Theological Study Center Proposed for Asia

by John E. Langlois

The most pressing need of the church in Asia today is for adequately trained and deeply committed national leadership in the life and service of the church. This crisis in national leadership is being felt particularly in the sphere of theological training in view of the increasing restrictions on foreign missionary work in most countries in Asia.

The most pressing need of the church in Asia today is for adequately trained and deeply committed national leadership in the life and service of the church. This crisis in national leadership is being felt particularly in the sphere of theological training in view of the increasing restrictions on foreign missionary work in most countries in Asia.

This crucial fact was foremost in the minds of the fifty evangelical theologians and church leaders drawn from all the free countries of Asia and Australasia taking part in the Asia Evangelical Consultation held in Singapore July 5-7, 1970. The consultation was sponsored by the Theological Assistance Program of the World Evangelical Fellowship. To meet this pressing need the fifty delegates, who represented 22 theological colleges as well as many churches and organizations, unanimously decided to establish an evangelical Center for Advanced Theological Studies on a post-graduate and doctoral level in Asia. Singapore has been suggested as a possible location.

The objectives for the center, which is the first major cooperative project undertaken in the field of theological training by evangelicals in Asia, include the following:

(1) The training of Asians as teachers for the B.D. and B.Th. level seminaries in Asia. Unfortunately, many who go to the West for post-graduate training never return to Asia for Christian service. The center will enable students to continue with higher studies in the context of Asian culture and thought forms. The training program, which may begin at an M.Th. level, will be developed as soon as possible into a doctoral program and kept at a high academic level to attract gifted teachers and students.

(2) To provide adequate facilities for biblical and theological research in areas of particular evangelical concern in Asia. This will require an extensive library. The center will be able to coordinate the production of evangelical theological publications and develop a program for the production of text books for use in theological schools. Asian and missionary scholars will be encouraged to come to the center for periods of research and writing.

(3) The sponsoring or coordinating of regional and national seminars, conferences and short term institutes to study relevant issues which evangelicals face in contemporary Asia. The need to develop Asian confessions of theology which are indigenous and relevant, and at the same time biblical and historic, is urgent. The center will give guidance to the church in Asia in its understanding and confession of the gospel.

(4) To serve as a center for such ministries as developing an orientation program for missionaries who plan to work in Asia or Africa, publishing an Asian based evangelical theological journal, and providing a link between evangelical seminaries in Asia. The center may also serve as a laboratory to experiment with and develop new methods in theological training and in evangelism.

It is hoped that the campus of the center will be adequate to house four or five full-time staff members and fifteen to twenty students and researchers, and have suitable buildings for a library, offices, seminar rooms and a conference hall.

The building up of an adequate library, particularly with source materials on Asian studies, is an important part of the initial planning. The teaching faculty of the center will be a minimum of four to five scholars of international repute in the fields of Bible, theology, history, practical theology and evangelism. At least three of these will be Asians who have done doctoral and post-doctoral research work. From time to time scholars from the West will be invited to serve on the staff.

It is suggested that the governing body of the center be composed of representatives from each of the B.D. level evangelical seminaries in Asia and key leaders of churches and missions representing the various geographical areas of Asia. The board may have three to five members-at-large chosen from the other continents, and the appointment of a Council of Reference or an Advisory Council made up of representatives from evangelical centers of learning in Australasia, Europe and America is being suggested.

Careful planning and preparation of up to three years are envisaged in order to establish the center. This essential project will mean large investments, endowments and finance from churches, foundations, evangelical organizations and missionary societies and individual Christians.

The significance of the center will depend not primarily on its size or program but on the deep devotion to Christ, the high academic caliber and maturity of those who give themselves for its service. A spirit of prayer, holiness of life and evangelistic witness along with profound scholarship must characterize the life and program of the center. Let us pray that the Lord will raise up this place in the near future and provide the men and the women who will give their service and their substance to this strategic ministry.

The Consultation in Singapore appointed the following Commission to make the initial plans for the establishment of the center: Dr. Saphir P. Athyal, Convener (India-Asian Coordinator of the Theological Assistance Program), Dr. John Chongnaham Cho (Korea), Mr. Michael Griffiths (Singapore), Dr. Donald Hoke (Japan), Dr. John Pao (Hong Kong), Professor Dr. Phoon Wai On (Singapore), Dr. Lawrence Chia (Singapore), the Rt. Rev. Chandu Ray (Pakistan and Singapore) and Dr. W. B. Sidjabat (Indonesia). The following consultants were also appointed: Dr. Carl F. H. Henry (U.S.A.), Mr. Bruce J. Nicholls (India – W.E.F. Theological Coordinator), Canon D.W.B. Robinson (Australia), and Dr. Jong Sung Rhee (Korea). Address correspondence to Dr. Saphir P. Athyal, Union Biblical Seminary, Yeotmal, Maharashtra, India.

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