From June 15 to June 20 all HBI teachers thought through China’s theological education situation in Lutheran Theological Seminary of Hong Kong with other two China’s seminaries: Middle South Seminary and Jiangxi Bible School. We also visited and learned from 5 other Hong Kong seminaries. This article is the result of this meaningful study journey.
To understand China’s theological education, you must first identify the stage that it is at. If we take a seminary as a factory, we can say that China’s seminaries are at the stage of family workshop. Principal is the head of every department. He names himself the highest authority. He can anytime step into any department’s territory and address his opinion as well as make decision. He is busy to move this project and that project, without him, departments couldn’t find their directions, without him the whole system will paralyze. He is the founder, the speaker and his authority can’t be offended, even in the areas he is not professional. Unlike a modern enterprise, at this stage, China’s seminary first need to find out their own mission (every seminary should have their own mission instead of one mission for everyone. China’s Christian Council wrote one mission for all the seminaries of China many years ago, it was not a practical thing), then each department’s mission. This can’t just learn from overseas seminaries. Each seminary needs experiences and to work out their own mission. Neither can the mission come out from a smart head; instead, it needs years of practice in theological education.
Now we come to the principal’s role. China’s seminary principal’s main working pressure is at fundraising area. Nanjing Theological Union Seminary didn’t need fundraising before, but after building up a glorious new school, she put herself under the same pressure of every other seminary principal. But at this stage, if the principal gives all his energy on fundraising, and don’t give nourishment to his staff and teachers, he will be just like a boss. He gives order from outside, but can’t move teachers from their inside. This is a bad thing because the principal can’t integrate teachers influence on the students. Even on the fundraising area, they sometimes pay too much attention to overseas churches instead of looking to domestic resources. They forget to share their vision with local churches. In the long run, we will find this is not wise. On the stage we mentioned first, a bossy principal can’t do theological education. Teachers can’t do it either if they do not have close fellowship.
Another area is students’ field work. Most China seminaries just need to see students serving in a church, and then everything is ok. But more detailed work need to be done to make the field work meaningful for the students. China Seminaries should know very well of the churches and the leaders, so that they can ask churches give good instruction to the students; they also should set a theme for the students as their observation goal each semester, so that students will know what to learn step by step; they should listen to church leaders of their suggestion on theological education. All these detailed things and efforts will make student’s field work totally different.
18 seminaries in China can’t meet the numbers of increasing believers’ needs, but they should try to meet more church needs. Except for full time training, they can cooperate with prefecture level training class, sending teachers to support and integrate different levels’ theological training. Seminaries can develop correspondence course for students who have to stay at home.
Nowadays, seminary students are younger and younger. Some of them do no have clear calling from God. The procedure of enrollment of new students is one thing to be reconsidered. Aptitude test is a good method through which we can know how to give instruction to a student in his study and growth in school. But no seminary in China has begun to use it. Seminary should dig more local resources and try to cooperate with professional organizations in students’ guidance.
Some China seminaries would get their graduates informed of the seminary’s news, but none has done graduates’ superintend and guide.
Most China seminaries need to electronize their library so that the books can be used more and can support teachers’ teaching as well as students’ study.
The most heartily touched problem of China’s seminaries is the shortage of mission training: no short time mission practice, no discipleship training, no mission course, no training of how to efficiently explain the gospel, etc. Students do not have chance to face unsaved souls. They only face believers. Teachers only face seminary students---very good believers. The passion for unsaved souls is obviously low. What the meaning of theological education is then, we should ask. The shortage of mission really touched the theological education’s core. It is a sad thing. We hope in the near future, more and more China seminary can become missionary training center for local churches.
To understand China’s theological education, you must first identify the stage that it is at. If we take a seminary as a factory, we can say that China’s seminaries are at the stage of family workshop. Principal is the head of every department. He names himself the highest authority. He can anytime step into any department’s territory and address his opinion as well as make decision. He is busy to move this project and that project, without him, departments couldn’t find their directions, without him the whole system will paralyze. He is the founder, the speaker and his authority can’t be offended, even in the areas he is not professional. Unlike a modern enterprise, at this stage, China’s seminary first need to find out their own mission (every seminary should have their own mission instead of one mission for everyone. China’s Christian Council wrote one mission for all the seminaries of China many years ago, it was not a practical thing), then each department’s mission. This can’t just learn from overseas seminaries. Each seminary needs experiences and to work out their own mission. Neither can the mission come out from a smart head; instead, it needs years of practice in theological education.
Now we come to the principal’s role. China’s seminary principal’s main working pressure is at fundraising area. Nanjing Theological Union Seminary didn’t need fundraising before, but after building up a glorious new school, she put herself under the same pressure of every other seminary principal. But at this stage, if the principal gives all his energy on fundraising, and don’t give nourishment to his staff and teachers, he will be just like a boss. He gives order from outside, but can’t move teachers from their inside. This is a bad thing because the principal can’t integrate teachers influence on the students. Even on the fundraising area, they sometimes pay too much attention to overseas churches instead of looking to domestic resources. They forget to share their vision with local churches. In the long run, we will find this is not wise. On the stage we mentioned first, a bossy principal can’t do theological education. Teachers can’t do it either if they do not have close fellowship.
Another area is students’ field work. Most China seminaries just need to see students serving in a church, and then everything is ok. But more detailed work need to be done to make the field work meaningful for the students. China Seminaries should know very well of the churches and the leaders, so that they can ask churches give good instruction to the students; they also should set a theme for the students as their observation goal each semester, so that students will know what to learn step by step; they should listen to church leaders of their suggestion on theological education. All these detailed things and efforts will make student’s field work totally different.
18 seminaries in China can’t meet the numbers of increasing believers’ needs, but they should try to meet more church needs. Except for full time training, they can cooperate with prefecture level training class, sending teachers to support and integrate different levels’ theological training. Seminaries can develop correspondence course for students who have to stay at home.
Nowadays, seminary students are younger and younger. Some of them do no have clear calling from God. The procedure of enrollment of new students is one thing to be reconsidered. Aptitude test is a good method through which we can know how to give instruction to a student in his study and growth in school. But no seminary in China has begun to use it. Seminary should dig more local resources and try to cooperate with professional organizations in students’ guidance.
Some China seminaries would get their graduates informed of the seminary’s news, but none has done graduates’ superintend and guide.
Most China seminaries need to electronize their library so that the books can be used more and can support teachers’ teaching as well as students’ study.
The most heartily touched problem of China’s seminaries is the shortage of mission training: no short time mission practice, no discipleship training, no mission course, no training of how to efficiently explain the gospel, etc. Students do not have chance to face unsaved souls. They only face believers. Teachers only face seminary students---very good believers. The passion for unsaved souls is obviously low. What the meaning of theological education is then, we should ask. The shortage of mission really touched the theological education’s core. It is a sad thing. We hope in the near future, more and more China seminary can become missionary training center for local churches.
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