May 2023
Please Note
Please note that all articles posted on this website and downloadable in PDF format are
"Copyright 2023 Lutheran Society for Missiology. Used by permission."
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Inside This Issue
Theological Education for Pastoral-Missional Leadership; Andrew H. Bartelt
Abstract: Pastoral formation and theological education remain crucial issues for almost all church bodies. It has always been so, but the dramatic decline in seminary enrollment corresponds to a similar decline in church membership and attendance. What is important to the mission focus of this journal is the fact that many of the same social, cultural, religious, and economic factors that are affecting the institutional church structures in decline are also opening up a vast mission field, filled with opportunities and challenges.
Articles
Here We Stand; Here We Go!; Patrick T. Ferry
Abstract: In this commencement address delivered at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, MO, on May 20, 2022, Rev. Dr. Patrick Ferry compares the preparation at seminary to the foundation of our faith that Paul speaks about in Romans 5:1–2. He uses the analogy of preparing to run a race, by which we are “on our marks” and have been securely “set.” But now it’s time to “go!” He calls on seminary graduates—and all the church—to go, to go forward, to go forward into the mission field of today’s world.
“Here We Stand; Here We Go!”: An Interview with Pat Ferry
Abstract: In answering questions raised by his Commencement Address (published as the previous essay), Patrick Ferry unpacks some of the specific issues he touched upon, especially regarding pastoral formation for mission leadership in today’s world. In short, though grounded in the past, the mission is before us, and today’s context is not that of previous generations. Key areas of focus are evangelism and mission, education, and encouragement. Pastoral leaders need to understand the next generation, to be able to bridge to other cultures, to build relationships, and to present Christianity positively in a culture where we are no longer the “home team.”
Theological Education: What Does This Mean? What’s That?; Rich Carter
Abstract: The two basic questions in Luther’s Small Catechism—What does this mean? What is that?—frame this exploration of the significance of the words “theological” and “education.” In the field of education, various professional resources invite personal reflection, such as David Kolb’s learning cycle and Bloom’s taxonomy. Thus, this article asks, What are readers’ definitions and assumptions for the terms “theological” and “education”? Personal and professional choices regarding course work, the larger picture of a school’s curriculum, and the largest picture of what serves mission, are all part of the reflection invited in this article.
The Mission of the Church and Pastoral Formation, James Baneck
Abstract: How is The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) intentionally preparing men to be pastors for the mission of Christ’s Church, that is to shepherd those “from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages” (Rev 7:9)?
A “Conversation” about Seminary Formation for Mission Leadership, Andrew H. Bartelt
Abstract:Based on a review of curriculum and conversations with academic leaders, the author provides a summary of observations about the current formation programs of four North American seminaries, including his own thoughts, all in the spirit of contributions to this ongoing conversation. He notes, positively, what courses and practica are in place, but he also calls attention to the need for more urgency and creativity in dealing with the challenges of a declining church body in the face of an expanding mission field.
The Missio Dei Under the Southern Cross: Some Considerations, Acir Raymann
Abstract: This essay aims to present the history, challenges, and development of God’s mission in Brazil. These are some observations that come from a short and humble analysis of my alma mater, where I also had the privilege of teaching for the last fortyeight years. These observations also deal with the challenges and opportunities faced by seminarians in relation to theology and culture. Academic programming is an ongoing process and requires regular analysis and revision. New horizons may also illuminate the curriculum that can be amplified when we look at the proclamation of the officium proprium of Christ under the Southern Cross.
Theological Education for Ministerial Formation: An Indian Reading, Christu Das
Abstract:The word seminary comes from the Latin seminarium, meaning “seedbed” or “nursery,” where plants are nurtured before they are transplanted.1 Seminaries are like good soil for ministers-in-training: they support growth and maturation so that graduates can thrive within the church system upon their graduation. Seminaries are meant to train ministers of the Gospel. Therefore, those who train seminarians should have a clear perspective of the Gospel; that is, whatever they do, say, teach, and criticize should be in the interest of the Gospel.
The “End” of Seminary Education: Healthy and Flourishing Congregations, William Utech
Abstract: Historically, most American seminaries have not been overly or overtly concerned with the health and well-being of the congregations that receive their graduates as pastors. This lack of concern was born of these seminaries being founded under “Christendom,” wherein the dominant culture of the country affirmed and supported Christianity and her institutions. For seminaries, this meant a guaranteed “market” for their graduates. In these post-Christendom times, that luxury is gone, and seminaries must get better at raising up leaders who will shepherd congregations toward health and vitality.
The Challenges of Distance Theological Education, Douglas L. Rutt
Abstract: Distance models of theological education are here to stay. As a result of the pandemic, many seminaries, institutions and faculty members that approached it with derision, or at least a high degree of skepticism, were forced to experiment with distance models, making the best of it with the technology at hand. This has meant that more and more theological educators have had experience with distance learning and bring to the debate new experiences and insights regarding its pros and cons. While distance learning is here to stay, it is no universal remedy for the ministerial training needs of the church. However, those interested in moving to distance learning models must do so with a clear picture of both the significant challenges and the opportunities.
Integrating Theology & Mission in the Cross-cultural Ministry Center (CMC), Glenn K. Fluegge
Abstract:How does one go about forming pastoral, missional leaders? That question is part of a larger ongoing conversation about the appropriate relation between theology and mission. In this article, I attempt to get at that question and add to the conversation. I do that by giving the reader a glimpse of how one pastoral education program—the Cross-cultural Ministry Center at Concordia University Irvine—strives to integrate theology and mission with the goal of forming what we often refer to as “missionary pastors.”
From the Field: Forming Mission Leaders through Contextual Education in the Specific Ministry Pastor Program, James F. Marriott
Abstract: As one well acquainted with students in the SMP program, the author provides background and verbatim interviews with four students who represent those who participate in this seminary program of pastoral formation while engaged in their local mission contexts. Their personal reflections on both their contexts and this certification program provide insight into how one way of delivering seminary formation can intersect with actual mission experience.
Book Reviews
WE ARE NOT THE HERO: A Missionary’s Guide to Sharing Christ, Not a Culture of Dependency. By Jean Johnson. Reviewed by Miriam Carter
Abstract: In this book Johnson looks at what missions in different cultures can be. She was a missionary for many years in Cambodia. She is fluent in the language, having served Cambodians in the Twin Cities for six years. In Cambodia she discovered that, along with Jesus, she brought her own culture with her. She recognized that Western-style mission work brings baggage along with the Gospel, which isn’t necessary and can even be harmful. Her new approach mirrors how Paul went about mission work.
TEACHING AND LEARNING THEOLOGY IN THE ONLINE ENVIRONMENT. By Matthew C. Ogilvie. Reviewed by Daniel Mattson
Abstract: I stumbled into this little treasure trove while researching some mission history. As happens more frequently than I’d like to admit, here was a study that already answered a host of questions that have churned in the back of my mind for years.
VIABILITY IN CONTEXT: The Theological Seminary in the Third World—Seedbed or Sheltered Garden? By Herbert M. Zorn. Reviewed by Andrew H. Bartelt
Abstract: Currently, many books have been written about distance education. The emphasis varies from book to book, but all deal with the same educational possibility. The advent of the internet, however, has opened educational possibilities that have not existed.
