THE KUKMIN DAILY

“The North American churches have the historical legacy of sending men and women around the world to be change makers, but many parts of that history are no longer connected to the faith. My message of encouragement to the Korean churches and seminaries is to be careful not to lose the energy and focus of the Commission, and to keep Christ central in your life.”

So said Robert Jones (53·photo), Vice President of Student Life and Enrollment Management at Denver Theological Seminary, a leading evangelical seminary in the United States, on October 1 during his visit to Korea. He advised the Korean churches to look closely at the U.S. church and to maintain their energy and focus. Vice President Jones, a professional manager and administrator, is responsible for the school’s finances, admissions and recruitment, marketing, and student life.

As one of the reasons for the decline of U.S. churches and seminaries, Vice President Jones pointed to the decreasing number of students in seminaries. He said, “Among 270 some accredited theological education institutes in the U.S., students in mainline denominational seminaries have been declining in numbers for the past 20 years (about 1.5 % each year), while evangelical seminaries, which represent a smaller population of theological seminaries (35%) but have the majority of students (60%), have experienced pressures in enrollment during the past seven years.”

He added, “Another element would be the secularization that has grown within the U.S. as we moved into the post-Christian era. Sometimes there is even open hostility towards evangelicals… The millennial generation speaks and processes differently, so now seminaries are having to figure out how to communicate with and educate a generation that is vastly different from the “Boomers” that are teaching and Gen-Xers. A lot of shifts in pedagogy delivery are required.”

According to Vice President Jones, during the same 7-year period when evangelical seminaries were experiencing decline, Denver Theological Seminary’s students increased by 23%. Although the increase stopped this year, DTS is taking this opportunity as a catalyst to make active changes with its faculty, who are both world-class scholars respected in their areas and practitioners of ministry, and with its “Training and Mentoring” system, to continue its tradition of sending out men and women in the world to be change agents.

DTS has strong academic strength in Biblical studies (both Old and New Testaments), systematic theology, counseling, mission, and spiritual formation. Well-known graduates include Rev. Gordon MacDonald, the writer of “Ordering Your Private World.” Internationally acclaimed counselor and psychologist Larry Crabb taught here for several years. Korean professor Dr. Sung Wook Chung is on the faculty, teaching Christian Theology.

15 years ago, the Seminary adopted the “Training and Mentoring” system to help students develop both their character and profession. Every student in the DTS program is required to have two life mentors. The Seminary’s academic programs include Master of Arts, Master of Divinity, and Doctor of Ministry. From the fall of 2015, the Seminary will start a Th.M. program. Currently about 1,000 students are enrolled, among which 30 are Korean students.

Reporter Sangmok Shin (smshin@kmib.co.kr), with Yeara Ahn-Park (yap@kmib.co.kr)

Photo by intern reporter Heo Ran


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