TRANSFORMING THEOLOGICAL

E D U C A T I O N AND M I N I S T E R I A L
FORMATION

Dedtnond P. van der Water

Rev. Or Desmond P. van der Water ω the General Secretary of the Councilfor World Middion, an?
a member of the United Congregational Church of Southern Africa.

Abstract
Globally, theological education and ministerialformation were in a átate of flux and uncert
ty for a number ofyears in the Utter part of the twentieth century. Some would go further to dug
gest that this area of the churchd life and witnedd had been in crisis for dome time now. Wh
in crisis or merely in painful transition, the fact id that many, if not modt, churches, Christi
groupingd and theological institutions are realising the need for a radical review of their the
ical education and ministerial formation programmes. This edday focused on the imperative
an increased misdion/misdiological prof iL· within theological education and ministerial fo
tion, and refUctd on the importance of context in this procesd.

i. Why another conference on theological education?

Theological education and ministerial formation were in a state of flux and uncertainty glob-
ally for a number of years in the latter part of the 20th century. Some would go further to
suggest that this area of the church's life and witness has been in crisis for some time now.
Whether in crisis or merely in painful transition, the fact is that many if not most, church-
es, Christian groupings and theological institutions are engaging in a radical review of their
theological education and ministerial formation programmes.
This state of affairs has been precipitated and prompted by a number of factors. I mention
but a few:
• the impact of globalization on theological education, and the globalization of theolog-
ical education itself;
• the processes of rationalization within educational and ecclesiastical institutions;
• the competing and sometimes adversarial interests of liberal, radical and conservative
theological establishments;

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INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF M I S S I O N Vol. 94 No. 373, April 2005

• the redirecting of financial resources away from theological education to other disci-
plines under governments that have become secular states;
• the emergence of new global, regional and national mission issues;
• the crisis in the vocation to the ordained and lay ministry within the church.
It is against this background, that the Council for World Mission (CWM) saw the impor-
tance and the priority at this juncture in its history of providing an occasion and space
whereby representatives from its constituencies and ecumenical partners could engage with
each other in processes of reflection, analysis, strategizing and networking in the pursuance
of more effective programmes of theological education and ministerial formation.
The residential, industrial and commercial centre of Midrand in South Africa provided a fit-
ting venue for the convergence of some seventy international church leaders, church admin-
istrators, and theological teachers and students to reflect upon the overall theme of the con-
ference, namely "Transforming Theological Education and Ministerial Formation"1. The
conference was also designed to achieve the following objectives:
1. In the first instance it was to present a renewed challenge to CWM s member bodies and
our partners in this journey, and to increase and enhance the mission profile within their the-
ological education and ministerial formation programmes. The notion of what constitutes
mission profile is of course, in itself, an area of controversy and contention. Within the
CWM family of 31 churches, one would no doubt elicit a wide variety of interpretations and
applications of mission profile. However contentious and controversial this question may be,
we cannot afford to ignore its relevance and its contemporary challenge.
2. Secondly, CWM called this conference to bring together the members of the CWM as a
family who are associated with, have a responsibility for or have an interest in the area of
theological education and ministerial formation. Relatively speaking, CWM is a small fami-
ly or community of churches. But we are also a mission-enabling movement in partnership
with others. A family, by definition, shares stories of joy and adversity. A community, by def-
inition, shares common struggles and successes. A partnership, by definition, shares owner-
ship of the enterprise. It is therefore natural that, from time to time, the family of churches
in community and in mission together, along with our ecumenical partners in mission, should
gather, to have what in South Africa is called an imbizo. Imbizo is a Zulu language word that
means "gathering", "ceremony", and "coming together in friendship, soul and spirit". This
particular gathering has been called to focus on the subject of theological education and min-
isterial formation, and to have this particular imbizo on African soil, with the view of doing
the following:

1
The conference took place at the Eskom Conference Centre in Midrand, South Africa, from 29 October -
3 November 2003.

204
Desmond P. van der Water TRANSFORMING THEOLOGICAL EDUCATION AND MINISTERIAL FORMATION

• to share stories of failure and success;

• to celebrate the success stories and reflect on the failures;
• to learn from each other s models and ways of doing theological education and minis-
terial formation;
• to explore new ways of establishing and enhancing intra- and inter-regional networks,
as far as theological education for ministry and mission is concerned;
• to challenge, critique and encourage each other so that our respective visions may be
broadened and our dreams realized in the realms of theological education and minis-
terial formation.
3. A third reason for this conference has to do with the fact that CWM is seeking to identi-
fy and articulate more clearly what it understands its unique role and particular contribu-
tion to be in this area of the church s life and witness now. It is our hope, therefore, that the
statements, recommendations and formulations that emerge from this event will assist
CWM s decision and policy makers in their thinking, planning and programming about how
best to facilitate and enable formation for mission within the formal and informal pro-
grammes of theological education and ministerial formation within member churches and
associated theological and ecumenical institutions.
As CWM we are aware of and have participated in the World Council of Church s "Journey
of Hope In Africa", a process which culminated in a "Plan of Action" that emerged from
deliberations at the Conference on Theological Education and Ecumenical Formation2. We
are sure that the lessons learnt and insights gained at this conference, and from so many
other related events, will be brought to bear and feed into and inform our debates, discus-
sions and decisions.

2. Assumptions and definitions

CWM, which is the successor to the London Missionary Society3, is, in essence, a mission
agency, organization and movement. Its reason for existence and main purpose therefore is
to facilitate the participation of its constituencies and partners in God s mission to the world.
The change in name in 1977 from the London Missionary Society to Council for World
Mission did not change this fundamental principle. However, there was a clear paradigm
shift in CWM s self-understanding and approach to the tasks of facilitating and enabling

2
This conference, which took place in Kempton Park, South Africa, from 17-22 September 2002, was organ-
ized by the W C C Education and Ecumenical Formation Team.
3
The London Missionary Society ( L M S ) was founded in 1795. From its inception, the L M S was ecumenical
in character and orientation. C W M has maintained this emphasis also in regard to the areas of formation for
ministry and mission.

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INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF M I S S I O N Vol. 94 No. 373, April 2005

mission. Moreover, CWM had also come to recognize that the movement has progressed in
its understanding of mission itself, namely that the nature and purpose of mission was multi­
dimensional, incorporating the following: conversion; forgiveness; new life; eternal hope;
reconciliation; peace; community; liberation; justice; humanization; sacrificial caring; heal­
4
ing; wholeness; preaching and teaching; baptism and church growth.

It would be misleading, however, to infer that since 1977 CWM and its constituencies have
always agreed on a definition of mission. On the contrary, many have been the attempts by
CWM and others to provide the definitive word on the meaning of mission. Invariably,
when theologians, missiologists and church people gather to discourse on the subject of mis­
sion, or mission-related issues, clarity is sought about what is meant by mission. This con­
ference is no exception, especially as its focus is precisely on the strengthening of the mis­
sion profile within theological education and ministerial formation.

The elusiveness of a definition of mission has been recognized by one of the most influential
African missiologists of our time, namely David Bosch, who conceded that the best we could
hope for was an approximation of the meaning of the term:
We may therefore never arrogate it to ourselves to delineate mission too sharply and too
self-confidently. Ultimately, mission remains undefinable; it should never be incarcerated
in the narrow confines of our own predilections. The most we can hope for is to formu­
late some approximations of what mission is all about.5

What is clear, however, is that assumptions about the theory and practice of mission that
derive from past colonial eras are no longer credible and acceptable. In the context of the
CWM community of 31 churches, both the theory and practice of mission tend to vary from
church to church, and from region to region. Notwithstanding the contextual differences,
CWM, being an organization with an overarching mission-enabling agenda, is constantly
interacting with its member churches to build capacity for more effective engagement in
mission and to enhance holistic understanding and approaches to mission.

This conference seeks to enable and strengthen the process of transforming theological edu­
cation and ministerial formation, in order for theological education and ministerial forma­
tion programmes to have a greater and more effective mission profile. As I have pointed out
above, part of the problem is that we tend to use language and terminology as if their mean­
ings were self-evident. Moreover, we do so on the false premise that prior consensus on the
meaning of key concepts has been achieved. Therefore, clarification is needed of what we
mean when we talk about such concepts as mission in the context of this discussion.
Similarly, the other problematic term is that of theological education.
A
Sharing in One World Mission, CWM booklet, 1975, ρ 5.
5
David Bosch, Transforming Mission: Paradigm Shifts in Theology of Mission, Maryknoll, New York, Orbis
Books, 1991, p. 9.

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Desmond P. van der Water TRANSFORMING THEOLOGICAL EDUCATION AND MINISTERIAL FORMATION

Fergus King has suggested that a key to understanding the role of mission within theologi-
cal education is the recognition that different models govern the approach to the task. The
first of these three models is paideia, which is the Greek term that means "an education model
aimed at the education or training of a whole person"6. The second model, according to
King, is Wisdenschaft, which has its origins in the Berlin university system of the 19th centu-
ry, and which stresses "orderly, disciplined research on the one hand, and 'professional' edu-
cation for ministry on the other''.7 King suggests that a third model, embodied for example
in the programmes of Theological Education by Extension (TEE), has emerged due to the
"rejection of colonial values and the analysis of how power shapes structures".8 Whether the
TEE model delivered what it promised is a question that King raises and suggests that a fun-
damental flaw in the approach of the third model is due to a "failure to examine the context
of the theological education programme".9 On the one hand, the contextual considerations
are those of "church and college, school or course", and on the other hand the context "in
which those who are educated will perform their ministry".10

From within a North American context, Darrell Guder reflects on the subject of mission and
theological education within the institutional journey of the Princeton Theological
Seminary. Entitling his article, "From Mission and Theology to Missional Theology"11,
Guder traces the theological education trajectories and paradigms within Princeton, from its
inception in the early 19th century to the present time. The notion and concept of "mission-
al theology", according to Guder, "refines our understanding of its motive".12 He goes on to
state:
When we describe theology as missional, then we do imply that the work of theology is
not an end in itself but is related to God s mission in the world.13
There would be general agreement amongst theologians and missiologists with the above
interpretation of the task of theology, and missiology for that matter. Traditionally, howev-
er, most theological institutions have subscribed to a theological curriculum which is either
implicitly or explicitly lacking in a holistic mission agenda. Laurent Ramambason, who has
done a synopsis and critique of the trends of the study of mission in theological institutions,
observes that, "The status of missiology or mission studies in theological schools is ambigu-

6
Fergus King, "Theological Education a n d Mission", Mission Studies, Vol. XIX, N o . 2-38, 2002, p . 79.
7
D . Kelsey, Between Athens and Berlin: The Theological Education Debate, G r a n d Rapids, Eerdmans, 1993, quoted
in Fergus King, ibid.
8
Op. cit., p. 80.
9
Ibid.
™Ibid.
11
D.L. Guder, "From Mission a n d Theology to Missional Theology", The Princeton Seminary Bulletin, Volume
XXIV, N u m b e r I, N e w Series, 2003, p . 36.
12
Op. ca., p . 49.
13
Ibid.

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INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF MISSION Vol. 94 No. 373, April 2005

ous."M According to Ramambason, this ambiguity is reflected, on the one hand, in a "ren-
aissance of mission studies" and, on the other hand, a suppression of mission chairs in
"prominent universities".15
The fundamental problem, though, is not the disappearance of mission chairs in universities
or the absence of explicitly stated mission studies or mission-related curricula, but the lack
of an holistic mission perspective and an adequate mission consciousness amongst the major
role players in the mission task, namely the churches and the theological institutions. Things
could be and were done differently by some, as is demonstrated by the example of the
Federal Theological Seminary of Southern Africa (FEDSEM) (see next section).

3. The primacy of context

During the apartheid era in South Africa, students from the historically disadvantaged com-
munities, i.e., black, coloured and Asian, were barred from admission to the state tertiary
institutions designated for whites only. Under this policy, theological faculties that drew
their students from the pro-apartheid white church denominations, and from white commu-
nities in general, also denied students from disadvantaged communities the opportunity to
study theology, ministry and mission.
The creation of universities and other tertiary educational institutions specifically for blacks,
coloureds and Asians was largely rejected by the anti-apartheid movements, and seen as an
attempt by the apartheid regime to show, amongst other things, that the policy of apartheid,
or "separate development" was practical and workable. In any event, these educational facil-
ities were vastly inferior to the white tertiary institutions, in terms of infrastructure, capac-
ity and material resources.16
In response to the situation of exclusion under apartheid, a small number of the "English
speaking churches"17 in southern Africa, viz., the United Congregational Church of
Southern Africa, the Presbyterian Group of Churches in Southern Africa, the Methodist
Church of Southern Africa and the Church of the Province of South Africa, rallied togeth-
er and created an alternative to the government sponsored theological education facilities for

14
L. Ramambason, "The Study of Mission in Theological Institutions: A Critical Synopsis", Ecumenical
Missiology, Bangalore, United Theological College, 2002, p . 258.
15
Ibid.
16
For example, the University of the Western Cape, which was designated to serve the coloured communities
in the Western and Eastern Cape in South Africa, was dubbed by these communities as a "bush college", i.e.,
an institution of inferior status and standing. Ironically, the University of the Western Cape, and the
University of Fort H a r e became breeding grounds for political activism and radicalism. These institutions
went on to produce influential political and theological leadership in the struggle against apartheid.
17
The historical origin of this term in the Southern African context is obscure. J o h n de Gruchy suggests that
the designation is one that was imposed b y the "mass media, politicians, other churches, and the populace in
general." (The Church Struggle in South Africa, G r a n d Rapids, Eerdmans, 1979, p . 85.)

208
Desmond P. van der Water TRANSFORMING THEOLOGICAL EDUCATION AND MINISTERIAL FORMATION

blacks, coloureds and Asians. These churches, also referred to as the "ecumenical church-
es", share a common liberal theological tradition and have historically cooperated on many
fronts in the Christian witness against apartheid.18
FEDSEM was founded and established in 1967 as an ecumenical venture in theological
education and ministerial formation by the above-named churches. The full story of the
birth, journey and demise of FEDSEM is one which bears telling but this is for another time
and context19. Suffice it to say that FEDSEM represents a poignant chapter in the history
of ecumenism in southern Africa and of the witness of these ecumenical churches against
apartheid. For the purpose of the present discussion, the point is that although missiology
or mission studies were never formally part of the FEDSEM curriculum, the institution's
witness and challenge to apartheid was, in essence, a missiological one.
The example of FEDSEM shows that even in the total absence of a course in missiology or
mission studies, the orientation of the seminary, and the life and witness of the seminary
community were fundamentally missiological. The hermeneutical key to a mission con-
sciousness that permeates the content of all theology is the reading of the signs of the times.
The contextual factor in the formulation of a theological curriculum is therefore a critical
one. FEDSEM s theology and praxis was hewn upon the anvils of the struggle against the
policies and practices of the apartheid context. It has to be said, however, that in South
Africa there was a significant sector of Christians and churches that were actively and pas-
sively pro-apartheid. Hence the critical task of a right reading of the signs of the times. It
was precisely as a result of the reading of the signs in South Africa that the Kairod Document2^,
and the subsequent international Kairos movement was born.21
Notwithstanding the merits and value of explicit mission course components in curricula,
the mere addition of a mission studies course or missiology component to the curriculum is
not the answer to the fundamental problem. In one sense, this approach even compounds
the problem, in that a mission studies or missiology course is then reduced to the status of
being one among a number of subject disciplines such as systematic theology, biblical stud-
ies, church history and practical theology.
More than a decade ago, a former general secretary of CWM, Christopher Duraisingh,
clearly perceived the nature of the problem, and called for a paradigm shift and a radical
18
These churches also established in 1968 the Church Unity Commission, which was a forum in which mat-
ters of doctrinal and liturgical interest could be discussed, debated and processed.
19
M a n y former F E D S E M students and teachers, including myself, have expressed the need for a compre-
hensive and coherent story to be told and produced in written form. As far as I know, this venture has as yet
sadly not materialized.
20
The Kairos Document: Chalknge to the Church - A Theological Comment on the Political Crisis in South Africa,
Braamfontein, Kairos Theologians, First Edition, 1985.
21
In the w a k e of the publication of the Kairos Document some of the more prominent international Kairos move-
ments that sprouted were Kairos Central America in 1988, Kairos Europa in 1990 and Kairos USA in 1992.

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INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF MISSION Vol. 94 No. 373, April 2005

reorientation of theological education and ministerial formation. Duraisingh's insights in

suggesting a new model are still relevant today, and bear recalling:
In any new model, earlier emphases such as search for wisdom as a lifestyle/spiritual
habit, rigorous and scientific analysis, development of personal skills, etc. must not be
neglected. But what is called for is a radical alteration in the perspective and purpose of
the educational process. The underlying perdpect'we and organizing principL· in the new paradig
is misdiological; that is, its very purpose is the preparation of persons who engage them-
selves and who enable others to be engaged in the misdio Dei?
It is, in the final analysis, the question of how the misdio Dei is understood and applied, that also
determines the orientation, content and shape of theological education and ministerial forma-
tion. The interpretation of the concept o(misdivDei'm turn informs definitions of mission itself.

4. The indispensable role of the local church

One of the particular emphases that CWM and its constituencies bring to the discussion is the
primary role of the local church, parish or congregation in the processes of formation for min-
istry and mission. The educational model evolved by the United Church in Jamaica and the
Cayman Islands (UCJCI), namely the Institute of Theological Leadership and Development
(ITLD), is a persuasive example of how theological education, ministerial and mission forma-
tion, and the local church interface. The key to the ITLD s success is, according to Maitland
Evans, the "Teaching Congregation" as a "Theological Paradigm for Ministerial Formation".23
Evans critiques the dominant models of theological education by identifying threefold con-
sequences of the perpetuation of the dominant models, namely "congregational disenfran-
chisement", "contextual discontinuity" and "formation depression"24. Recognizing that there
will never be a blueprint or all-embracing solution for the task of formation for ministry and
mission, Evans nevertheless underscores the importance of the role of the local church as a
"teaching congregation":
The teaching congregation defines the conscious commitment to fashion a climate of
learning which gives concrete expression to the doctrine of the priesthood of all believ-
ers. In this climate, every member, regardless of educational standing, role or status, is
deemed a learner. Every member is therefore a candidate for empowerment and is
affirmed as a giver as well as receiver.25
The ITLD model is one that commends itself for various reasons, but most of all because it
makes explicit the connection which there has to be between the often dichotomized con-

22
C. Duraisingh, "Ministerial Formation for Mission: Implications for Theological Education", International
Review of Mission, Vol. L X X X I , N o . 321, J a n u a r y 1992, p . 38.
23
M . Evans, "Teaching Congregations: Theological Paradigm for Ministerial Formation", Learning for
Leadership: Reflections on the ITLD as a modelfor ministerial formation, ITLD, 2003, p . 19.
24
Ibid.
25
Ibid., p . 20.

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Desmond P. van der Water TRANSFORMING THEOLOGICAL EDUCATION AND MINISTERIAL FORMATION

texts of the theological educational institutions, the local church life and witness, and the
world. The centrality of the local church in ministry and mission is also underscored by
Duraisingh, who notes that this emphasis has also been prevalent within the ecumenical
movement, especially since 1960. Duraisingh observes:
It is the whole people of God at the grassroots, the laity, who are the agents of mission. It is
the local congregation that is immediately in touch with the present manifestation of God's
liberating presence at the frontiers of the world and as such it is in the local context that the
church 'comes to be' the church. It is important to remind ourselves that the universality of
the church is always a concrete universality and as such it exists only through the historical
particularities of local faith-communities. The notion of universal church makes sense only
in and through the faith, life and mission of local churches. If this is so, are there not many
serious implications for the teaching of theology and the training of men and women for the
mission of the church? For one thing, the primary concern for us cannot be ministerial edu-
cation as such, but rather the equipping of people in local congregations for mission26.

5. Conclusions
The choice of South Africa as the meeting place for this conference, was not merely due to
logistical reasons. We recall that the demise of the policy and practice of apartheid in South
Africa was universally welcomed. The defence of and opposition to apartheid consumed
much of the time and energies of a racially divided and politically polarized nation that, in a
strange way, found itself disorientated after the long and hard years under the iron rule of
the former regime. The anti-apartheid churches, which invested so much of their resources
in the struggle, now seem to have lost their fervour for justice, their ecumenical spirit and
their passion for rallying together against a common enemy. Indeed, these churches are still
struggling, even a decade after the dawn of democracy, to find the new threads of a common
and unifying vision. What, for example, is the theological significance of the fact that a num-
ber of the anti-apartheid theologians and prophets have become politicians and parliamen-
tarians within the new government?
This and other related questions have a direct bearing on the nature and shape of discus-
sions and decisions on the future nature and shape of theological education and formation
for ministry and mission within the southern African context. The task and challenge of
transforming theological education and ministerial formation, whether in Africa, Asia,
Europe, the Caribbean and the Pacific is an ongoing and dynamic one. We are challenged
to remain vigilant and to read the signs of the times, to be ever faithful to the gospel mes-
sage and to hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches at this point in our journey with
God in the misdio Dei.

Duraisingh, op. cit., p . 34-35.

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