“Seminaries cannot live without the church, and churches cannot live without well-trained servant leaders”

OC’s second 2010 Institute for Excellence in Christian Leadership Development took place May 4-7 in Nairobi, Kenya, for East and Southern Africa. The event was hosted by OC partner Scott Theological College (STC). Forty-eight leaders from 33 strategic training programs and churches in the region attended the Institute, representing Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

During the four-day Institute themed “Re-envisioning Seminary-Church Relationships,” church and seminary leaders interacted with each other in order to build partnerships and be mutually beneficial in meeting each other’s needs. Participants focused on creating a culture of dialogue between seminaries and churches; exploring mutual expectations; understanding the importance of the context of the seminary, church and society; and offering training that responds to the needs of church and society.

Many participants said they liked the Institute theme because “churches and seminaries need to listen and talk to each other.” One emphasized the importance of partnership between the two: “Seminaries cannot live without the church, and churches cannot live without well-trained servant leaders founded in the Word of God.” The idea was hit home that seminaries are not alone in equipping leaders – churches can help in the task of leadership training.

The next Institute for Excellence will take place June 29 - July 2 at Novi Sad Theological Seminary (NSTS) in Novi Sad, Serbia. Click here for the 2010 schedule.

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