Further to my first report of the Baptist International Conference on Theological Education (BICTE) in Prague, I wanted to encourage Baptist theological educators to plan to attend the next one. There is no date set but seven have been held (for the last few decades) every five years making the next one around 2013.
I say this because approximately 120 people attended in Prague and I think there are many more Baptist theological educators in Baptist and interdenominational seminaries around the world than this! Also, because I discovered there were many theological educators that I wrote to earlier this year who did not know of the Prague conference and many had not heard of ‘BICTE’.
The papers are stimulating and the networking and friendship making (with people in your own region and in other parts of the world) is invaluable.
I especially found this a useful time for sharing something of the vision of Theologians Without Borders and discussing how this might be done in different parts of the world.
In particular I enjoyed meeting up with people who were freelance seminary teachers and helping others to do the same as what I am doing! Stan Slade is one of these people. He is a global consultant for theological education, having served as a visiting professor for leadership training ministries throughout Iberoamerica. Especially with American Baptists, Stan coordinates others to strengthen the work of training and he serves as a theological consultant.
When I heard Stan speak I sensed we were kindred spirits to whom God had given a similar vision. Judging by his journal jottings on BICTE it seems that he felt the same.
I am going to keep an eye on his site, especially the pages on short term, volunteer global opportunities. Stan and I are going to learn more of what each other is doing and seek to find ways to cooperate and complement the ministries that we represent.
Do check out the International Ministries site and bookmark it as a favorite or subscribe to the regular dispatches.
Dr Geoff Pound
(Chair, Coordinating Committee, TWB-a ministry of the BWA)
Image: Dr Stan Slade