The distinguished international scholar Philip Jenkins, author of the widely-acclaimed The Next Christendom: The Coming of Global Christianity (Oxford, 2002), will be a principal speaker at the forthcoming ICETE International Consultation 2006. Jenkins will be addressing the Consultation's theme: Global Christianity and the Role of Theological Education. Also addressing crucial aspects of the Consultation theme in plenary sessions will be: Carver Yu, professor of dogmatics at China Graduate School of Theology in Hong Kong; Chris Wright, Ministries Director of John Stott's Langham Partnership International; and Carlos Pinto, Rector of the Seminario Biblico Palavra da Vida, in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Through multiple publications and presentations Philip Jenkins has in recent years almost single-handedly 'mainstreamed' into the secular academic and media worlds a growing awareness that Christianity has become a truly global faith, and one now with a decidedly 'southern' tilt. Jenkins holds a PhD from the University of Cambridge, UK, and is presently a professor of history and religious studies in the United States. He has authored or edited more than 20 books. [An abbreviated essay summation of Jenkins' remarkable The Next Christendom is available on the web at: http://chronicle.com/free/v48/i29/29b00701.htm]
Additional participants in the Consultation programme will include, among others: Dieumeme Noelliste of the Caribbean Graduate School of Theology in Jamaica; Douglas Carew of the Nairobi Graduate School of Theology in Kenya; and Brian Stiller, President of Tyndale University College & Seminary in Canada.
ICETE's 2006 International Consultation for Theological Educators will take place 07-11 August 2006 at facilities in Chiang Mai, Thailand. (Note that this represents a change of venue from Singapore, reported in the January 2005 ICETE newsletter.) The ICETE Consultation is intended for the ICETE constituency throughout the world. Available space will be limited, so priority will be given to representatives from schools affiliated with one of the eight continental associations that make up the ICETE family, namely ACTEA, AETAL, ATA, ABHE, CETA, EEAA, E-AAA, and SPABC. The composite Consultation participation fee per individual will be US$450 (covering registration, accommodation, meals, etc.). Travel and related expenses are the responsibility of the individual or the sponsoring institution. Any school that is formally linked to one of the ICETE member associations listed above will be eligible for a 50% discount on the Consultation fee, for up to two delegates per institution. Guests or observers will be accommodated on an invitation basis as space is available. Since space will be limited, those interested in attending the Consultation should begin registration proceedings immediately, by contacting the ICETE Consultation Directorate at: [email protected]
The 2006 ICETE Consultation will focus on the emerging global character of Christianity and the implications of this for theological education. Since by its nature theological education is meant to serve the church, the fact that the Christian community is now global necessarily affects the shaping of our theological education. The 2006 Consultation is designed to assist theological educators around the world in reflecting on the nature this new framework, in addressing together its implications, and in understanding ourselves freshly within this context of service.
For example, how might this new reality of global Christianity become better reflected in the objectives and curriculum of our individual institutions? Are we intentionally forming "global Christians"? How shall we deal with the north/south issues in global evangelical theological education? And what might serving not just a local church but also a global church entail in practical terms?
ICETE now represents the point of cooperative intersection among a formal constituency of more than seven hundred evangelical theological colleges and seminaries throughout the world, predominantly in the developing world (and with an estimated combined student community in excess of 60,000). Many of these are the principal evangelical institutions in their parts of the world. How we deal with the now global nature of the Christian community, and particularly with its increasingly non-western character, will prove vital to the future of evangelical theological education around the world.
ICETE's event in 2006 will thus represent a singular opportunity for theological educators from all parts of the world to engage these larger issues collectively for mutual benefit, furthering their shared commitment in preparing biblically-based church leadership adequate to the variant needs and opportunities of the global evangelical community in the 21st Century. In addition to plenary sessions on the Consultation theme, the programme format provides for seminars, workshops, and roundtable discussions on other areas of interest. Intending participants should be prepared for rich stimulation, interaction, reflection and fellowship.
For a quarter century now ICETE's Consultations have functioned as a principal international forum for professional reflection and interaction among evangelical theological educators throughout the world. The first ICETE Consultation took place in Hoddesdon, UK, in 1980. Subsequent consultations have taken place in: Chongoni, Malawi; Seoul, Korea; Wheaton, USA; Bangkok, Thailand; Katydata, Cyprus; and Unterweissach, Germany. In recent years the events have been held on a triennial basis; the most recent Consultation was at High Wycombe, UK, in 2003.