The June 11 post was a condensed version of this paper: Theological Education as Formation in Wisdom.

One of the recurrent themes that theological educators discuss is the question of fragmentation and unity to the theological school and the curriculum. Ever since Edward Farley published his seminal book in the 1980s, “The Fragmentation of Theological Education,” there has been a vibrant discussion of what might unify and integrate a seminary.

Many of course assume that what unites theological education is “training pastors.” And while this might at first seem both obvious and compelling – aren’t seminaries about preparing pastors for churches? – certain things are lost when theological formation is reduced to training for ministry. It so easily becomes one-dimensional and short-sighted; skills development that is suitable for one situation may not translate into another. And when a theological school is preparing women and men for a lifetime of active service and leadership, perhaps something deeper and broader needs to anchor the curriculum and the mission of the theological school.

At the Asia Theological Association conference held in Manila, Philippines, in May of 2011, I gave two presentations in which I suggested that one of the most compelling perspectives to emerge in this conversation is the proposal that theological education be viewed as, fundamentally, formation in wisdom. While there might certainly be other ways to view the mission of a seminary, “formation in wisdom” has the potential to anchor and integrate the work of the faculty, the administration and all who are invested in forming women and men for leadership in the church and in society, while serving as a guide, goal and inspiration for the students.

Skills and the capacity for ministry certainly matter; students do need to be competent in the essential practices of pastoral ministry and apostolic leadership. They need to know how to preach. Yet skills mean little and can actually be destructive if they are not anchored in biblical wisdom. And while the students who graduate from a seminary may be far from wise, in all their youth, surely the program of a theological seminary should be oriented towards establishing the patterns and foundations for a lifetime of growth in wisdom. We long for wise leaders in all dimensions of life and society, and we certainly long for this in the church.

A vision for formation in wisdom would include the following affirmations and perspectives:

• That what defines our understanding of wisdom is the Triune God – for all truth and understanding comes from God, is embodied in the person of Christ and is formed in our lives through the gracious ministry of the Spirit;
• That nothing is so critical to formation in wisdom as immersion in the Scriptures, but that wisdom also comes from learning from wise teachers who have shaped the life and witness of previous centuries of the church, most notably the early church fathers;
• That there is no wisdom without knowledge and no knowledge without teaching, and that therefore teaching and learning are central to the life and ministry of the church (indeed, the church is a teaching-learning community);
• That wisdom includes formation in what we might call “moral intelligence”, or training in righteousness, which includes at the very least character with regard to sexuality, speech and issues of finance and economic justice; and, finally,
• That wisdom includes the capacity for discernment and the ability to choose well (that is, wisely).
  

Of course, wisdom is not an end in itself; it is and must be but a dimension of our participation in the life of Christ. We seek to grow in wisdom because we are “in Christ.” Further, wisdom is clearly also a priority for any congregation, not just the seminary. True. Thus the work of a theological seminary is to foster growth in wisdom, so that seminary graduates can be catalysts for growth in wisdom within the church, teachers and preachers of the Word and of the Gospel of Christ Jesus, with this as an essential dimension of their vision for ministry.

It has been our practice in recent years to identify one day a year as the “reSource Day of Prayer” – a day when as a board and staff we set aside time for focused intercession for the ministry of reSource, our partner schools and our supporters. We invite you to remember reSource in your own prayers and ask you to consider keeping us in your prayers at all times, but particularly on this day – Monday, February 28.

The following represents our ongoing intercessory points of interest, concern and thus prayer:

(1) reSource focus projects and ministries in the first half of 2011

Two theological seminaries in Cuba: the Methodist Seminary in Havana and the newly established Konrad Grebel Seminary in Holguin. Pray in particular for those providing oversight for these schools: Victor Gonzales at the Methodist Seminary and Gonzalo Grimal at the Konrad Grebel school.

In Vietnam, the Institute of Bible and Theology in Saigon, now a well-established theological school. Also, please remember the ongoing conversations about the potential launch of two new seminaries – a second seminary in Saigon to serve an interdenominational constituency and another in Hanoi.

For both Cuba and Vietnam, please pray for those giving attention to the development of theological resources and libraries for the seminaries in these countries – Mariel Voth in Cuba and Penny Hall in Vietnam.

Also, remember the good work being done in the following schools, and this year we are asking that the focus of your prayers be for those providing oversight for the schools:

• Pentecostal Theological Institute, Bucharest, Romania – Dr. Corneliu Constantineanu
• Baptist Theological Institute, Bucharest, Romania – Drs. Vasile Talpos and Daniel Maris
• Macau Bible Institute – Ellis Ip
• Baptist Institute of Bosnia – Tomislav Dobutovic
• Evangelical Seminary of Port-au-Prince (STEP) in Haiti – Dr. Jean Dorlus
  

While we are certainly in support of a number of additional schools, we are asking that these be the focus of your prayers in these months.

(2) reSource Board and its work of governance

Please remember the strategic work of our Board in overseeing the ministry of reSource. They meet twice a year to review the implementation of our mission and to monitor our financial well-being. In particular, remember the work of our Board Chair, Cal Buss.

(3) reSource Staff

Please remember our staff in your prayers – Catherine Doyle, who manages our office finance and communication; Melody Mazuk, who has recently been appointed to oversee library development (see a fuller presentation on her work on page 3), and our president, Gordon T. Smith. For Gordon, it would be very good if your prayers could give attention to the following: Upcoming site visits to our partner schools in Asia (Thailand, Vietnam, Macau and the Philippines), Cuba and then also a gathering of seminary leaders upcoming in late March in Costa Rica. In each case, there is a string of meetings with seminary, church and academic leaders, faculty and students. These visits include: assessment of the progress of our projects and support for these schools; mutual encouragement and specific counsel on what makes for good theological education; working with our supporters and financial contributors to present our ministry with a clear vision and, as God enables, a compelling case for why this ministry is so strategic to the work of God in the world today. Also, we appreciate your prayers for Gordon’s work as a scholar and writer; in March and April, he will be working on presentations he will be giving in Manila in May 2011 on the theme “Equipping Women and Men for Wise Leadership in the Church: Theological Education as Formation in Wisdom.”

(4) Financial Support for reSource

In your prayers, we ask that you would remember God’s provision of the financial means for reSource to continue its work of investing in the theological formation of leaders in the countries where God is currently enabling us to make a difference. We are deeply grateful for God’s provision through our supporters for “core support” for our operational costs and for the generous investment in a whole range of projects that are ongoing. Thank you for your support; thank you for your prayers. We depend on the prayers of those who believe in this ministry. And if we can pray for you, do not hesitate to give us a call – leave a message on the answering machine or drop us a note – snail mail or email. It would be a privilege to pray for you as you pray for us.