Theology on Safari: Hello from Bangalore

I’ve landed in my happy place again for the month of July. A brand new group of seminary students – current and future ministry leaders – from all over India eager to improve their skills in reading and interpreting the Bible. A cozy apartment overlooking the grassy academic quad, with tasty Indian food at every meal. Friends and former students I’ve gotten to know over the years, and reconnecting with the church and home group I was part of last year. What’s not to like?!

I’ve been coming to the South Asia Institute of Advanced Christian Studies (SAIACS) since 2005, and it continues to be one of my favorite academic communities anywhere. I particularly love the way SAIACS blends those two pieces, ‘academic’ and ‘community.’ So grateful for opportunities to know and mentor these students both in the classroom and on a more personal level over meals, worship, and sports – even if I did wash out of the croquet tournament in the semi-finals this week...

Being here also reminds me why I’m convinced theological education among emerging churches in South Asia and elsewhere is so strategic. These students will return to churches and ministries throughout the sub-continent, sharing the Good News and shaping Christian faith and practice in God’s small-but-growing kingdom among India’s 1.2 billion people. According to the 2011 census, Christians currently make up only 2.3% of the population in India.

With students like these the multiplication factor of theological education is amazing. This is my fourth SAIACS class in the past two years, a total of 58 students. That may not seem like a significant number, but if you imagine that in their ministry contexts each of those students is involved in the spiritual growth of, say, 50-100 other people, the total potentially impacted by these four courses comes to something like 3000-5000 people. It puts flesh on 2 Tim 2:2 “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.” Throw in the 85 students I’ve taught in my Fuller courses in the last year, use a similar multiplier, and there’s another 4000-8000 people in various parts of the world. That’s some scary responsibility – and believe me, I feel it. But I also love it. That privilege of being right at the heart of helping people read and understand the Bible in their relationship with God and as they share God's word with those they’re reaching out to.

My big focus in 2016 is getting to the point where I can do this full-time again. And make a living at it, since except for the part-time Fuller courses I’m currently an unsalaried volunteer. In my new role I'll be an international theological education specialist based with the Serge (formerly World Harvest Mission) team in Dublin, Ireland, and traveling out to teach and work alongside Serge’s church-planting efforts in Africa, Asia and post-Christian Europe. So excited!

I was very grateful to attend Serge’s triennial ‘company conference’ in Spain in May and feel God whispering words of confirmation: ‘Yes, this is where I’ve called you now, to this ministry, with these people.’ Every three years all Serge workers come together to worship, learn, laugh and cry together, and (hopefully) get built up enough to go back to their assignments around the globe. It was a fantastic opportunity for me to meet Serge people from different countries and do some brainstorming and dreaming together about how I might help them in various forms of leadership training and theological education. Lots of possibilities.

Then in June I flew to Detroit to attend the General Assembly of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC), where in a beautiful evening worship service I was commissioned as a new missionary with EPC World Outreach. Serge was also confirmed at this GA as a mission partner of the EPC. Although I’m the first joint appointee, it looks like I won’t be the last – several good conversations at GA with EPC-ers also considering joining Serge.

So here I am, all official and ready to go. The last big step is watching God pull together the team of financial partners and committed pray-ers to make this happen. (No, the EPC doesn’t fund missionaries from a central budget. Darn.) I've had some wonderful one-time gifts, and as of today I’m at 42% of the needed ongoing financial support. Not too bad for this point in the year, but still a ways to go in time for the goal of moving to Ireland at the beginning of January 2017.

While I’m waiting to see how God is going to build that support team, I’ll just hang out here in India this month, following the passion he’s given me to help strengthen his global church – and enjoying some very yummy Indian food :)

MAY - Serge Company Conference in Spain

Hundreds of dollars cheaper to fly on Tuesday instead of waiting till Saturday when the conference starts?
Sure, I'll go early and explore Seville with my buddy-since-9th-grade, Laurie. Co-adventurers!