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The Foundation for Theological Education in Southeast Asia

www.ftesea.org

Occasional Newsletter, November 2018

Office of the Executive Director: 140 West Highland Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19118 USA. Tel. 215-247-2458

2018 FTESEA meets at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, Pittsburgh,

PA on October 12-13, 2018

The Board elected Rev. Dr. Jeffrey Kuan (President, Claremont School of Theology), as Chair; Rev. Dr. Dorcas Gordon (Interim Director, Toronto School of Theology) as Vice-Chair; and Rev. Dr. Lester Ruiz (ATS Director of Accreditation and Global Engagement) as the Secretary for the year 2019.

Dr. Lee Hinson-Hasty, Senior Director, Theological Education Funds Development of the Presbyterian Foundation, and Dr. Mary Foskett, Professor in the Department for the Study of Religions of Wake Forest University were elected new members of the Board of Trustees.

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One of the highlights of the Board meeting was a day-long seminar on "A Critical Assessment of the Past and Present Legacy of the Contributions of FTESEA to Theological Education in Asia and Possible Future Directions.” FTESEA having completed 80 years of ministry in supporting theological education in Asia, the Board decided to critically evaluate its ministry for the sake of better partnership in the future. Four stalwarts familiar with the ministry of FTESEA provided the input for the seminar.

Dr. Ching-fen Hsiao (former chair of the FTESEA Board)

Dr. Yeow Choolak (former Executive Director of ATESEA)

Dr. Wati Longchar (formerly served as ETEWCC consultant for Asia and the Pacific)

Dr. Manhong Melissa Lin (Dean of Nanjing Union Theological Seminary)

Besides, on the second day of the meeting, the Board members had the opportunity to hear Dr. Frank Yamada, Executive Director of The Association of Theological Schools in the US and Canada on the vision of ATS in the present context of theological education and formation in North America.

Visit to Pacific Theological College and South Pacific Association of

Theological Schools

Trustee Dr. David Esterline (President, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary) and Dr. H.S. Wilson visited the Pacific Theological College (PTC) and South Pacific Association of Theological Schools (SPATS) on October 25 and 26, 2018 to explore the possibility of future cooperation between PTC and SPATS at the graduate level theological education with the FTESEA partner seminaries of ATESEA and CCC.

From left: Rev. Rusiate Tuidrakulu (General Secretary SPATS), Dr. David Esterline, Dr. H.S.Wilson and Ms. Kalti Mate (Coordinator of Weavers, SPATS).

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PTC was established in 1965 for "Serving the people of American Samoa, the Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji & Rotuma, French Polynesia, Kiribati, Nauru, New Caledonia, Niue, Marshall Islands, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu and West-Papua." Dr. Esterline taught at PTC and served as Dean for several years in the 1990s. PTC is the only theological college in the Pacific that offers a doctoral program-PhD, accredited by the Fiji Higher Education Commission.

SPATS has a membership of 29 seminaries as of 2015 in the Pacific region “covering a total of 8,000 km from Tahiti in the East to the Solomon Islands in the West, from the Marshall Islands in the North to the Aotearoa in the South” (SPATS brochure). SPATS will be celebrating its 50th anniversary next year.

Trinity Theological College, Singapore celebrates its 70th

Anniversary

on October 5, 2018. In the last seventy years Trinity Theological College has emerged as a premier theological institute in Asia and has been providing ministerial training for Christian leaders around Asia. In the recent years it has trained a number of faculty members from countries in the Mekong region, Myanmar, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and seminaries of the China Christian Council.

From left Dr. Limuel Equina, Dr. Foong Nghian Ngoei, Principal of TTC and Dr. H.S.

Wilson

In his message addressed to the Principal Rev. Dr. Foong Nghian Ngoei, FTESEA chair Dr. Jeffrey Kuan, alumnus of TTC noted that, “The Board of Trustees of FTESEA joins me in congratulating TTC for its significant achievements in the last 70 years. Today, TTC has become a premier theological institution in Asia, with a sterling faculty and facilities to continue to train pastors and theological educators for Singapore and other parts of Asia. FTESEA has enjoyed a strong partnership with TTC through ATESEA. When ATESEA needed an institution to help manage its financial resources (including the grants from FTESEA), TTC stepped in. This has given FTESEA the confidence that the annual grants we provide ATESEA are well managed. More directly, FTESEA has also been a partner with TTC as the institution grew. We thank God for this partnership.”

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Silliman University in the Philippines will be offering doctoral

program in Christian Education in collaboration with ATESEA

Dr. Limuel Equina, the ATESEA Executive Director and Dr. H.S. Wilson visited Silliman University on October 3, 2018 to discuss with the leadership of the university and the school of theology the plans for their new initiative in commencing a doctoral program in Christian Education as the area of priority. The curriculum will be interdisciplinary, with experts from the following member schools providing support and instruction: Divinity School of Chung Chi College, Duta Wacana Christian University, McGilvary College of Payap University, Sabah Theological Seminary and Trinity Theological College.

From left: Dr. Earl Jude Paul L Cleope (Vice President), Rev. Magnolia Nova Mendoza, Dr. Limuel Equina, Dr. Betty Cernol-McCann (President), Dr. H.S. Wilson and Dr. Victor

Aguilan.

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Consultation on “Revisioning Innovative and Transformative Theological

Education in Asia”

The Programme for Theology and Cultures in Asia (PTCA) and FTESEA joint consultation on “Revisioning Innovative and Transformative Theological Education in Asia in the Context of Proliferation and Quest for New Forms of Education/Formation,” was hosted by Sabah Theological Seminary, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia from September 12-16, 2018.

Participants of the consultation

“27 participants from ATESEA, ATA, ATEM, PERSETIA, SSC, SPATS, and CCC-TSPM attended this historic conference. A participant from the University of South Africa and four members from FTESEA including Dr. Jeffrey Kuan, the Chair, Dr. Dorcas Gordon, Vice-Chair, and Dr. Deenabandhu Manchala, a Board member along with Dr. H.S Wilson, Executive Director attended the consultation. Six participants from PTCA along with Dr. Wati Longchar, Dean of PTCA, and Dr. Angela Wai Ching Wong, the Vice President for Programs of the United Board for Christian Higher Education in Asia attended the conference. On the first day, five researchers presented case studies on the proliferation of theological education in Indonesia, Myanmar, Malaysia, India and South Korea. On the second day, challenges and prospects for theological education in Bangladesh, China, Hong Kong, Philippines, Thailand-Mekong were presented. Following that Dr. Wai Ching Wang from United Board, Dr. Marilyn Naidoo from University of South Africa and Dr. Huang Po Ho from Chang Jung Christian University presented the challenges and prospects of theological education in the context of

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secular/public education in Christian colleges/universities. In the context of changing scenario of Asia, the representatives from ATESEA, SPATS, SSC and ATA shared short-term and long-term theological support mechanisms. And finally, ecumenical partners from FTESEA, United Board and Asia-Pacific Forum-North America shared their program priorities for possible partnership towards strengthening theological education in Asia and the Pacific.” Excerpts from the New Release: by Limatula Longkumer, Dean of Research/SATHRI, Senate of Serampore College.

International Consultation in commemoration of the Bicentenary of

Serampore College (1818-2018) and Centenary of The Senate of

Serampore College (1918 - 2018) from August 21 to 23 in

Kolkatta, India.

The Board Secretary Dr. Lester Ruiz and Dr. H.S. Wilson participated in the Serampore international consultation on “Education for Transformation-Challenges and Prospects for Formation and Reformation” and made presentations. From China Dr Chen Xun, Dean of Yanjing Theological Seminary and Ms. Wang Biyan, Lecturer of Guangdong Union Theological Seminary participated in the consultation.

Dr. Lester Edwin J. Ruiz made a presentation on “The Role of Theological Education in Transforming Society.”

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Asian Theological Librarians Workshop and Consultation in Jakarta

The 8th Forum of Asian Theological Librarians (ForATL) Workshop and Consultation was held at Jakarta Theological Seminary, Indonesia from May 21 to 25, 2018 partially supported by FTESEA.

Canon Peter Ng Receives Honorary Doctorate

Board of Trustees member Canon Peter Ng received an honorary doctorate in Humane Letters from the Church Divinity School of the Pacific, Berkeley, CA at the Commencement on Friday May 18, 2018.

From left: Rev. Dr. Donald White, Chair, CDSP Board of Trustees, Peter Ng, the Very Rev. Mark Richardson, President and Dean, CDSP, and Rev. Dr. Fran Toy, presenter of Peter Ng. Photo courtesy of Fr. Bruce Woodcock, Asia Pacific Partnership Officer, The Episcopal Church US

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GlobeTheoLib Consortium Meeting

Ms. Martha Smalley, FTESEA consultant on library development and H. S. Wilson attended the GTL consortium meeting on April 13-14, 2018 at the Ecumenical Center Geneva. Dr. Wilson was asked to respond to the public lecture organized by GTL and WCC delivered by Dr. Rudolf von Sinner on the theme “Theological Education in the Context of Global Christianity.”

On the left is Dr. Amele Ekue, ETEWCC Participants in the consortium meeting representative on FTESEA Board Photo: Marcelo Schneider/WCC

Visit to Taiwan Theological Seminary and College

Fourth from left is Rev. Dr. Shang-Jen Chen, President of Taiwan Theological Seminary

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Asian Campus Ministry Forum

FTESEA is cosponsoring Asian Campus Ministry Forum (ACMF) organized by the United Board for Christian Higher Education in Asia (United Board) and International Christian University (ICU) at the International Christian University, Tokyo from March 11 to 15, 2019. The theme of the forum is The Role of Campus Ministry in a Multi-religious Context.

For any enquiry on application, please contact Mr. Calvin Mok, Program Associate, at cmok@unitedboard.org or by phone (852) 3943 4216. Online application is now open at (https://goo.gl/forms/QKNnaUA7Gvnizpj13). The deadline is November 18, 2018 (Sunday). Selection result will be announced in December 2018.

Chinese Theological Review

Chinese Theological Review volume 28 is now available. Ms. Janice Wickeri, editor (ctreditor@gmail.com) welcomes readers’ feedback and she is especially interested to know whether readers found the articles included in CTR useful and helpful in their work and study. Web copies of CTR are available at http://www.amityfoundation.org/eng/publications

H.S. Wilson Executive Director

Foundation for Theological Education in Southeast Asia Email:ftewilson@gmail.com