Do you consider Christian Education and Formation receiving “enough” and/or appropriate emphasis/focus in seminary programs today?
I’ve been to many seminaries, both as a student and as a professor. At Singapore Bible College, CE was a very important part of the curriculum. All students in the Master of Divinity program must take a course in CE. It is actually common for major seminaries around the world to have one CE course in their Master of Divinity curriculum.
When I first came to Tyndale Seminary in 2001, I was actually quite surprised that we did not follow this pattern. It might be that Tyndale did not have a full-time CE professor for a number of years and the subject lost its ground. I am glad that in God’s providence I am at Tyndale to provide leadership in this important field. Over the years, with the courses I offer in CE, there has been more excitement among students and a number of my faculty colleagues in educational ministries. Now, all students enrolled in the Master of Divinity have to take one course in educational ministries. This can be any of the following courses: Learning to Teach & Teaching to Learn, Human Development & Learning, Curriculum Theory & Practice, Historical & Philosophical Foundations for Christian Education, Pastor as Teacher in the Local Church, Children’s Ministry, God’s Word and God’s World, and Ethnographic Research Methods. As a way to expose Tyndale students to a broader perspective in the field, I invite other CE specialists to teach at Tyndale during Intersessions (January) and Spring/Summer. One of my greatest joys is to hear from alumni in the programme. They tell me that their studies in CE have prepared them well for the work of faith formation in the church and this makes my vocation a fulfilling one.