OC, for example, is working directly with the ministry of religious affairs to seek their support for the offering of a master’s degree that would provide for a cohort of qualified faculty to teach on the undergraduate level; and further, they are seeking government support for an external accreditation for this program. Additionally, they will be providing in-service training to develop effective academic administrators – with a particular focus in this coming year on the role of the academic dean.

reSource will complement the work of our OC colleagues by working on the following fronts:

• Assist with the development of two newer seminaries: the Methodist seminary based in downtown Havana, which will serve the largest “open” or government recognized denomination in the country; and an interdenominational seminary in the eastern part of the country that will serve the house churches in that region, aiming for start-up in the Fall of 2011.
• reSource will focus attention on the question of theological libraries. Cuban theological education is significantly hampered by the limits of their library resources and working within the notable restrictions placed on them by the government. We will assist with the development of the libraries in at least four venues – two in Havana and two in eastern Cuba.

Working together, then, we anticipate that over the next five or so years, we will be able to assist the Cuban church in the following ways:

• The development of a qualified cohort of faculty, capable of teaching on the bachelors’ level, to serve each of the partner schools that both ourselves and OC partner with;
• The equipping of the academic leadership that will oversee these programmes in ministerial formation;
• The provision and development of quality theological resources – with a particular focus on four theological libraries that are part of these Bible institutes;
• Assisting with the start-up of new or potentially new theological schools, while continuing to provide support for schools that we have been assisting to date;
• Addressing questions of accreditation and academic accountability – particularly for the Master’s programme.

We appreciate and need your prayers; if we are successful, we have the capacity to make a major impact on the growth of the church in Cuba.

And we deeply value your investment in the ministry of reSource as we partner with our OC colleagues to make a strategic impact in this country.

Just back from an extraordinary week in Vietnam: As many of you who follow our ministry know, I have been very keen to explore possibilities of an accredited theological college in Hanoi; but following this visit I have had to conclude that this is not likely to happen any time soon. But we are very encouraged with developments in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

First, we are so very pleased with developments at the Institute for Bible and Theology, the theological college of the Tin Lanh Church (Christian & Missionary Alliance) which is officially registered with the government. They have lovely new facilities on the outskirts of the city and have now moved their classes to this new campus which is still under construction. They have over 200 students, most in residence; their instructors are senior pastors in the Tin Lanh church. Their most urgent need is for a viable library to support their curriculum and the teaching of the faculty.



Second, it was particularly thrilling to meet with 21 house church leaders representing 14 denominations; after a series of consultations formal agreements have been signed to establish an interdenominational theological college to serve the needs of these churches for pastoral training and theological education. This meeting was an extraordinary display of church unity and collaboration.

And third, we have an agreement with Penny Hall, who serves with BETH (European theological library association) and who speaks fluent Vietnamese to assist us but especially to assist each of the schools that is being developed in Vietnam with the acquisition of library resources. Penny was in Vietnam in October and then again in January and will likely return later this year to advise, advocate and assist with everything from library collection development to librarian training; she is also advising us on how we can best work with other agencies such as the Theological Book Network to develop adequate theological resources to support these programs.

Finally, I had a wonderful meeting with a group of emerging scholars; each of them had studied outside the country completing a graduate degree – in Thailand, Singapore or the Philippines. They spoke good English and each obviously had a passion to serve their country and their church. It was a highlight for me to get a sense of the next generation of potential scholars and teachers for the church in Vietnam. But it will take time before they can fully express their gifts and passion for teaching. The senior leaders in the Tin Lanh church are hesitant to affirm young scholars; and other options are limited due to government restrictions for new theological colleges. But I spoke to them about the need for patience, about taking whatever opportunities come their way, especially in the local church, and of the importance to keep on learning and growing in their faith.

Please continue to pray for Vietnam; and thank you to each of you who have supported our ministry in this strategic country.

I write these words just as I conclude a visit to Cuba. And I am, again, so impressed that each school I visit is urgently in need of good theological resources. While we have always recognized the importance of libraries – my predecessor, Bill Armerding, was a catalyst for library development in Colombia, Jamaica, the Ukraine, Poland and elsewhere – the last few years, beginning with Romania, Haiti and Vietnam have powerfully demonstrated for us just how urgent it is that we attend to the question of library development.

We have therefore secured the expert advise of senior professional librarians, with international experience, to partner more closely with us and with our partner schools to help them do the very best job possible in this difficult task: developing libraries in an internet and digital age that support teaching-learning programs around the world.

Resources are limited – and we are keen to get the best possible benefit from the resources we have. Further, in such places as Vietnam and Cuba, government restrictions present significant obstacles – in Cuba, for example, restricting the entry of books that are viewed as remotely threatening the authority of the government. And yet it may be that the strongest obstacle is that we need to sustain a commitment to good theological scholarship, an essential foundation for good education and effective ministry.

What do we need? Yes, we must help with the development of the collection – the books that the students will be reading as they pursue their studies and that the faculty will use for their research and in support of their teaching. And further, this challenge includes helping schools secure the internet and digital resources that are essential for a good library. But more, a library needs to be housed properly so that it is accessible to its users.

And, perhaps most critical of all, a library needs a qualified librarian who can manage the collection, work with faculty to develop the resources, help students use the library effectively and serve as a key resource in the teaching-learning process of the seminary.

And this means that library development includes investing in the people who will manage these libraries.

For collection development, we are very pleased with the Theological Book Network in Grand Rapids, Michigan, an agency that has a particular commitment and capacity to build library collections.

This will be an on-going theme for us. We are working on numerous fronts to respond to the challenge and the opportunity that is before us.