The most extensive, pervasive strategic error in the Christian tradition lies squarely in our coveted and generously supported, but unquestioned, concept of years of “schooling” as the way for leaders to develop and be trained ….In this country and abroad, every church movement which has come to depend solely upon residential school products for its ministry is dying.
Via: Sam Metcalf
I think this is true for traditional educational methods which involve removing the student from their current ministry environment and placing them in an institutional training model, with maybe a student placemnt in a church and culture they are unfamilier with.
I think the desired outcomes also have a large impact on the student and their ultimate success or failure in ministry (however that is measured). Training bodies that produce great academic thinkers generally speaking don’t produe world changing leaders.
There are a number of examples around the world (especially in the area of church planting) where the outcomes are much more practical and based where the students are. For example I was sharing with a missionarly friend of mine recently who told me about a college in india that trains church planters. The students don’t graduate unless they have successfully planted a church consisting of more than 50 members.
I don’t think organised training is wrong in itself, but I do think the western models we use are inherantly flawed. The outcomes are far to cerebal and not focussed on actually doing what it takes to raise other leaders and followers.
In Australia the denominations that are growing have access to (in some shape of form) church based training models either through becoming Registered Training Organisations themselves or through connecting with creativly minded colleges.
Jason, thanks for your input and for being a part of the solution here in Australia.
I like the word “solely” in Ralph’s quote. I also think Australia is leading the way with what ACOM: http://www.acom.edu.au/acom.php and Forge: http://www.forge.org.au are doing in reinventing ministry training and delivering it on the field. The Anglicans in Sydney also have an impressive leadership farm that integrates with formal theological training.
Come on Aussies, come on!
The rest of the world is also coming up with some effective solutions including the one you mention in Indonesia: http://www.steveaddison.net/2005/09/09/7-ways-to-reinvent-ministry-training.html
Keep up the great work with ACOM. Exciting to see the ministry growing all around Australia.
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