“A decade ago, this meeting was almost unimaginable”

Written by Dr. Scott Cunningham, OC’s Dean of Leadership Development

Rapidly expanding Christian communities in Latin America, Africa and Asia (the so-called Majority World) have not always kept up with the need for trained leadership. Particularly for higher level training, these communities have sent some of their brightest students to Western seminaries for further studies. Removed from their communities and contexts (and sometimes even their families), this alternative has not always worked well.

However, over the past decade, a number of evangelical seminaries in the Majority World have launched their own doctoral level programs, offering a viable and often preferable alternative for training church leadership at this level. Recently, the leaders of a dozen seminaries from the Majority World, all with emerging PhD programs, met in Beirut, Lebanon.

A decade ago, this meeting was almost unimaginable because the number of doctoral programs was so few. This is dramatic and exciting evidence of the growing maturity of the global evangelical church. Rev. Dr. Chris Wright, International Director for Langham Partnership International, commented on the development of these international doctoral programs: “My heart is warmed to know that there are African brothers and sisters, for example, who are close to gaining doctorates on African soil that are every bit as rigorous and demanding and worth having as my own.”

As a result of this gathering, important relational bridges were built. Many of the leaders met for the first time and became familiar with other programs around the world. These relationships will lay the foundation for sharing of resources and further discussion over common concerns and challenges. Another important outcome of this consultation was the writing of a consensus agreement on what should characterize every doctoral level program globally. This document was unanimously affirmed by the group and will be the framework for the evangelical theological community in developing, strengthening and evaluating doctoral level programs around the world – quite a significant outcome.

The consultation was co-sponsored by ICETE, the International Council for Evangelical Theological Education, along with Overseas Council (OC) and Langham Partnership International.

Dr. Riad Kassis, Regional Director for the Middle East/Central Europe, and I represented OC at the event. OC’s participation in this discussion was critical. Almost all of the programs represented are OC partners. Our participation clearly demonstrated our commitment to faculty development at the doctoral level (especially in Majority World programs), our efforts to stimulate excellence in theological education, and our desire to work with Langham and ICETE, both of which share these same concerns.

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