Theological News On-Line

Issue 25 February 2004	'Promoting Biblical Truth by Networking Theologians'

Published by Theological Commission of the World Evangelical Alliance

Editor: David Parker dparker@pacific.net.au
email distribution: Dr.Paul C. Murdoch Murdoch@ead.de

Welcome to WEA Theological News On-Line - this is the on-line version of our printed quarterly, WEA Theological News (ISSN 0260-3705). WEA TN On-Line is issued approximately monthly. The content of the printed and on-line versions overlap but are not identical. We also publish Evangelical Review of Theology. For more information, visit our website http://www.worldevangelical.org/tcpubs.html#ert

We welcome news reports on theological matters for both versions - they can cover theological institutions, conferences, publications, faculty, trends and developments, etc. of interest to evangelical theologians around the world.

For more information on the work of the Theological Commission, contact the Executive Chair, Dr Rolf Hille at rolf.hille@albrecht-bengel-haus.de

In this issue:

•  Death of leading China watcher - Dr Jonathan Chao
•  Versatile Indian Leader honoured with Festschrift to mark his retirement
•  Biblical alternatives to Market Economy presented at World Economic Forum
•  Training in Islam for Nigerian Theological Schools
•  Middle Eastern pastors meet in historic gathering in Jordan
•  ICETE leadership meets to implement new vision

Death of leading China Watcher - Dr Jonathan Chao.

Dr Jonathan Chao, founder of China Ministries International which incorporates the Chinese Church Research Center, died on Jan 12 in USA at the age of 65 after battling cancer. The son of a Presbyterian minister, he was born in China in 1938, and raised in Japan but moved to USA in his youth. With an early call to missionary work, he graduated from Westminister Theological Seminary (MDiv) and the University of Pennsylvania (PhD). He foresaw the needs for Christian leadership in China when it opened up more to the outside following the Cultural Revolution and took many initiatives in response, including the formation of organisations like the Chinese Church Research Center. He travelled very frequently to China ministering especially with the house-church movement providing Bible study and leadership training, often at great personal risk. Widely regarded as the premier Chinese theologian of the 20th century, he lectured extensively in Asia and USA, and wrote many articles and books, including A History of Christianity in Socialist China, 1949-1997 (1998).

One of the many organisations that he helped found is China Graduate School of Theology in Hong Kong www.cgst.edu. The President, Dr Wilson Chow (a member of the WEA Theological Commission) has written an appreciation of Dr Chao, which includes the following:

The death of Jonathan Chao saddens us deeply. His life, however, continues to shine and evokes in our heart a joy of celebration and thanksgiving, for his was a life of unreserved dedication to the Kingdom of God with a single-minded focus of developing contextual theology and theological education in China. He will always be remembered by colleagues and students at the China Graduate School of Theology as one of the founding fathers. He was in fact the vision bearer at the early stage in the founding of the school. CGST is deeply indebted to his vision, his leadership and tireless labor for the laying of a solid foundation, without which CGST can hardly be what it is today. His unwavering commitment to evangelical theology, his three-fold vision for China - evangelization of China, Christianization of Chinese culture, and the Kingdomization of the Chinese church - will remain a constant inspiration to all of us at CGST, and we thank God for giving us the privilege to have worked closely with him for the cause of Chinese theological education.

For more details, go to:

•  www.cmi.org.tw/english/echao.htm
•  www.wts.edu/news/chao-obit.html

Versatile Indian Leader honoured with Festschrift to mark his retirement

Dr Ken Gnanakan, founder of ACTS Ministries, theologian, educator and evangelist has been honoured with a Festschrift to mark his retirement. It was presented to him on the occasion of the celebrations marking the 25th anniversary of ACTS Ministries in Bangalore, India held on Jan 7, 2004.

The 516 page book was published by Theological Book Trust, and is priced at Rs 150/-. It is titled Work, Worship and Witness which is the philosophy and motto of ACTS. It contains 26 articles contributed by his friends and associates from India and abroad, arranged in four sections - Work, Worship, Witness and Other essays. It also includes a brief biography of the subject, and a lists his contributions and writings. Five of his close colleagues have shared the editing: Brian Wintle, E. James, J.B. Jeyaraj, P.M. Raj and Richard Gnanakan.

The editorial includes this tribute:

"This book is a collection of essays, published in honour of someone who has made an outstanding contribution to the Church in India and beyond. A majority of the essays dwells on the three components of the motto of ACTS Institute - Work, Worship and Witness. But in addition there are essays that have been included in recognition of the wide range of interests of Dr. Ken Gnanakan, varying from music and its usefulness in worship, to the environment and out stewardship of it to drawing and painting and other forms of art that add beauty to our lives"

Dr Gnanakan is Vice-Chairman of the WEA Theological Commission and has been involved in several of its study units over a period of almost 20 years. His now working on a publication and study materials on environmental stewardship. He was also Chairman and then Secretary of Asian Theological Association for 20 years.

Biblical Alternatives to Market Economy presented at World Economic Forum

Davos, January 23 (idea) ­ Evangelicals in Switzerland have proposed a new economic world order based on biblical principles. The Swiss Evangelical Alliance and the United Bible Groups (UBG) & SHY, a ministry focused on the academic world, have published their proposals during the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, January 21 - 25, 2004.

"Partnering for Prosperity and Security" was this year's theme for the more than 2,000 participants from 94 countries, including national leaders, corporate executives, financiers and economists. Swiss evangelicals are pressing for far-reaching and sustainable reforms. The current economic system has lost its credibility, says the Alliance.

Corporate consultant Thomas Giudici, Basel, believes that it is necessary to turn away from an economy driven solely by competition and the profit maximization. Economic activity should be rooted in the concept of God's creation and pursue liberty, justice and human dignity as its core values. Giudici points out that Christian principles have enabled the Western industrial nations to achieve economic success.

The United Bible Groups claim that a globalized market economy has turned into an 'ersatz religion'. Whoever dares to remonstrate against it is branded a 'sectarian'. 'The predominance of economic thinking in all spheres of life runs against the idea that life should be determined by faith', according to the director of the UBG-Institute, Hanspeter Schmutz.

The institute has published proposals for a 'divine economic order', based on the Old Testament. The Pentateuch, for example, contained ample economic instructions, which point to a 'third way' between capitalism and Marxism, according to the Swiss evangelicals.

Evangelical news agency idea. Wolfgang Polzer
Tel: +49-6441-915102, Fax: +49-6441-915118
e-mail: Wolfgang.Polzer@idea.de
Internet: www.idea.de
 Postal address: idea, PO Box 1820, 35528 Wetzlar, Germany

(Editor's Note: The papers referred to above are available on request - but only in German)

ACTEA Present Strategic Training Workshop on Islam in Nigeria

ACTEA (Accrediting Council for Theological Education in Africa) is sponsoring a workshop to train church leaders in understanding Islam, recognized as one of the biggest issues facing the church in Nigeria. It will be held 16-18 April, 2004 at the Miango Conference Centre, Miango, Plateau State. However, due to space limitations, participation is strictly limited to theological schools in Nigeria.

ACTEA believes that one of the most strategic ways for the Church to address the Muslim challenge is to train the trainers: that is, to equip with knowledge and resources those who are currently training the Church's future pastors and missionaries. All those who are teaching about Islam in theological colleges, Bible institutes, and missionary training schools are 'enthusiastically' invited to participate.

The conference will be an intensive time of training using highly qualified facilitators and providing the best resources. It will feature Walter Eric General Team Leader of Life Challenge Africa, a ministry that focuses on equipping the African Church to meet the Muslim challenge, who brings to the conference over 20 years of rich experience in evangelism among African Muslims and as a resource person in seminars and training of trainers courses across the continent and beyond.

It will also feature Dr Christof Sauer, a missions theologian specialising in Christian-Muslim relations in Africa as well as the challenge of suffering persecution and martyrdom.

Each participant will return to his school equipped with a full set of quality resources for future study, for use as instructional media, and for library reference material. They include a videotape series, books and CD-ROM disks. Normally, the cost of this resource package alone would more than double the cost of the conference, but these resources will given to each conferee without additional charge. Beyond these resources, other valuable books on Islam for personal and school libraries will be made available at discounted cost from Africa Christian Textbooks and Life Challenge Africa.

Advance registration is required. For more information contact Accrediting Council for Theological Education in Africa PMB 2009 Jos, Plateau State, or email: chilver-tcec@hisen.org

Middle Eastern Pastors Meet For the First Time in Historic Gathering in Jordan

More than 100 Christian pastors from 14 countries, including Iraq, Syria, and a dozen other Middle East countries, have been able to meet for the first time ever -- face-to-face, sharing meals, prayers and encouragement. RREACH International and the Jordan Evangelical Theological Seminary (JETS) co-hosted and sponsored the historic and diverse gathering -- a pastors' training conference held in Wadi Mousa. "This is the first time I have seen anything like this attempted," said one pastor.

Nearly 100 pastors were selected from 14 countries to learn from leaders with experience working with diverse groups. The main seminar presented a method of biblical preaching by Dallas Theological Seminary Professor and President of RREACH International Dr. Ramesh Richard. "Front-line shepherds toil in the Middle East without seeing immediate, large, and measurable indices of ministry success. These peer level heroes taught me how to wait for eternal returns on sacrificial investment under difficult conditions" Richard said. In addition, the pastors heard lectures from JETS President, Dr. Imad Shehadeh, and several faculty members. Topics included the role of theological education, the Trinity, conflict management, and Arabs in the Bible.

The highlight of the week was when pastors silently joined Richard on their knees for a final, prayerful recommitment to the ministry and the structure that God had created for each one. "This conference affirmed that the Arab World is on the verge of a spiritual breakthrough after centuries of darkness," said Shehadeh.

Michael Ireland, ASSIST News Service
Religion Today Summaries - February 5, 2004
www.crosswalk.com/news/

ICETE Leadership Meets to Implement Vision

ICETE leadership will be meeting 19-22 March 2004 to discuss the practical implementation of vision for ICETE's future. The meetings, to take place in Orlando (FL) USA, will include both the ICETE Executive Committee and the ICETE Board. Hosting the event will be the ICETE Chair for 2003-04, Dr Larry McKinney, executive director of ABHE (North America). The group will engage in detailed consideration of how best to deploy ICETE's resources in follow-up to the ICETE Consultation 2003 and the findings of the special ICETE Board meeting held before the Consultation.

The ICETE governing board has adopted a new mission statement for ICETE. The action came during a special expanded Board Colloquium, held in August 2003 immediately prior to the recent ICETE International Consultation. The Colloquium undertook a comprehensive review of ICETE's programmes and goals, and agreed to a draft statement of vision for ICETE's future. Participating were two delegates from each member association, as well as ICETE officers and executive staff. The agenda included a SWOT analysis (assessing strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) and an updating of an ICETE vision statement from 1996. ICETE's new mission statement reads as follows:

"ICETE is a global community sponsored by eight continental/regional networks of theological schools. The mission of ICETE is to promote excellence and renewal in evangelical theological education worldwide by cultivating community and facilitating collaboration among its constituent associations and related entities."

ICETE Newsletter January 2004
icete@att.net

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