Envisaging Theological Education for Youth

Nurturing Youth Pastors in “Waiting Room”

  Our teachers all agree that young people are an important asset to society and churches, a key group that needs to be faced by the seminary. Both President Cho and Rev. Lam hope that the seminary in the future continues to hold camps specifically for young people annually, or even invite them to the focus groups for a meaningful faith dialogue as a means of carrying on the ministry.

  In the meantime, our teachers understand that, due to resource constraints and the seminary’s positioning, HKBTS cannot afford to settle itself for a long period in a “waiting room” to share stories with young people for direct interactions. Hence, it is imperative for the seminary in the long run to nurture youth pastors who can wait in the “waiting room.” Every generation of youth culture undergoes rapid transitions. It takes time to work among young people in order to understand and empathize with them. It is more practicable for us to develop a group of youth pastors willing to go to the front line to carry out youth ministry.

  Prof. Ng contends that every youth fellowship has its unique language and cultural background. The seminary needs a group of youth pastors to act as “adaptors” to communicate with these young people, transforming the teachings and theology they have learned from the seminary into a language young people understand so that the message can effectively reach their flocks. No doubt, this is the most feasible way of theological education for youth going forward. Prof. Wong concurs, adding that instead of directly getting in touch with young people and educating them, it is better to assist youth pastors in their pastoral ministry, which is a far greater commission for us. They can instill the theology and teachings of the seminary in the hearts of the younger generation through “life influencing life.”

Walking with Youth Pastors

  President Cho also regards large-scale evangelical meetings and direct contact with young people as inconsistent with HKBTS’s positioning and role. Providing theological education is the mission of the seminary. In keeping with the situation in society and church, the seminary will continue to uphold the guiding principle of “edification and meticulous teaching.” Leveraging on the close relationship with our alumni and walking with them as partners, the seminary will build up their lives to help them shepherd their flocks so as to assist churches in the development of the ministry. One of the goals of the “Networking Initiative” and “President’s Classrooms” introduced by President Cho in recent years is to unite our alumni, many of whom are youth pastors, and be their partners. Initially, the seminary contacted over 20 alumni; now the number has grown to 80. We expect the scheme to continue to expand into the future, enabling the seminary to get more feedback, gather more resources to develop theological education, and design training programs accordingly.

  Prof. Wong suggests the seminary strengthen its education programs in pastoral care for young people by, for example, offering short-term courses and training on youth ministry by professionally trained and experienced persons, who can help resolve the kinds of practical pastoral issues faced by youth pastors. It is also worth considering the possibility of including those courses in the curriculum as electives.

Establishing an Exchange Platform for Youth Pastors

  Our teachers think that besides giving youth pastors guidance and walking with them, the seminary can play a leadership role in assembling a group of pastors devoted to youth ministry, and proactively establishing a platform for them to interact with one another. Moreover, through interactions, the seminary can understand their needs and see what resources can be deployed to support them.

  Rev. Lam concedes that in the past the alumni had positive feedback about the focus groups. They appreciated having someone lead them to discuss their ministries, and the opportunity to interact with other pastors and take other churches’ experiences and approaches as references for their ministries. Rev. Lam believes that this mode of support will benefit the alumni’s ministry and their service in the long run. The teachers, therefore, advise the seminary to continue to launch focus groups to interact with our alumni, assisting them in their pastoral care for young people and walking with them along the way.

Looking Ahead: Expanding the “Waiting Room”

  President Cho stresses that a “waiting room” is actually a space for people of various generations to tell stories, and should not be a domain exclusively for youth ministry. Indeed, a “waiting room” includes people of different age groups, young and old, who can share their life stories in it. As a seminary endorsing the “waiting room” style of education, HKBTS has to offer theological education, not just pastoral care for young people. Theological education for youth is a part of practical theology. What we are looking forward to on the road ahead is the expansion of this “waiting room” to provide support for our alumni who are serving different groups of people. A broader and freer space for communication will enable them to better serve Christians from different generations.

  Prof. Wong recommends the seminary host camps or gatherings for our alumni, bringing them together for an exchange of ideas. President Cho is happy with the proposal, hoping to invite our teachers to share their professional expertise with our alumni and offer them guidance.

  Prof. Ng also greatly appreciates the suggestion, thinking that in addition to hosting activities for youth pastors, the seminary can organize camps and mini-conferences for alumni devoted to pastoring other groups such as families, couples, and the elderly. These meetings can specifically address the needs of our alumni and can be led by our teachers who will provide the theological basis for discussion. Alumni will be invited to share their successful experiences with those who attend. Each individual brings their own unique experiences and insights for participants to learn from. The collective wisdom they then acquire can be skillfully applied to their flocks and pastoral situations. President Cho also considers that sharing successful experiences can generate successful experiences for alumni, helping them to grow.

  Faced with a rapidly changing world, the teachers all agree that HKBTS has to be resolute in walking with churches and our alumni, assisting and guiding pastors who provide pastoral care and theological education for different groups of people. The seminary also needs to do its best to nurture pastors in the “waiting room” to become thoughtful, down-to-earth Christian leaders who are willing to face the world and care for others. HKBTS must pass on its legacy as a rock-solid base for nurturing faithful servants for the Kingdom of God and a strong backbone for pastors of different generations.

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