When Jazmin Angulo began a Master of Arts in Ministry with a focus on leadership through Asbury Theological Seminary, she wasn’t preparing to become a pastor. A Mexican educator and church leader, she wanted to grow spiritually, deepen her relationship with God, and become better equipped for the ministry she was already doing, particularly through the development of the Raices (Roots) children’s discipleship program.
But God had other plans.
Over three years, the program did more than provide Jazmin with new knowledge. God used the experience to form her identity, clarify her calling, and give her confidence to respond when a new door opened. In January 2026, Jazmin accepted the call to pastor her local church.
Looking back, she recognizes an important lesson: Healthy leadership begins with the leader’s formation. “Ministerial leadership begins with our own formation and relationship with God,” she reflected. Today, she is leading with greater clarity, humility and purpose.
Still, Jazmin’s story is part of something much larger.
In late summer, 26 Latin American leaders completed this three-year bilingual master’s program, the first Latin American cohort Asbury Seminary has offered in this format. Seven of the graduates are Free Methodist leaders, now better equipped to serve where God has called them: in their own nations, cultures, churches and communities.
For Jenmira Sanchez, a Venezuelan serving in Peru, that formation is already multiplying in the lives of others. She describes the opportunity to study – along with receiving a scholarship – as an unexpected blessing from God. The program deepened her theological understanding, but the academic experience also became a place of encountering God. Even before graduating, she shared what she learned in her ministry and church. “It was not only a blessing for me,” she reflected, “but for other people around me.”
This is the vision behind the investment. As the Free Methodist Church grows and multiplies across Latin America, we need healthy leaders with a strong theological foundation. Investing in these leaders, and in future cohorts, helps ensure the next generation of Free Methodist leadership is deeply grounded in Scripture, shaped by Wesleyan theology, dependent on the Holy Spirit, and prepared to pass these convictions to others faithfully.
Please pray for these graduates as they serve, disciple and lead. Pray also for future cohorts, that God will continue raising healthy, Spirit-filled, biblically grounded Wesleyan leaders who will participate with God in the restoration of Latin America.
