Theogical Schools: Relevance and Viability

Theological training institutions in our region are at a point where there is need for renewal. The major concerns pertain to relevance and viability.

RELEVANCE
It is certainly a challenge to develop leaders who can minister effectively in a pluralistic, quasi- religious postmodern age. There is the constant wrestling between logic and faith, doctrinal preaching and sensational seeker driven, entertaining, motivational, psychologically driven speech making that goes on today. The wrestling is also between relevance and currency, the scientific and the non scientific. One of the critical questions that theological schools have to face today relates to the purpose of their training. What space do we train our graduates to occupy when they leave the walls of the seminary? Do we train them for church or for global leadership, for the world or for both?

FINANCIAL CHALLENGES
A significant number of theological schools are experiencing substantive and enduring financial challenges that threaten their ability to stay afloat and be faithful to their respective missions. We have to wrestle with how to ameliorate the impact of this stress and build healthier financial futures for these institutions.

TACKLING THE ISSUE OF RELEVANCE
The answer is not as clear cut as some may suppose. Unfortunately for many in this postmodern age to be relevant means to be tolerant and tolerance for some really means not only understanding the views of others but goes further into embracing them while not abandoning yours. What compounds the issue is that while wrestling with the issue of relevance and commitment to core values there is the issue of viability. In many Carribbean territories the rate of growth of the church is steadily declining and with that a decline in the demand for trained full time clergy. Added to this reduced demand is the fact that the desires of many to honour the call of God to full time ministry have been quenched.

It is very important as we wrestle with the issues of relevance and vitability that we underscore the fact that there is a difference between relevance and currency. We can be easily led into believing that an issue is not relevant because it is not current. It is critical that we remain committed to not only teaching and preaching Biblical truths but also set our values and lifestyle based on these truths. This may allow us to sound and appear politically incorrect but that is a non issue as long we remain faithful to God's truths. In his 2001 volume, Pagans in the Pew, Proffessor Peter Jones, warns us against allowing relativity, compromise and civility without principle to replace the anti-thetical clear cut thinking of Scripture.

The seminary has to prepare men and women to confront the issues of the times using tried and tested biblical teachings combined with other foundational disciplines. We are living in a world where persons have institionalized divorce, abortion, homosexuality and same sex marriage. We are also living in times of growing avarice and greed existing alongside poverty and dehumanizing conditions, brutal and senseless warfare, environmental destruction, technological advancement and moral decadence. This is our time - the best of times and the worst of times. It is obvious that the consciousness of the age has changed. The seminary must wrestle with these issues.

In light of this there needs be the strengthening our offerings in Christian Ethics, contemporary theologies, community development, conflict resolution, mediation, family development and the church and society. Our mission majors will have to be adjusted. They must reflect a genuine interest in the total lives, cultures and experiences of people as we seek to share with them how the message and way of Jesus can equip them for capacity building and can add immense value to their social capital and certainty about their eternal future. In order for the seminary to produce relevant global leaders it is important that the denominations that sponsor and support these seminaries be willing to engage in serious dialogue about change and renewal. The seminary cannot perceive itself as an exclusive club that indulges in high sounding esoteric chatter that is understood only by a select few intellectual elites. There is need to take the seminary to church and the church to the seminary but equally important is the need to take both to the market place. The church strengthened by the seminary must carry out its ministry in the market place.

TACKLING FINANCIAL STRESS
In order for the theological institutions to become more viable they must offer more short term programmes to meet the needs of the laity. Seminaries are known for their inflexibility. That must change. Some of the names of the courses need to be changed so that persons can better understand what they are about. For example why not change hermeneutics to how to interpret the Bible? More evening and week end programmes will not only attract laity but will increase the funds that come to these institutions. It is also important that those who have been trained at the seminary be invited back to renew themselves and benefit from new insights, and take intellectual and spiritual sabbatical. The seminary can become a stream in the desert for weary pastors who need revival.

Theological institutions must also be willing to engage in partnerships with each other and also with liberal arts institutions without sacrificing their core values and missions. The days of the purist seminary may be coming to an end. Persons must be able to come to theological colleges and do programmes in social work, early childhood education, community development while getting exposure to core biblical, theological and philosophical courses. We must remember that we are preparing people not just for church but for the world. Theological schools must move away from the narrow notion of training persons only for pastoral ministry. Perhaps the greatest ministry needs are outside of the church and the school of the prophets must be willing to equip persons to tackle these needs.

It is also critical for these institutions to adopt sound financial and management principles and practices. Each school will have to commit itself toexcellence in the areas of governance, administration, institutional planning and assessment. It certainly cannot be business as usual because this will lead to bankruptcy.

I know that this dialogue must continue as we all seek to make theological institutions more relevant and viable.