Centro Hispano de Estudios Teológicos

What Centro Hispano de Estudios Teológicos does

Centro Hispano de Estudios Teológicos (CHET) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit theological education institution founded in 1989 and headquartered at 1005 East Palmer Street in Compton, California. CHET delivers Spanish-language ministerial and pastoral training primarily to Latino pastors, church leaders, and lay ministers within the Evangelical Covenant Church (ECC), and also serves multidenominational ministries. The institution operates five interconnected academic programs: a Pre-Ministerial Certificate (30 credits), a Ministerial Diploma (90 credits), a Bachelor's in Christian Ministry and Leadership (125 credits), the ECC-specific Covenant Orientation Program for credentialing (20 credits), and a Family Counseling Certificate (21 credits plus 100 clinical hours). Programs are designed sequentially, enabling students to progress from foundational lay-ministry training through bachelor's-level theological education with an emphasis on Latino contextual ministry.

The institution holds AETH certification through the Association of Hispanic Theological Education (approved by the Association of Theological Schools, a U.S. Department of Education-recognized accreditor), giving its Bachelor's program ATS equivalency and enabling graduates to enter ATS-accredited seminaries. CHET also operates under California Education Code as a private postsecondary institution. In 2024, CHET became a key partner in the One Covenant Community initiative, a five-year Lilly Endowment-funded collaborative led by North Park Theological Seminary to cultivate pastoral leadership across the ECC, with a $2M fundraising goal to unlock $4M in matching scholarship funds. CHET has no proprietary technology platform; its digital infrastructure consists of JotForm-powered enrollment and Kindful-powered donation processing.

CHET's revenue is generated through per-course tuition fees ranging from $195 to $500 depending on the program, supplemented by tax-deductible donations and grant funding. The go-to-market model is community-led: recruitment flows through ECC denominational channels (Annual Assemblies, Mid-Winter Conferences, regional conferences, and the Board of the Ordered Ministry), supplemented by Instagram, Facebook, email newsletters, and the chet.org website. The leadership team, led by President Rev. Carlos Ortiz, comprises five named staff overseeing operations, academic programming, student services, and admissions. CHET is not publicly traded, has no external shareholders or venture investors, and serves an exclusively domestic U.S. market with a single Compton campus as its physical footprint.

Name

Centro Hispano de Estudios Teológicos

Legal name

Centro Hispano de Estudios Teológicos

Website

https://chet.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Centro Hispano de Estudios Teológicos (CHET) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1989 in Compton, California, delivering AETH-certified Spanish-language ministerial education to Latino pastors and church leaders within the Evangelical Covenant Church through certificate, diploma, and bachelor's programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Theological Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Religious Organizations (8131)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAHAKAG

Christian Colleges with Theological Programs

Education/Higher Education (Colleges & Universities)/Religious & Theological Colleges

SECONDARYEDAHAKAM

Denominational Theological Colleges (e.g., Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, Evangelical)

Education/Higher Education (Colleges & Universities)/Religious & Theological Colleges

SECONDARYEDAHAKAE

Ministerial Training Institutes (Clergy Formation)

Education/Higher Education (Colleges & Universities)/Religious & Theological Colleges

SECONDARYBPAGAJAD

Faith-Based Education & Formation (Seminaries, Religious Schools, Catechesis)

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Religious & Faith-Based Organizations

Keywords

• Theological education
• Pastoral ministry training
• Ministerial credentialing
• Biblical studies
• Family counseling training

Headquarters

HQ city

Compton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Course Fees: CHET charges per-course tuition fees for its academic programs including the Certificate, Diploma, and Bachelor's programs. Fees range from $195 to $500 per course/module depending on the program. Additional charges may apply for book handling and shipping.
2. Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, CHET raises funds from donors. The institution runs a donation campaign through Kindful and participates in the One Covenant Community initiative which aims to raise $2 million to secure a $4 million matching grant from Lilly Endowment's LEI for seminary scholarships.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Centro Hispano de Estudios Teológicos provides Spanish-language theological and pastoral education for Latino ministry leaders, lay leaders, pastors, and other professionals. Its offerings form a sequential pathway from foundational biblical and ministry study through ministerial diplomas, an ECC credentialing program, an undergraduate degree, and specialized family counseling training.

Product overview

CHET offers a multi-level theological education portfolio consisting of five interconnected academic programs: the foundational Certificado en Ministerio y Estudios en la Vida de Jesús (30 credits) for pre-ministerial training; the Diploma en Ministerio Cristiano y Liderazgo (90 credits) for comprehensive ministerial preparation; the Programa de Orientación del Pacto (20 credits) for ECC credentialing; the Licenciatura en Ministerio Cristiano y Liderazgo (125 credits) for advanced undergraduate degree; and the Certificado en Consejería Familiar (21 credits plus 100 clinical hours) for family counseling specialization. Programs are designed sequentially with prerequisites, enabling students to progress from foundational certificates through bachelor's-level theological education, with emphasis on Latino ministry context within the Evangelical Covenant Church.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Certificate in Ministry and Studies in the Life of Jesus (Certificado en Ministerio y Estudios en la Vida de Jesús) A foundational 30-credit certificate comprising six required courses and six workshops. It is designed for individuals seeking to deepen their study of Scripture, lead group Bible studies, understand spiritual formation, and develop foundational skills for church service; it also prepares students for more advanced CHET programs.
• Ministerial Diploma in Christian Ministry and Leadership (Diploma en Ministerio Cristiano y Liderazgo) A 90-credit diploma consisting of 30 Pre-Ministerial credits, 60 additional credits, 19 required courses, and one elective. It develops interpretive, relational, and implementation leadership for Christian communities, with contextual emphasis on Latino churches and communities.
• Covenant Orientation Program (Programa de Orientación del Pacto) A 20-credit program with four required courses for people called to serve in the Evangelical Covenant Church who cannot attend North Park Theological Seminary. It fulfills credentialing requirements and includes approximately two years of mentorship supervision with reports to the appropriate Regional Conference.
• Bachelor's Degree in Christian Ministry and Leadership (Licenciatura en Ministerio Cristiano y Liderazgo) A 125-credit advanced undergraduate degree comprising 30 Pre-Ministerial credits, 60 Ministerial credits, and 35 additional credits, with seven required modules and three formative workshops. It integrates practical theology with ministerial work and develops spiritual life, critical thinking, contextual reasoning, and effective service.
• Family Counseling Certificate (Certificado en Consejería Familiar) A 21-credit professional certificate for healthcare professionals, pastors, church leaders, ministry aspirants, and others working with families. The program combines seven required courses, three workshops, and 100 hours of supervised clinical practice across academic, experiential, and clinical levels.

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• North Park Theological Seminary (NPTS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNorth Park Theological Seminary leads the One Covenant Community initiative, a five-year collaborative effort funded by Lilly Endowment's Pathways for Tomorrow Initiative. CHET participates as a key partner in this initiative aimed at cultivating pastoral leadership across the Evangelical Covenant Church, strengthening vocational discernment, theological education, credentialing, and lifelong support for Latino ministers.
• Evangelical Covenant Church (ECC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCHET serves as the leading institution for Latino ministerial education within the ECC. The denomination's Assembly of 1996 approved CHET's Covenant Orientation Program for Hispanic pastors as a credentialing pathway. CHET works with ECC regional conferences and the Board of the Ordered Ministry to support ordination and credentialing processes.
• Association for Hispanic Theological Education (AETH)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAETH is approved by the Association of Theological Schools (ATS) to certify the quality of undergraduate theological education programs. CHET is AETH-certified, and its Bachelor's program meets ATS equivalency standards, enabling graduates to gain admission to ATS-accredited seminary master's programs.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Fuller Theological Seminary: A large ATS-accredited multi-denominational seminary with a dedicated Hispanic ministry concentration and Spanish-language pathway offerings. Operates broadly in theological education (master's and doctoral), making it an incumbent competitor but at much higher scale and accreditation tier than CHET.
• New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary: Major SBC seminary with significant Spanish-language Baptist Center for Global Ministries work focused on training Hispanic pastors — comparable in mission and target demographic, but denominational incumbent with much greater scale and ATS-accredited degree offerings.
• Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary: Multi-denominational ATS-accredited seminary with a Center for the Study of Global Christianity and historic Spanish-language theological programming — comparable as a faith-based theological educator with Hispanic emphasis but at incumbent scale across multiple degree levels.
• Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary: Large SBC seminary with one of the most established Hispanic ministry programs in the U.S. (Garcia y Hannah Center for Hispanic Ministry), training Latino pastors via undergraduate and master's tracks — comparable in theological education focus and Latino demographic emphasis but denominational and ATS-scale incumbent.

Others

• North Park Theological Seminary: The ECC's primary English-language seminary and lead partner on the One Covenant Community initiative; not a competitor for CHET's Spanish-language students, but the parent-denominational seminary whose curriculum equivalency and partnership define CHET's positioning.
• Association for Hispanic Theological Education (AETH): The accrediting body through which CHET holds its AETH certification and ATS equivalency. Not a competitor but a key ecosystem organization — comparable as the standards-setting body for the Hispanic theological education space CHET operates in.

Regional players

• Central American Theological Seminary: Hispanic-serving evangelical seminary offering Spanish-language theological education; comparable in mission and language focus, but primarily serves Central American regions rather than U.S. Hispanic ministry.
• SETECA (Seminario Teológico Centroamericano): A Central American evangelical theological seminary focused on Spanish-speaking theological training for Latin American and U.S. Hispanic ministry leaders. Comparable in mission to CHET and curriculum depth, but headquartered in Guatemala and serving primarily Latin America rather than U.S.-based Latino ministry.

Direct peers

• Inter-American Theological Seminary: A Spanish/English bilingual accredited evangelical seminary serving primarily Latino students in the U.S., offering programs in theology and ministry — directly comparable to CHET in language, denominational breadth, and Latino ministerial training focus.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/centrohispanodeestudiosteologicos
• Instagraminstagram.com/chetcentrolatino
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/centro-hispano-de-estudios-teologicos-del-pacto-evangelico

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Centro Hispano de Estudios Teológicos