Dr. Timothy McKeithen Receives Doctor of Ministry Degree
Dr. Tim McKeithen completed his Doctor of Ministry degree from Nazarene Theological Seminary in Kansas City, Missouri in May 2021.
Dr. McKeithen is an alumnus of Nazarene Bible College, graduating in 2001. He began working at NBC in 2011 as the Program Director of the Hispanic Pastoral Ministries Bachelor and Associate degrees program and the Ministry Preparation Program in Spanish.
His dissertation was entitled "Listening to Strangers: An Ethnographic Approach to Hearing Nazarene Latinx Immigrant Pastors in the U.S. Heartland" which he successfully defended on March, 2021.
This research project was about Nazarene Hispanic pastors who have immigrated and who minister in the U.S. Heartland. Many Spanish-speaking immigrants have moved into the rural towns of the U.S. Heartland. They chose not to live in the metropolitan Latinx communities of West and East Coasts. They settled instead in the central farming regions.
These new arrivals face multiple challenges there. Because of language and cultural barriers, all these Spanish-speaking people find themselves still as outsiders, even after decades here. While this is true in the communities where they live, it is more troubling that it is true in the church.
Spanish-speaking pastors in particular struggle to find inclusion, understanding, mentorship and resources in these rural communities which do not have many Spanish-speakers nor have bilingual support and resources.
As part of the research, Dr. McKeithen interviewed in Spanish many Nazarene Hispanic leaders and pastors to hear first-hand their experiences.
Nazarene Bible College congratulates Dr. McKeithen for this significant achievement and prays that his research will serve to bless the Church and help sensitize her to this need.
Published: 05/03/2021
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