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DIVERSITY IN THEOLOGICAL EDUCATION 

MISSION BY THE PEOPLE

MISSION BY THE PEOPLE

MISSION BY THE PEOPLE

In 1983 the World Council of Churches and Orbis Books jointly published a 332 (plus xvi) page compendium of TEE programs (Latin America and the Caribbean-7, Africa-7, North America-6, Asia and Australia-5, and Europe-4) under the title, Ministry by the People: Theological Education by Extension. At that time some were speculating that TEE would become the predominant model of theological education around the world, and this was viewed by some as positive and by others as negative. Evidently there were significant hopes and fears concerning the future of the ministry and the mission of the churches in their diverse cultural contexts. Soon we shall be approaching the 20^th anniversary of that book, in 2003, and it may be an important time for a review of the TEE movement and for a new look at its prospects for the future. One way to do this would be to gather once again reports of significant developments among TEE programs in the regions and globally. This new report might be entitled, Mission by the People: Theological Education by Extension, and it could focus primarily on theological education for mission in the Twenty-First Century.

1. Ross Kinsler, who edited the earlier book while he served on the staff of the WCC’s Program on Theological Education, recently retired from Costa Rica, where he served for 13 years at the Seminario Biblico Latinoamericano, which has developed a diversified model combining extension and residential components. He now has more time as well as the expertise and contacts to pursue this project.

2. Nyambura Njoroge, who now coordinates the WCC’s program area for Ecumenical Theological Education and its publication, Ministerial Formation, can facilitate communication with the regions and publish some of the reports as they emerge.

3. Ian MacKenzie, who has just retired as coordinator of the Native Ministries M.Div. program by extension based at Vancouver School of Theology and the TEE Study Center at Terrace, Northern British Colombia, has been trying to launch a global network of persons and programs engaged in TEE, which can provide an important avenue for this proposal.

4. David Maxwell, who coordinates the office for Global Education of the Presbyterian Church (USA), has requested help and offered support for this kind of work, at least within that church family.

5. The earlier book provides addresses for the 29 programs included and an extensive list of resources (associations, books, articles, periodicals, and publishers) concerned with TEE. This provides an ample starting-point.

6. Little funding should be needed to pursue the project all the way to the final editing and publication, by which time a publisher and funding should be found for that process.

1. Description

A minimal history of the program could focus on the main steps in its development.

Primary attention should be given to the essential components of the model.

A review of major problems and solutions or lessons learned would be helpful.

2. Mission by the People

Each program needs to explain its context and constituency--especially socio-economic, racial-ethnic, and gender analysis.

Primary attention should be given to the underlying biblical vision of God’s Reign--on earth as in heaven.

The reports must show how they empower and equip God’s people for mission--not just the clergy.

3. Critical Issues

How does personal, ecclesial, and social transformation take place?

How is contextualization of the Gospel, the church, and its theology taking place?

How is human liberation-salvation-shalom understood, taught, and enacted?

1. Who are the key persons in each region, through whom we can identify programs that should be invited to participate in this project?

2. What programs, both older programs included in the earlier book and newer ones not included, should be invited to participate?

3. How should the process and outline suggested above be modified to make this project most useful to churches and institutions engaged in the formation of God’s people for mission?

CONTRIBUTION AND CRITIQUE

We know that the churches have made an extraordinary contribution to the establishment and growth of educational programs and institutions for the churches themselves and for the wider societies around the world. What may not be so obvious is that we and our colleagues in many places have also played an important role in the critique of educational models, systems, and their underlying assumptions. This has enabled creative responses to unmet or new needs, possibilities, and perspectives in the whole field of education.

NEED FOR NEW MODELS

In Latin America, for example, Brazilian Paulo Freire led the way to a sharp critique of schooling as passive reception of contents, which he called "domestication" or "banking," and promoted an understanding of fundamentally participative education, which he called "conscientization" and "liberation." Ivan Illich, who was based in Cuernavaca, Mexico for many years, wrote blistering critiques of education systems throughout the region, and he proposed a "de-schooling" of society.

On the basis of such critiques and proposals, many educators and church leaders in developing regions took up the call for "contextualization," "conscientization," and "liberation" in theological education. Contextualization is concerned not only with the training of leaders within local cultural realities but also with the transformation of social and ecclesial patterns of leadership that may be elitist, patriarchal, and even racist. Conscientization is concerned with basic human integrity and dignity over against the presumptions of schooling levels, degrees or diplomas, and the accumulation of information, prestige, and power. Liberation challenges local, national, and global competition and domination systems that benefit a few at the expense of the wider community.

A GUATEMALAN ADVENTURE

After 25 years of traditional, residential training at a small, middle-school-level residential seminary in Guatemala City, leaders of the Presbyterian Church of Guatemala noted that the Western, schooling model, which has been emulated around the world, was providing trained leadership for only a small portion of the growing congregations and preaching points throughout the country. Very few of these worshipping communities could provide adequate financial support for full-time pastors. On the other hand these congregations were developing their own natural leaders, in the absence of professionals, as they carried out the basic tasks of ministry. The seminary decided to create a new model that they called theological education by extension (TEE), in which faculty members went out weekly to meet with the leaders of the churches in each region, distributed study materials in preparation for those weekly seminars, and thus built the entire formation process in the context of their ongoing ecclesial and social realities. Instead of the previous average of 10 to 15 full-time, residential students, all young and relatively inexperienced men, the enrollment of the seminary soon grew to 250 men and women of all walks of life, cultural and racial identity, and geographical location, young and mature, elders and deacons, evangelists, teachers and preachers, and even moderators of presbytery and leaders of the wider community.

TEE AROUND THE WORLD

The Guatemalan model for theological education, which began in 1962, soon became known and was adapted throughout Latin America and then in other regions. The basic change was simple, but it led to increasing questions about learning and teaching, and it required monumental efforts to transform "teachers" into facilitators, to provide ever more effective study materials, and to stand up to the challenges of traditional educators and traditionally trained pastors. Along the way some of the doubts and complaints concerning TEE disappeared as universities in many places also began to develop extension models and materials. By 1983 a book with data and analyses of TEE in Africa appeared under the title, Theological Education in Context: 100 Extension Programs in Contemporary Africa. Many of these programs had hundreds of students, some thousands. In that same year the World Council of Churches (with Orbis Books) published Ministry by the People: Theological Education by Extension, with extensive reports of 29 representative programs in all six continents.

It is time to make a new review and analysis of TEE around the world. What may be surprising to many is the prevalence of and growing need for extension programs in North America. One of the most important developments in this region over the past 25 years has been the establishment and growth of Doctor of Ministry programs for the advanced training of pastors, which mostly use decentralized or extension models. Many U.S. and Canadian seminaries offer by extension at least partial work toward the basic Master of Divinity degree, which is required by many denominations for ordination. Some offer special "tracks" for racial-ethnic sectors for whom the traditional M.Div. pattern is not readily accessible. And now many denominations are facing the urgent need to provide training for lay pastors and preachers who are providing leadership among the growing number of congregations that cannot support a full-time professional pastor.

UNIVERSIDAD BIBLICA LATINOAMERICANA

In recent years the Universidad Biblica Latinoamericana (formerly Seminario Biblico Latinoamericano), based in San Jose, Costa Rica, has developed a creative and far-reaching diversified model of theological education that combines the best of residential and extension training. Students do most of their academic work in their own countries through independent study of modules, small extension groups that meet for extended periods or throughout the year, intensive courses led by visiting or adjunct professors, and other methods. They are required to take at least one two-month period and up to a year at the campus in Costa Rica, where they mix with a very diverse student body (Protestant, Pentecostal, Catholic), have access to the full faculty and library, and can take the necessary time to do research and write papers, eventually preparing and defending a thesis.

The UBL works with many different local and national churches and institutions throughout much of Latin America at accredited university levels and also at a more flexible, basic level. In Guatemala, for example, the Centro Evangelico de Estudios Pastorales de Centroamerica (CEDEPCA) coordinates both levels of study in several regions of Guatemala, and its program of women's studies offers specific courses in all five Central American countries. In Cuba, the Centro Memorial Martin Luther King offers UBL validated university level courses in Havana, and it serves a network of 45 nuclei with 500 students at the basic level among very diverse church bodies throughout the island. In Peru, the UBL works with an autonomous, ecumenical group in Lima, the Iglesia de los Peregrinos in the North, and the Seminario San Paulo in Huancayo, and each of these offers theological studies at both levels in their respective regions. In Ecuador the UBL works with three organizations, one of which is run by and for Quichua church leaders throughout the Andean highlands. Altogether the UBL enrolls some 2000 students at the university levels and a larger number study at the basic level under local administration throughout Latin America.

CRITICAL QUESTIONS REMAIN

How should we define excellence in theological education in each ecclesial, cultural, and socioeconomic context? What "levels" and models are likely to be most effective in these contexts? What are the best uses of old and new technologies? How can we integrate our very limited resources to serve all sectors of our churches in service to the wider community? What are the primary needs and possibilities for human transformation in this age of globalization? Should theological education be tied directly to health education and community development where these needs are so urgent? The creation and critique of educational models and methods for diverse contents and contexts must go on in ways that respect and heighten processes of human-spiritual development for all of God's people.

Sub-Sahara Africa today presents enormous challenges for the churches and for theological education--in terms of basic economics (an adequate standard of living, meaningful employment, pension and disability security), the HIV pandemic, cultural and family values, various kinds of violence, and basic human rights (including food, clothing, housing, education, healthcare). The massive growth of Christianity and the impressive development of theological training programs at all levels suggest that much more can be done to deepen and broaden the churches' response to these challenges. Deepening understanding of the Biblical message indicates that God calls all of us to much more holistic spiritual discipleship in these very terms.

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