Mobile phones have been around for a while. So have mobile homes and mobile offices. More recently, many have got mobile computers (laptops, PDAs), mobile games, mobile televisions, mobile computing and mobile archives.
In terms of business services there are now mobile commerce services that come to your home, mobile hairdressers, mobile podiatrists and when I was visiting my parents, who should pull up outside but the very popular mobile butcher (pictured).
Mobile Seminaries
In this mobile age many people prefer that the seminary (or at least a part of it) come to them.
Mobile College: Check out at this link on how Morling College operates a mobile seminary in which teachers run courses in the churches of New South Wales, Australia.
Off-Campus Classes in Church Leadership are a variation on the theme. These are run by the Union of Indonesian Baptist Churches in areas that do not have any Baptist Seminary.
The teachers are called ‘Flying Teachers’ and classes are held at someone’s house or a church. Teachers who come from other countries usually will stay for a week. The students are church leaders, not new believers. Payment of tuition fees is by instalment, whenever they have money. The organisers (and teachers) often have to help to find a place for the students to sleep because they come from different areas.
Do let us know of creative ways that you are mobile-ising your seminary.
Dr Geoff Pound
Image: My parents’ mobile butcher whose motto may be, ‘we come to meat you.’