INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL FOR EVANGELICAL THEOLOGICAL EDUCATION

Sponsorship: ACTEA (Africa); ATA (Asia); CETA (the Caribbean); EEAA (Europe); E-AAA
(Euro-Asia); AETAL (Latin America); ABHE (North America); SPABC (South Pacific)

ICETE News
an in-house circular for the ICETE community

January 2009

Overseas Council partners with ICETE.

The distinguished global ministry Overseas Council has accepted an invitation from ICETE to enter into a formal collegial relationship as a recognised ‘ICETE Partner’. Overseas Council, under its president David Baer, is among the most respected and effective ministries working worldwide in support of evangelical theological education. It has been an ‘ICETE Associate’ for more than a decade, and is thus an already well-known participant in the ICETE family. ‘ICETE Partner’ is a special category within the ICETE movement that allows for enhanced collaboration, consultation, and mutual support. Langham Partnership International (LPI), under the direction of Chris Wright, established such a relationship with ICETE in 2002. Further information about Overseas Council and its multiple services is available on its website at: www.overseas.org 

Web facelift. ICETE is pleased to announce a major facelift for its ICETE website. The fresh design just installed will also enable expansion of content. Presently viewers are able to consult a listing of all ICETE-related institutions globally (872 schools in 113 countries). Also listed with weblinks are all other ICETE associate, affiliate and partnering entities. In addition the home page provides a direct link to the website of each of ICETE’s eight sponsoring associations of theological schools, which together cover all parts of the world. Other pages offer recent news, or briefly describe ICETE’s history and structures. The section giving access to major papers from ICETE’s previous international consultations will be among the first to be expanded. Have a look at: www.icete-edu.org 

Time to act. If you are considering attending the 2009 ICETE International Consultation for Theological Educators, now is the time to begin registration. Space is limited and will be filling up. The event is taking place 5-9 October 2009 in Sopron, Hungary. The composite Consultation participation fee per individual is US$750 (covering registration, accommodation, meals, handouts, etc.). However, delegates from schools that are formally affiliated with one of ICETE’s member associations (namely ACTEA, AETAL, ATA, ABHE, CETA, EEAA, E-AAA, or SPABC) are eligible for a 50% discount on the Consultation fee. The same discount is available to delegates from other entities with formal links to ICETE. Travel and related expenses are the responsibility of the sponsoring institution or individual. Guests or observers will be accommodated on an invitation basis only, as space is available. Begin registration proceedings by contacting the ICETE Consultation Directorate at: consultation2009@icete-edu.org 

Be energised! Two distinguished international scholars will address the opening sessions of the 2009 ICETE Consultation in Hungary in October. Bishop Hwa Yung, Board Chair of the Oxford Centre for Mission Studies (OCMS) in Oxford UK, and Bishop of the Methodist Church of Malaysia, will give the keynote address on the Consultation theme: “Energising Community: Theological Education’s Relational Mandate”. Following him will be Professor Henri Blocher of France, President of the Fellowship of European Evangelical Theologians (FEET), and Professor at the Faculté Libre de Théologie Evangélique in France, speaking on “Theological Education’s Relational Mandate: Warrants, Risks and Limitations”.

Among others to address the Consultation in plenary sessions will be: Daniel Bourdanné of Chad, General Secretary of the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students (IFES); David Baer, President of Overseas Council in the United States; Joseph Shao of the Philippines, General Secretary of the Asia Theological Association (ATA); Manuel Reaño of Peru, Rector of the Seminario Biblico de Colombia; and Riad Kassis of Lebanon, professor at the Arab Baptist Theological Seminary in Beirut. The event will also provide participants with multiple occasions for networking, cross-pollination, reflection and engagement with other theological educators from around the world. More information about the 2009 ICETE Consultation is available on the ICETE website at: www.icete-edu.org/news 

Additions to the ICETE Family

ICETE is delighted to welcome two more international ministries to participation in the ICETE family as ICETE Associates.

• Wycliffe International is the association that links Wycliffe’s Bible translation ministries around the world, with entities in nearly 40 countries. Wycliffe has been partnering for some years with theological schools, especially in the majority world, in advanced-level preparation of translation practitioners. See more information at www.wycliffe.net 
• Evangelical Training Database (ETD) makes available on the web a global database of evangelical ministry training opportunities. The database already includes reference to over 1700 courses. Searches can be done by subject, country, course level, keyword, and language. The website is at: www.trainforchrist.org 

News and Events

• The Annual Meeting of the Association for Biblical Higher Education (ABHE) in North America will be held 22-24 February 2009 in Orlando, USA. The theme for the event is “Engaging Culture through Biblical Thinking”. J.P. Moreland, Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at Biola University, will address the opening session. The programme will include workshop topics such as: “Facilitating a Board Infrastructure Audit”; “Educating Students for Collaboration”; “Stress-Proofing Your Ministry”; and “Management Principles for Presidents and Deans”. ABHE’s Executive Director is Ralph Enlow. Further information is available at: www.abhe.org
   
• The Caribbean Evangelical Theological Association (CETA) will hold its biannual consultation in Curepe, Trinidad, 16-20 March 2009. The event will be opened by Dr Las Newman, incoming President of the Caribbean Graduate School of Theology, speaking on: “Understanding Today’s World.” Dieumeme Noelliste, CETA’s current President, will close the consultation with an address on “Strengthening Theological Education through Partnerships.” Also participating in the programme will be Paul Sanders, ICETE’s International Director. A pre-conference seminar will focus on “Resource Development for Caribbean Theological Education.” Further information is available at: www.cetaweb.info
   
• The Accrediting Council for Theological Education in Africa (ACTEA) is partnering with Global Associates for Transformational Education (GATE) in sponsoring a series of specialised professional development workshops for faculty of theological schools in Africa. The first ACTEA-sponsored GATE workshops will take place in East Africa in March 2009. Additional workshops are anticipated in Southern Africa and West Africa later. GATE is an ICETE Affiliate ministry that addresses quality issues associated with ministry leadership training worldwide. Its faculty workshops in other parts of the world have been enthusiastically received. For further information about the ACTEA faculty workshops, contact: drstephanieblack@gmail.com
   
• The South Pacific Association of Bible Colleges (SPABC) will be meeting for its 23rd biannual conference 6-9 July 2009 in Adelaide, Australia. Principal speakers will be Greg Clarke, addressing the interaction between gospel and culture as this affects theological education; and Rod Thompson reflecting on a holistic approach to theological education. John Sweetman, SPABC President and Principal of Queensland Baptist College of Ministry, will lead a “Principals Retreat” as part of the events. Further information on the conference will be available at: www.biblecollege.sa.edu.au 

Opportunities and Resources

• Invitation for guest lecturers. Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary—Charlotte (USA), an ICETE Affiliate institution, is interested in involving faculty from ICETE-related institutions as adjunct lecturers when they are available in the United States for long or short periods of time (even as one-session guest lecturers). The GCTS students and faculty are eager to benefit from qualified national and missionary professors in any theological and ministry discipline. Communication about interest and availability can be sent to the dean’s office at the Charlotte campus via pnielsen@gcts.edu
   
• New academic journal and book series. The International Institute for Religious Freedom (IIRF), an affiliate of the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA), announces both a new academic journal and a new book series. The International Journal for Religious Freedom (IJRF) is a biannual publication offering scholarly discourse on issues of religious freedom and religious persecution. The journal is interdisciplinary, international, peer reviewed, and includes research articles, book reviews and academic news. Instructions for submissions, and for subscriptions, are available on the IIRF website, at: www.iirf.eu   A free online version of the journal is also available through the same site. IIRF also announces its new book project, the Religious Freedom Series. The first title released is by Charles Tieszen, Re-Examining Religious Persecution: Constructing a Theological Framework for Understanding Persecution. Details and ordering information are available on the IIRF website.

About ICETE

ICETE is a global community, sponsored by eight regional associations of theological schools, to facilitate collaboration worldwide for excellence and renewal in evangelical theological education. The eight sponsoring associations together cover all parts of the world, with a combined constituency of more than 872 evangelical theological schools in 113 countries. This represents globally a combined student population of more than one hundred thousand persons in preparation for church leadership roles, predominantly in the majority world. ICETE was established in 1980, and functions in affiliation with the World Evangelical Alliance.

ICETE Officers—Chair: Sergiy Sannikov (Ukraine); Director: Paul Sanders (Lebanon);
Associate Director: Douglas Carew (Kenya); Deputy Director: Paul Bowers (USA)

ICETE Council of Reference—Rolf Hille (Germany); Emilio Nuñez (Guatemala);
Chris Wright (UK); Wilson Chow (Hong Kong); Doug Birdsall (USA); Peter Kuzmič (Croatia)

for further information, or to contact ICETE, go to:
www.icete-edu.org

Strengthening evangelical theological education
through international cooperation

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