Multiplying Laborers for the Urban Harvest

M u l t i p l y i n g L a b o r e r s f o r t h e U r b a n H a r v e s t M u l t i p l y i n g L a b o r e r s f o r t h e U r b a n H a r v e s t

• They are already “in ministry” and are often bi-vocational, so theological education must accommodate itself to their time schedules and to the fact that they often must limit their course loads and pursue their theological education non-sequentially. Theological education must come in “bite- sized” chunks and find a way to teach core themes across the curriculum rather than depending on extensive prerequisite courses. • Christian leaders from the same church groups may range from function- ally illiterate, to semiliterate, to very literate. Theological education must find a way to both strengthen literacy and provide ways of accessing information that do not make reading skills the critical factor. • Affordability is a key issue in obtaining theological education. There must be a conviction that poverty cannot be allowed to stand between func-tioning church leaders and the theological resources they need for more effective ministry. • Differences in culture, class, and ethnicity must be taken seriously in the theological curriculum. The problems that are faced, the thinking styles that predominate, the theological themes that are prioritized, and the languages that are used may all be significantly different from mainstream culture. Contextualization of theological education is imperative. • Leadership in the Christian community has been earned based on the living out of God’s call and gifting in practical experience. Acceptance into a program of theological education must be based on these criteria rather than on purely educational prerequisites. Theological education must be for those (whether lay or ordained) who are already doing ministry. • Leadership development is taking place in a context of mission and outreach. Special emphasis should be placed on evangelism and the incorporation of new believers into the church. • Leadership development is taking place in a context of human need. Theological education should provide a way of understanding poverty, justice, development, and the role of the Church in holistic ministry.

Reference List

Carpenter, Joel A., 1990. “Propagating the Faith Once Delivered,” in Earthen Vessels: American Evangelicals and Foreign Missions, 1880-1980 , eds. Joel A. Carpenter and Wilbert R. Shenk. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. Cook, J. W. 1930. The Bible Institute Movement . Unpublished master’s thesis: Northwestern Evangelical Seminary. Quoted in Jonathan N. Thigpen, “A Brief History of the Bible Institute Movement in America,” in Developing a Dynamic Bible Institute . 1997. Wheaton, IL: Evangelical Training Association. Daniel, Eleanor, John W. Wade, and Charles Gresham. 1980. Introduction to Christian Education . Cincinnati: Standard Publishing. Quoted in Jonathan N. Thigpen, “A Brief History of the Bible Institute Movement in America” in Developing a Dynamic Bible Institute . 1997. Wheaton, IL: Evangelical Training Association. Freeman, Robert E. [Cited July 14, 1999]. Why does Fuller do Extended and Distance Education? In Fuller Theological Seminary Internet Website. URL: www.fuller.edu/swm/faculty/ML525/ supplemental/ linkwhyext.html.

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