses has helped us,” De Jesús says.

SEBC is under direct oversight of the Spanish Eastern District, based in Old Tappan, New Jersey.

De Jesús serves the district as an executive board member and director of Christian education. Over the past couple of years, he has headed an effort to create a constitution and bylaws for the school.

Originally known as the Spanish Eastern School of Theology in Swan Lake, New York, SEBC moved to the Bronx in 1992 to reach a broader student population.

In 1998, SEBC established an agreement with Global University, allowing its students to complete an accredited associate or bachelor’s degree through the Springfield, Missouri, distance learning school.

“Our mission is deeply rooted in biblical teaching, spiritual formation, and academic excellence, serving
a diverse and growing community of students.”
— Daniel De Jesús

Utilizing Global University’s curriculum, SEBC offers an associate degree in Bible and theology and a bachelor’s degree in Christian education.

Álvarez explains that after two years of study, SEBC students qualify for certified ministry credentials, and by the time they have finished four years of education, they are eligible for a ministerial license.

After the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, SEBC moved its administrative offices to the headquarters of the Spanish Eastern District. In 2022, the Spanish Eastern School of Theology changed its name to Spanish Eastern Bible College.

The Spanish Eastern District operates a Bible institute that dates back to 1935, with 72 local churches providing leadership training. This network serves as a pipeline for enrolling students in SEBC.

“The Bible institute is the base for students to get into the Bible college,” says Álvarez, a member of the AG Executive Presbytery since 2020.

Students can transfer up to 29 credits to SEBC from the institute before earning a minimum of 32 Global material credits en route to a degree, according to Álvarez.

De Jesús says many SEBC students are adults who already have professional degrees unrelated to ministry.

“As God calls them into ministry, this is a viable option for theological training,” De Jesús says. “Most already are involved in ministry at a local church as lay leaders or staff members.”

While SEBC began as a Spanish-language school, bilingual courses have been added more recently.

Language differences can be a challenge. De Jesús notes that some U.S. AG Spanish-speaking congregations extend back five generations.

De Jesús grew up in a Brooklyn, New York, AG church. His spiritual trek is similar to many Latinos who end up working in vocational ministry.

After obtaining a bachelor’s degree in accounting from St. John’s University, De Jesús and his wife, Clarita (also an ordained AG minister), spent more than 20 years pastoring Ark of Salvation Worship Center (AG) in Oceanside, New York.

During his pastorate, De Jesús obtained a master’s degree in religious education from Fordham University and a doctorate in pastoral leadership from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.

Church lay leaders often enroll in SEBC simply to learn more about the Bible. Along the way, many sense a call to full-time ministry.

“Many times they come to study God’s Word, but then they are called to a specific ministry, whether it’s being an evangelist, teacher, missionary, or pastor,” Álvarez says.

Faculty members are committed to helping students discover and follow God’s plan for their lives.

“SEBC provides great training of the Bible and other leadership skills,” Álvarez says. “Students are receiving Pentecostal training from seasoned ministers and spiritual impact in the classroom that allows the Holy Spirit to move.”

Álvarez says the school will be more marketable once it obtains candidate status. He would like to see SEBC eventually offer master’s and doctoral programs.

De Jesús hopes that by the end of 2025 SEBC will achieve application status with the ABHE.

“The future is bright for our institution,” De Jesús says. “We’re just scratching the surface of the potential that we have to build this into a school that continues to equip the next generation. I can really see SEBC making a greater impact in the years to come.”

This article appears in the Spring 2025 issue of Influence magazine.