The majority of evangelical theological institutions are based in the West and contextualized to reach a Western culture. For many outside the West, the Bible can feel like a foreign story. We are designing an international MA program with culturally contextualized content.
At Mission ONE, we believe that teaching people to contextualize biblical truth for their extended community removes unnecessary cultural barriers to the hope found in Jesus Christ. We also believe theological education should be available to any student, pastor, or evangelist — no matter where they live in the world.
This is why the Missional Theology Initiative (MTI) was born.
MTI seeks to provide a contextualized theological curriculum with the opportunity to earn a Master of Arts in Missional Theology. This hybrid, ready-made program is being created for and will be led by the global church. It will give access to theological teaching that is meaningful for students across an array of cultural contexts.
MTI will change the way the world learns theology.
OUR PLAN
In phase one, Mission ONE partners will audit various theological institutions, reviewing their current programs’ frameworks and subject matters. From there, they will research the standard core competencies of various courses, plus any additional courses or specializations. This phase is expected to take 8-9 months as draft syllabi for each course are created and reviewed by subject matter experts.
The second phase will consist of recruiting professors to teach these courses from a variety of theological backgrounds and cultural contexts. Our goal is to recruit at least 25 different scholars from around the world, intentionally seeking both men and women. This phase will take anywhere from 12-18 months.
As professor recruitment begins, we will begin asking professors to record their lectures and upload them to the online learning platform we choose in phase three. By the time the fourth phase commences, quizzes, assignments, videos, and keynotes will be integrated to enhance and polish the existing courses. This production time is estimated at six months.
DESIRED IMPACT
The new theology degree program would make more communities like the Kingdom of God by effectively training missional leaders for the realities they face in equipping God’s people to be a faithful witnessing presence in life, word, and deed. As a result of the localized approach to the Indian context, students would choose to attend this seminary over other U.S. based theological programs. We also hope to see the program expand to other Indian seminaries to help their students better reach their own communities.
MEASURABLE GOALS
01.
Finish each phase within the estimated timeframes, while maintaining a high level of excellence.
02.
Secure 20 subject matter experts to speak into and help develop the seminary’s course plans by February 2021.
03.
Recruit 15 Western, 10 Eastern, and at least five female professors by June 2021.
04.
Hear real-life stories from students who decided to chose this degree program over other U.S.- based theological programs.
05.
Students begin this new theology program by Fall 2023 or Spring 2024.
06.
Within the first eight years of the programs, three different seminaries will adopt this degree program.