How Can Bible Schools Become More Effective?

In June, we participated in the Bible School Consultation, hosted by Mukhanyo Theological Seminary. 70 Participants represented 20 Bible colleges from all over South Africa, Lesotho, Namibia, Malawi, Kenya, Zambia and Zimbabwe. We were brought together in a lovely Christian lodge with blue crane, springboks, swans and ducks in the tranquil environment. When we saw a bushbaby in one of the trees, it made me miss my bushbaby from Angola who used to sleep in my pocket as I hitchhiked around the country and would come out and play all night!

Tombstones of Seminars
There were tremendous and important presentations at the Bible School Consultation. Professor Flip Buys from Potchefstroom University presented a horrific exposé of the abuse of very young children accused of being witches by so-called church leaders in the Congo. The need for a thoroughly Biblical and practical training for our ministers and missionaries is essential. He laid out the Seven Tombstones of Theological Seminaries:

1.  Academic intellectual knowledge is given a higher priority than character transformation skills.
2. The highest priority of lecturers is to impress academic colleagues and not to form, mould and shape students to be men of God and effective pastors.
3. Excellence assessed merely on academic terms and learning through field experience not integrated.
4. Lecturers have no vision of the Church as God's primary instrument for transformation of society.
5. Curriculum is determined by secular accreditation agencies.
6. Forming of character and skills are marginalised in training.
7. Theological education is being priced out of the market and made unaffordable.​

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