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

June 2009

Not too late

ICETE is pleased to report that it has been able to arrange a postponement of the deadline for registration for the ICETE International Consultation for Theological Educators. The deadline for registrations is now 31 August 2009. The Consultation is designed as an in-family event, for delegates from theological schools associated with one of ICETE’s member associations, or representatives from ICETE’s Associates and Affiliates. Guests will be accommodated on an invitation basis only, as circumstances permit. The event will be held in Sopron, Hungary, 5-9 October 2009. Vienna is the closest international airport. Space is increasingly limited, so those interested in attending should begin registration proceedings immediately. Further information about the Consultation is available on the web at: www.icete-edu.org/hungary/ , or by contacting: consultation2009@icete-edu.org 

PayPal now available

ICETE is also pleased to announce new global facilities for payment of registration and participant fees for the ICETE 2009 Consultation. Those eligible for registration will now be able to make payments over the web from anywhere in the world, using the facilities of PayPal. Information about access is available during the registration process. For further information, contact: consultation2009@icete-edu.org

Becoming energised

The theme for ICETE’s 2009 Consultation is: Energising Community: Theological Education’s Relational Mandate. Comments from around the world include: “I like the look of this theme very much”; “a very relevant theme”; “this theme holds enormous significance”; “exquisite”; “wow!”; “both relevant and timely”; “it may run contrary to modern academic culture, but it needs to be addressed”; “this theme is strategic for Kingdom ends!”

Plenary presentations, interaction, seminars and workshops will probe such questions as: In what sense might community be considered a mandated priority for theological schools? What are the warrants, and the limitations? How might a theological college best embody biblical community in its institutional culture? How might our students be better equipped in relational skills for ministry? How shall we enhance meaningful community among our theological schools? How might theological schools best promote community within their own social context?

Becoming equipped

Two specialist tracks will be featured each afternoon among the array of workshops and seminars on offer during the 2009 Consultation. The first track will be led by the distinguished speaker and author, Dr Michael Schluter, who heads the research and advocacy Jubilee Centre in Cambridge UK. Dr Schluter is widely known for two best sellers that he authored, The R Factor, and The R Option, which explore the application of biblical relational values within the modern social context. He was awarded a CBE by Queen Elizabeth earlier this year. Dr Schluter’s workshop sessions will develop the theme: “Seeing Theological Education through a Relational Lens.”

The second special workshop track of the Consultation will be led by Dr Duane Elmer, Distinguished Professor of Educational Studies at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in the United States. Dr Elmer is well-known in ICETE circles for the acclaimed training events for theological faculty that he and other members of Global Associates for Transformational Education (GATE) have been organising for theological faculty in different parts of the world. Under the theme: “Practicing Relational Intelligence in Theological Education,” the workshop will explore how teaching practices can build community, the importance of emotional intelligence in the educational experience, and how relational values might be deployed in on-line learning.

Expanding the community

ICETE is pleased to welcome into ICETE Associate status two international bodies supportive of global evangelical theological education. Wycliffe International is the network that links Wycliffe ministries around the world. In many parts of the majority world Wycliffe has been actively partnering with theological schools in providing training for emerging Bible translators. Also taking up ICETE Associate status is Theological Book Network (TBN), well known within the ICETE family for its welcome and generous ministry of book distribution for theological libraries in the majority world.

Essential reading

The text of an extraordinary paper given at the last ICETE Consultation is now available on ICETE’s website. The paper, titled “Addressing the ‘North–South’ Divide: Issues in Global Theological Education”, is by Chris Wright, International Director of Langham Partnership International. Paul Sanders, ICETE’s International Director, says of this presentation: “This is among the most remarkable reflections available today on the status and prospects of contemporary evangelical theological education viewed globally. Theological educators everywhere would benefit from carefully pondering its content, and faculty would profit from organised interaction with its implications.” The text is now to be found on the web at: www.icete-edu.org/resource/

Community resources

Theological educators, theological students, and librarians at theological colleges may want to take note of four journals oriented to their particular interests. Several may not yet be widely known. All originate from within the ICETE family.

•  The Theological Educator is the official journal of the European network for evangelical theological schools, EEAA. Published since 2005, each issue of TTE includes news about theological schools in Europe, a major article on theological education, a presentation on the practice of theological education, and reviews of relevant books. Issued twice yearly, TTE is available free on the web at: www.eeaa.org/tte.htm, and also available by subscription. For further information, contact: office@eeaa.org
   
•  The journal Theological Reflections, published by the association for theological schools in Euro-Asia, E-AAA, is designed to acquaint the Christian community with contemporary evangelical theological reflection in that part of the world. As such it plays a unique role. Articles appear in both English and Russian. The journal is published twice a year. The annual subscription of US$20 includes international postage. For further information, or to subscribe, contact: tdyatlik@gmail.com 
   
•  Asia Theological Association (ATA) publishes the Journal of Asian Evangelical Theology, designed to promote informed theological reflection in the Asian context. Further information is available at www.ataasia.com, or by contacting ataasia@gmail.com 
   
•  The Association for Biblical Higher Education (ABHE), based in North America, publishes the Biblical Higher Education Journal. The journal serves as a forum for dialogue, research and analysis on topics and trends relevant to biblical higher education. Issues are annual, and must be ordered individually each year. The next issue will be released in 2010. Back issues are available at $6 per issue, including shipping. Address inquiries to info@abhe.org

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. The student population represented is in excess of a hundred thousand in preparation for church leadership roles, predominantly in the majority world. ICETE was established in 1980, and functions as a global partner within 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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