ICTE End of Year Message 2019

Greetings Alliance World Family,

The International Commission of Theological Education (ICTE) is very thankful to our Lord who continues to enrich and bless theological training throughout the Christian and Missionary Alliance world.

A highlight for the year was the Young Educators Program that took place in New York in late June. In this centennial year since A.B. Simpson’s death, it was a joy to see scholars from nine different nations join together to discuss the history and distinctives of the Christian and Missionary Alliance. This was an important time of fellowship, teaching and connecting with one another as we examined the ethos of our movement. This training is already beginning to bear fruit. One of the participants recently led a two-day conference in Alliance History sponsored by the Buenos Aires Bible Institute (IBBA). Further training days and conferences are being planned in Europe and Asia Pacific for 2020.

In July, the ICTE Committee met to discuss forthcoming theological symposia as well as the Quadrennial Conference to be held in Ecuador in October 2020. With the theme Going Deeper, Going Beyond, the Quadrennial event promises to be an important one for the global Alliance. At this event the ICTE will be hosting a gathering for seminary and Bible college leaders where it is hoped that further steps will be taken to promote a sense of collegiality and cooperation between our institutions.

The ICTE also announced in July the creation of an AWF Theology Prize. Applications are open until December 14 and we would encourage everyone who may be interested to offer a submission. The purpose of this prize is to continue to foster academic scholarship in Alliance distinctives from around the globe.

The ICTE would also like to remind everyone about the AWF Theological and Historical Repository (http://awf.world/repository/). Available online through the AWF website is a large collection of historical documents, general resources and theological articles and books about the C&MA and its distinctives. All the resources are free to access and provide a great way of exploring the history and thought of our movement.

At present the worldwide C&MA has over 90 theological seminaries, institutes and Bible colleges that are training men and women for service in God’s kingdom. This is a wonderful testimony of the faithfulness of the Lord to raise up new generations of Christian leaders from every region of the world. While many challenges continue to confront us, we are all the more convinced that the C&MA continues to serve the heart of God’s mission to reach the lost with the gospel.

As the end of the year draws near, we once again thank you for your encouragement and support. May the Christmas season be a joyful one for you as you celebrate and remember the birth of our Savior and Lord.

Rev. Dr. Peter Laughlin
Chair, International Commission on Theological Education
Alliance World Fellowship