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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — At Iglesia de Dios Pentecostal M.I. Riveras de Cupey, a new movement of lay formation and empowerment is taking root. The congregation has developed a ministry and preaching school designed to train leaders who, because of financial or academic barriers, have never had access to formal seminary education.
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — At Iglesia de Dios Pentecostal M.I. Riveras de Cupey, a new movement of lay formation and empowerment is taking root. The congregation has developed a ministry and preaching school designed to train leaders who, because of financial or academic barriers, have never had access to formal seminary education.
Project coordinator Joe Stephen Castro Rodríguez said the initiative was created to break through two main obstacles.
“Our project is formally called the Ministry and Preaching School of Iglesia de Dios Pentecostal M.I. Riveras de Cupey,” Castro Rodríguez said. “We really wanted to address two barriers. First, the academic barrier because many people have never or will never have the opportunity to enroll in seminary, and the second was to break the stereotype that preaching always has to happen in a traditional format from a pulpit.”
Asked about the importance of lay leadership in the church, Castro Rodríguez emphasized that gifts and talents go beyond traditional ministry roles.
“There are people who may have gifts that don’t fit into a traditional pastoral role or into a Sunday school teaching role, but they still have gifts and talents,” he said. “We wanted to emphasize that lay leaders also have the tools to serve in many capacities.”
The school brought seminary-style training directly to the local congregation, offering biblical preaching instruction, intergenerational teaching, and practical resources to strengthen participants’ ministries.
One of the most innovative areas of the program was the use of artificial intelligence, or AI.
“That was a very interesting and challenging topic to introduce,” Castro Rodríguez said. “Sometimes people think integrating AI into preaching means asking a machine to write the sermon. We wanted to highlight that it’s not about that, but about how we can use this tool to complement and enhance the sermon.”
Participants were taught how AI can be applied in research tasks such as exploring historical context and biblical roots of passages in Hebrew and Greek or creating images and videos to support the message. “We always emphasized that when using AI, there is also a responsibility of verifying the information, but overall, AI as a tool has served that purpose well,” he said.
Preaching through art and across generations
Beyond technology, the project included workshops on preaching through the arts.
“We brought in a specialist, pastor Nelson Luquís, also known as Dr. Félix Casado, who uses character work in sermons,” Castro Rodríguez said. “He gave us a workshop on how preaching can integrate artistic elements such as dance, painting, dramatization, skits, and props.”
The training also focused on children, preteens, teens, and young adults in two separate modules. “We wanted to address that need in our young people because children and youth are not the church of tomorrow; they are the church of today,” he added.
Time constraints were the greatest challenge, Castro Rodríguez said.
“The intensity of trying to achieve this major project in just five months, with meetings happening only two Mondays a month from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., was the hardest part,” he said. “Mondays are complicated for everyone, but thanks be to God, the commitment of the church was such that we managed to graduate thirty-eight participants.”
One of the most moving moments came during the closing ceremony.
“Hearing a sister say ‘This is the first time I’ve ever graduated, because I couldn’t even finish high school’ really impacted us,” he said. “That was her first graduation ever.”
Among the surprises was seeing transformation in members who had previously been quiet congregants.
“Seeing our brothers and sisters who usually only attended worship and didn’t really get involved are now raising their hands to say ‘I’m available if you need me to preach or teach’ was just so powerful,” Castro Rodríguez said. “And watching those who already had preaching experience transform their delivery style—preaching with new tools in a way that connects better with our Pentecostal faith tradition—was a very beautiful surprise.”
The project not only achieved its academic goals but also left a lasting spiritual impact. The Ministry and Preaching School has become a space for growth, empowerment, and transformation, reaffirming the vital role of lay leadership in the life of the church.
With innovation and pastoral sensitivity, Iglesia de Dios Pentecostal M.I. Riveras de Cupey has planted seeds already bearing fruit: new preachers, empowered leaders, and a congregation more aware of the value of its gifts for the church’s mission.
