by Adriana Celis
Curiosity is one of Marcos Acosta’s defining characteristics. It has driven him to have an open mind, to ask questions, and to investigate new areas of study and new cultures. This innate inclination to discover the unknown has led him to explore and study different fields of knowledge, from telecommunications engineering to theology. Perhaps in the mind of a rational academic these studies have no relation to each other, but in the restless and always proactive mind of Marcos, looking for other explanations to the questions that life brings is above the general rule. For this reason, Marcos has taken the opportunity to go to many places in the world to understand new cultures, to show respect for other forms of thought and professions, and to establish new friendships with people of different races, ethnicities, nationalities, genders, and diverse beliefs.
Life and works
Perhaps because he does not think like most people, today Marcos lives outside of his home country, Argentina. He is currently based in the United States and is married to Alexia, who is from the U.S. Marcos serves as the full-time pastor of Homestead Mennonite Church, a Mosaic Conference congregation located half an hour south of Miami, Florida; he is also an editor and writer in Spanish for Anabaptist World.
With an enthusiastic, committed, and very competitive spirit, Marcos completed the five-year academic training program as a telecommunications engineer at the Aeronautical University Institute, located in Córdoba, Argentina. However, over the years, his desire to explore other careers grew. In 2018, he applied for the Master of Divinity program at Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary (AMBS).
Marcos received his master’s degree from AMBS in 2021. Under the tutelage of Professor Daniel Schipani, he was drawn to pastoring and teaching, particularly in the areas of wisdom and pastoral ministry. “Being wise means being someone who can reflect on the experience, and also, it means being someone who can observe the world, the biblical story, and allows learning to continue reflecting,” says Marcos.
Teaching at SeBAH
While pastoring, writing, and editing keep Marcos plenty busy, he will soon add yet another role to his plate. The Hispanic Anabaptist Bible Seminary, known as SeBAH (Seminario Bíblico Anabautista Hispano), has invited Marcos to a professorship. His education, pastoral experience, and passion for theology have prepared him well to teach his first course, Pastoral Theology. Marcos is honored to be able to share his knowledge and experience with the Hispanic community and with ministers from many parts of the world.
Thanks to his varied personal, pastoral, and academic experiences, and his continuous movement in life, Marcos is well-suited to make a wide variety of contributions wherever he serves. As the Uruguayan singer-songwriter Jorge Drexler says in his song Movimiento: “We are alive because we are on the move. We are never still. I’m not from here, but neither are you. Nowhere at all. Everywhere a little bit.”
In the same sense, says Marcos, “I think that many pastors and leaders who study in SeBAH have more experience than I do in pastoral ministry. That is very good because I believe that together we can reflect on those experiences and incorporate other resources and ideas to come out a little wiser and be able to serve better in this ministry to which we have been called by God.”
A version of this article originally appeared on MennoniteEducation.org on 2/21/2023.