1

ASSESSMENT OF THE MINISTERIAL IMPACT OF LIFE THEOLOGICAL

SEMINARY GRADUATES (2010-2020): A CASE STUDY OF MAGBORO AND
AREPO OF OBAFEMI OWODE LOCAL GOVERNMENT

By
ESTHER A. IBIKUNLE

A Thesis Proposal Submitted to the Faculty of LIFE Theological Seminary,

In Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the
Award of Master of Theology
In Christian Education

L.I.F.E THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY,

IKORODU, LAGOS STATE, NIGERIA

AUGUST, 2023.
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FACULTY APPROVAL PAGE

I certify that this project was researched and written by Esther A. Ibikunle under my

supervision in the department of Christian Education in LIFE Theological Seminary, in

partial fulfilment for the award of Master’s Degree of Theology.

Approved by

Prof. Cletus C. Orgu Date

Supervisor

Dr. Bukola Oluwagbemiga Date

Dean of Postgraduate Studies

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DECLARATION

I hereby declare that this project is written by me and that it is a record of my research

work. To the best of my knowledge, this work has not been written in any previous

application for the award of a higher degree.

All quotations are indicated by quotation marks or indentation and the sources of the

information are specifically acknowledged by means of references.

--------------------------------------

ESTHER A. IBIKUNLE

Date:
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Pages
Title Page

Faculty Approval Page

Declaration Page

Dedication Page

Acknowledgments

Table of Contents

Abstract

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the Study

1.2 Statement of the Problem

1.3 Purpose of the Study

1.4 Significance of the Study

1.5 Delimitation of the Study

1.6 Research Procedures

1.7 Limitations of the Study

1.8 Definition of Terms

CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF RELEVANT LITERATURE

2.1 Concept of Theological Education

2.2 Origin of Theological Education
2.3 Purpose of Theological Education
2.4 Impact of Theological Education
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2.5 Challenges of Theological Education

CHAPTER THREE: BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVE ON THEOLOGICAL
EDUCATION
3.1 In the Old Testament

3.2 In the New Testament

CHAPTER FOUR: ASSESSMENT OF THE MINISTERIAL IMPACT OF LIFE

THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY GRADUATES (2010-2020): A CASE STUDY OF
MAGBORO AND AREPO AXIS

4.1 Brief History of LIFE Theological Seminary,

4.2 The Ministry of LIFE Graduates at Arepo and Magboro Axis.
4.3 Assessments of the Ministerial Impact of LIFE Alumni
4.4 The Challenges and prospects of LIFE Theological Seminary on Alumni Ministers
4.5 Data Presentation, Analysis, and Discussions.
CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1. Summary
5.2. Conclusions
5.3. Recommendations
APPENDIX

BIBLIOGRAPHY
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ABSTRACT

ASSESSMENT OF THE MINISTERIAL IMPACT OF LIFE THEOLOGICAL

SEMINARY GRADUATES (2010-2020): A CASE STUDY OF MAGBORO AND
AREPO AXIS

By
ESTHER A. IBIKUNLE
LIFE THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY IKORODU
SUPERVISOR: PROF. CLETUS C. ORGU
This research assessed into the ministerial impact of graduates from LIFE Theological
Seminary during the period from 2010 to 2020, specifically within the localities of
Magboro and Arepo in the Obafemi Owode Local Government. The effectiveness of the
LIFE graduates in handling and disseminating of their ministerial duty is a great value at
Magboro and Arepo axis. The study observed a large percentage of alumni of the school
who had a great impact of their ministries in words and administering of clerical duty after
the acquisition of theological education. The research method used is the historical-
descriptive method. Oral interviews were conducted, questionnaires were administered.
The study findings show that the acquisition of theological education from LIFE
Theological Seminary greatly impacted the alumni in asserting their impact in ministry.
Observed Alumni were able to contribute positively ranging from pastoral care and
religious instruction to community-based initiatives focused on education, healthcare, and
social empowerment. These contributions have had a discernible positive impact on the
local communities, fostering holistic growth and development. Based on the research
outcomes, recommendations suggest a compulsory continuation of studies either by
attending the seminary or weekly mailing or electronic messages by the seminary or
creating of a special department that will ensure the feedback of all graduating students’
ministerial assessment, fostering an integrated approach to theological training that
combines theory with hands-on experience. This also calls for increased collaboration
between graduates, local churches, and community leaders to amplify their collective
impact while also conducting regular assessments within Magboro and Arepo to identify
specific areas where ministry graduates can contribute most effectively.

Key Words: Assessment, Theological Education, Ministerial Impact

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CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the Study

People who want to become religious leaders, ministers, or practitioners must

undergo theological education in order to develop their knowledge, abilities, and

spirituality. Theological education traditionally encompasses a wide range of subjects,

including scripture study, systematic theology, church history, ethics, and practical

ministry. While theological education has been an integral part of religious institutions for

centuries, there is a growing need to evaluate its effectiveness and relevance in

contemporary society. Having the privilege of listening to a lot of trained, nurtured, and

groomed theological ministers, the researcher discovered great defects in the impacts of the

graduated students of LIFE theological seminary, “Ministry is not a solo business, iron

should sharpen iron; when we have partners that raise up the hands of Moses, and we keep

winning the battle.”1 Some graduated ministers have become a blunt iron because the time

gap of the acquired certificate had become odd. Handling of the ministerial assignment has

been neglected and such graduates are preoccupied with worldly things, carelessness has

crept in. The reality of God’s presence and spectacular manifestation of the Holy Spirit is

dwindling because of their negligence in refreshing their theological education. This

research, therefore, aims to help in rejuvenating the dwindling of what has been committed

in their hands for great impacts that will cause a global revival.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

1
Albert O. Aina, Effective Leadership for Effective Churches, LIFE Theological Seminary Alumni
Association, (Nigeria: Lagos, 2012), 13.
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There are numerous factors that contribute to the effectiveness and ineffectiveness

of ministers who have been taught the rudiments in theoretical and practical ways in all

ramifications. Although the church intended to teach its members and send them out into

the world with the power of the Holy Spirit to proclaim the kingdom of Christ, it has been

noticed that the kingdom of self-seeking and fallacious order has taken over the ministry.

Theological Education has been neglected due to the belief that Theological Seminary

Education has failed to deliver on its promise of generating competent ministers; the

seminary experience adds nothing to the effectiveness of its graduates. As a result, if the

church is to capitalize on the potential that this period brings while minimizing the threat

that it foretells, it is demanding that the training of its ministers, particularly in the context

of Theological Education, be emphasised. Therefore, this research tends to assess the

graduated students and provide reasonable advice on how to make impact in ministry at

hand for global success through the acquisition of theological education.

1.3 Purpose of the Study

The study aims to assess the ministerial impact of theological education and its

effectiveness in preparing individuals for leadership roles within religious communities. By

examining the outcomes and evaluating the influence of theological education on graduates'

ministerial practice, this research seeks to provide insights into the strengths, weaknesses,

and potential areas of improvement in theological education programs. The objectives of

this study are:

1. To assess the ex-students of LIFE theological seminary in Magboro and Arepo of

Obafemi Owode Local Government.

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2. To enlighten the graduated students LIFE theological seminary of the need for

continuous studies.

3. Identifying the possible prospect of theological education on minister’s

effectiveness.

4. To highlight necessary ways LIFE Theological Seminary can be of help to the

graduated students’ in ministerial capacity.

5. To evaluate the theological level of the Foursquare Gospel Church leaders in the

Arepo and Magboro Axis of Obafemi Owode Local Government.

1.4 Research Questions

The research looks forward to researching the following questions,

1. What are the levels of theological education of the graduated students in Arepo and

Magboro of Obafemi Owode Local Government?

2. What are the effects of theological education on various ministers?

3. What are the factors affecting the impacts of theological graduates in Magboro and

Arepo axis?

4. What are the challenges to the impact of theological education in ministries?

5. How to rate the response of LFE Theological seminary in the ministerial impact of

the graduates?

1.5 Significance of the Study

This research will be beneficial to the following:

1. The research will be an immense blessing to LIFE Theological Seminary and every

of her graduates in preserving the high-quality of educational impacts felt across

each of their ministries.

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2. The research will also benefit graduated students by serving as a guide on how to

navigate and deal with ministry challenges associated with education, or the lack

thereof.

3. For students in LIFE Theological Seminary, this research will erupt the magma of

revival amidst the students’ environs.

4. The research will be an immense blessing to LIFE Theological Seminary in

assessing the exploits of past students.

5. This research work will be a reference material for future researcher. It will provide

insight on the effect of theological education.

1.6 Delimitation of the Study

This research work focuses on an assessment of the ministerial impacts of LIFE

theological Seminary graduates with the case study restricted to alumni’s of LIFE

Theological Seminary in Magboro and Arepo of Obafemi Owode Local Government area

in Ogun State.

1.8 Research Procedure

This research adopted a historical-descriptive method. Primary and secondary

sources were consulted; opinion sampling and questionnaires were administered for better

research result. The proposed population for this research for the field work was a number

of one hundred (100) targeted population. However, eighty-four (84) copies were

recovered. The questionnaires was divided into two sections, A and B. A is for bio data and

B is for the questions. The number of questions the questionnaire contained fifteen

questions. The researcher personally administered the questionnaire to the members of the
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church. The researcher adopted simple frequency and percentage score in analysing

questionnaires.

1.8. Definition of Terms

Certain terms in this study need to be placed in their proper perspectives so as to reduce the

likelihood for error and enhance understanding.

Assessment

According to oxford advanced learners’ Dictionary’s sixth edition, the word

assessment means “an opinion or a judgment about something that has been thought about

carefully.

Education

The word education is a sum of all informative learning experiences acquired by a

person through the process of teaching and learning. Education is concerned with

knowledge; truth, values, attitude, morality, relationship, relationship and purpose.

Ministerial

Ministerial is a word relating to, or characteristic of a minister or the ministry. This

is exhibiting a higher order without the exercise of personal judgment or discretion.

Seminary

A college, especially at the post-graduate level and above, for the training of priests,

pastors, ministers or rabbis; it is from the 15th-century Latin word seminarium” which

means seed plot or breeding ground.

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Theological Education

Theological Education is the transformational process of personally encountering

God in a community of learning and engaging in His ongoing. It becomes an institution

organized by churches and church people to prepare men.

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CHAPTER TWO

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

2.1. Concepts of Theological Education

The concept of Theological Education is the education that one receives in the

discipline of theology either through God or social institution or organisation. Theology

isn’t merely refer to systematic theology or dogmatic theology; it is the field of study that

has its objective or clear understanding of the Christian faith. “It may be defined as the

discipline that aims at an appropriate understanding, interpretation, defence, and

application of the Christian faith in the world.” Graham, also defined “Theological

education as the training of men and women to know more of God and serve God”. 2 It has

the tendency to be the root for the renewal of churches, ministries, mission, commitment to

Christian unity and the changing world.

Theological education refers to the academic and practical study of religious

traditions, beliefs, and practices, particularly within the context of organized religious

institutions. It focuses on providing individuals with a comprehensive understanding of

theology, scripture, religious history, ethics, and other related disciplines. The main goal of

theological education is to equip students with the knowledge, skills, and spiritual

formation necessary to serve as religious leaders, scholars, educators, and practitioners

within their respective religious communities. It involves engaging in critical thinking,

textual analysis, ethical reflection, and the exploration of diverse theological perspectives. 3

2
Cheesman Graham, “The Philosophy of Theological Education: Historical Overview”, Unpublished
CTE Lecture Notes, Belfast, Sept. 2005.

3
Ibid.
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Theological education can take place in various settings, like the seminaries,

divinity schools, universities, and religious institutions. It is pursued by individuals seeking

ordination as clergy, but it is also valuable for individuals interested in religious

scholarship, teaching, counselling, or community service. The approach to theological

education can vary depending on the religious tradition, with different institutions

emphasizing specific theological perspectives, rituals, and practices. 4 However, a well-

rounded theological education aims to cultivate critical thinking, intellectual inquiry,

spiritual development, and a deep understanding of one's faith tradition and its broader

implications for society.

2.1.1. Key components of theological education

Key components of theological education typically include:5

1. Scripture study: The study of religious texts, such as the Bible, Quran, or other

sacred writings, to understand their historical context, interpretive methods, and

theological teachings.

2. Systematic theology: This has to do with the examination and development of

systematic frameworks to articulate the core beliefs, doctrines, and principles of a

particular religious tradition.

3. Church history: It involves in exploring the historical development of religious

traditions, the evolution of theological ideas, and the influence of social, cultural,

and political factors on religious institutions.6

4
Samuel Wakefield, Wakefield’s Christian Theology, Vol Two (Salem, OH: Schmul Publishing
Company, 1862), 19
5

Robert Banks, Reenvisioning Theological Education (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Pub.,
1999), 19

6
Ibid
 15

4. Ethics and moral theology: This is the examination of ethical principles and moral

decision-making within the context of religious teachings and the application of

these principles to contemporary issues.7

5. Practical ministry and pastoral care: It is involved with providing students with the

needed practical skills and training for leadership roles within religious

communities, such as preaching, counselling, liturgical practices, and community

engagement.8

6. Interfaith dialogue: It is an encouraging dialogue and understanding between

different religious traditions to foster religious pluralism, mutual respect, and

cooperation.

2.1.2 Types of Theological Education

There are three types of theological education, namely;

Formal education

Formal education is a type of theological education that usually takes place in the

premises of the school, where a person may learn basic, academic, or trade skills. Formal

education begins from elementary school and continues with secondary school. 9

Theological education in Africa today operates at the tertiary level.

The formal education is given by specially qualified teachers who are efficient in the

art of instruction. It also observes strict discipline. 10 The student and the teacher are both

7
Francis Fiorenza, “Thinking Theologically About Theological Education”. Journal of
Adult Theological Education (London: Pearson Publishing, 1988), 116
8

Alister McGrath, An Introduction to Christian Theology (Rijeka: Ex Libris Publishing, 2006), 78

9

Davies Rupert, The Relevance of Theology: A Christian Theology of Education (London: Oxford
University Press, 1971), 68
10

Ibid
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aware of the facts and engage themselves in the process of education. This type of

education takes in a classroom, and they are planned education of different subjects having

a proper syllabus acquired by attending the institution. In this line of education the learner

is taught by the teachers.11

Informal Theological Education

Informal education is a kind of education that begins with the teaching between parent

and child, though not formal, that is how to prepare a meal or ride a bicycle. 12 People can

also get an informal education by reading many books from a library or educational

websites. Informal education is when there is no instructor or teacher to tell a student what

to do at every point in time. In this type of education, conscious efforts are not involved. It

is neither pre-planned nor deliberate. It may be learned at anywhere or point.13

Unlike formal education, Informal education is not imparted by an institution such

as school or college. Informal education is not given according to any fixed timetable.

There is no set curriculum required.14 Informal education consists of experiences and

actually living in the family or community. A good example of informal education is

teaching a child some basics such as numeric characters, someone learning his/her mother

tongue. This type of learning is independent of boundary walls and there is no specific time

span.

Non-formal Theological Education

11
Geoffrey H. Bantock, Education and values: Essays in theory of Education (Surrey: Denholim
House Press, 1999), 52
12

Alfred N. Whitehead, The Aims of Education (London: Ernest Benn, 1932), 28

13
Ibid
14

Siga Arles, “Perspectives on Theological Education” in The Church in India: It’s Mission Tomorrow,
ed., by F. Hrangkhuma (Delhi: ISPCK, 1996), p. 194.
 17

Non-formal education involves adult basic education, adult literacy education or

school equivalency preparation. In non-formal education, someone (who is not in school)

can learn literacy, other basic skills or job skills. 15 Home education, individualized

instruction (such as programmed learning), distance learning and computer-assisted

instruction are other possibilities.16 Non-formal education is imparted consciously and

deliberately and systematically implemented. It should be organized for a homogeneous

group.17 Non-formal, education should be programmed to serve the needs of the identified

group. This will necessitate flexibility in the design of the curriculum and the scheme of

evaluation. Example of a non-formal education is Boy Scouts and Girls Guides develop

some sports program such as swimming comes under non-formal education.

2.2. Origin of Theological Education

Theological education is as old as man himself. The Bible being the word of God

was not written in an angelic or supernatural language but in the words of human being, the

understanding word of human. “Theological education biblical cum doctrinal instructions

as it thrives in theological institutions, individual homes or church.” 18 According to Jackson

on brief history of theological education “Theological Education among Christian has a

long and rich history even though it has had a poor reputation in some quarters. 19 Its vibrant

beginning grew from the messianic hopes of the Hebrew faith and were based on the Old

15
Banner, J. M & H. C. Cannon, The Elements of Teaching (New Haven:
Yale University Press, 1997), 21

16
Ibid

17
Loise E. Lebar, Education that is Christian (England, victor books, 1989), 21.

18
Okoreke, C. C. & Nwoko, Michael, (eds.) Aspects of Religious Studies and Philosophy (Owerri:
Sillmark Media Ltd, 2011), 10
19

Water C. Jackson, The Journal of Theological Studies, Volume 50, Issue 1, April 1999, 24.
 18

Testament scriptures especially its prophetic books.” 20 The history of theological education

has received little attention. The organization of the ministry has gotten a lot of attention,

but the preparation for its implementation has gotten a lot less.

Hence, the origins of theological education can be traced back to ancient times

which is the early church when religious teachings and knowledge were transmitted

through various means. Here are some key historical origins of theological education:

2.2.1 The Early Church

It begins with the earliest period of Church History, which for the purpose can be

defined as the four centuries, first as a persecuted minority group and second as the

dominant religious force in the Empire. Initially, there was scant sign of anything

resembling formal training for Christian leadership. One reason for this could be the

distinct nature of the charismatic gifts, which survived the Apostolic Age. The Didache,

which current scholarship tends to place in the second part of the first century, gives

evidence of the charismatic nature of the ministry of ‘apostles, prophets and teachers’, a

ministry which hardly called for formal training. 21 Another early Christian writing is the

Shepherd of Hermas, it is clearly the work of a Christian prophet. Ignatius in one of his

writings in the early second century, discloses evidence of prophetic gift. 22 In ancient

civilizations such as Mesopotamia, Egypt, and India, religious teachings and practices were

passed down through oral tradition, religious texts, and specialized schools or temples.

These institutions provided education and training to individuals aspiring to become

religious leaders, priests, or scholars.

20
Ibid

21
Robert Ferris, The Role of Theology in Theological Education (CA.: MARC, 1996), 101
22
Theophorus Ignatius, Church History,
https://jesuitportal.bc.edu/research/documents/1551_ignatiusontheologicalstudies/. Accessed July 7, 2023
 19

The emergence of Mon episcopacy in the first part of the second century may have

had important repercussions for ministerial training. The bishop, focus of the Church’s

local unity, was conceived of as embodying in himself the whole gamut of clerical

functions.23 In practice, many of these were discharged by presbyters, deacons, and those in

the increasing number of minor orders, under the close supervision and guidance of the

bishop, father-in-God to the clergy as well as the laity. This intimate personal association

of the bishop with his clergy was a source of inspiration and direction to untried clergy.

The epitome of such training is to be found in the group of clergy which Augustine of

Hippo gathered around him in the early fifth century.

However, ‘the first conscious beginnings of regular clerical training’, according the

New SchaffHerzog Encyclopedia, may well have come with the subdivision of clerical

orders and the practice of raising a minister to a higher order only after he had been tested

and proved in a lower one.24 Already in the Pastorals, there is the possibility that the office

of deacon was a ‘stepping stone” to the office of elder. With the introduction of minor

orders, it became customary for an individual to be tested in a lower order before being

advanced to a higher level or realm. The need for ministerial training along more formal

lines seems to have been borne in upon the Church during the course of the second century.

The growing self-consciousness of a Church locked in debate with pagans and Jews on the

one hand, and heretical schools of Gnostics on the other, undoubtedly called for systematic

and concentrated mental discipline on the part of those who would undertake leadership. 25

At the same time, instruction in authoritative interpretation was essential for the
23
Ibid
24

Ferris, The Role of Theology in Theological Education, 102

25

Ibid
 20

crystallization and refinement of Christian doctrine, as well as the acknowledgement of the

canon of Christian Scripture. As a result, there was a marked potential, particularly in the

East, where inquiry and debate were more thorough than in the West, for the bishop's

teaching function to be delegated in part to one or more instructors who could specialize

not only in preparing and teaching a Christian apologetic to enquirers and new believers,

but also in providing potential Christian leaders with a thorough grounding in learning,

both non-Christian and Christ-centred.

The Catechetical School of Alexandria is a prime example. It was founded by

Bishop Demetrius towards the close of the second century, it grew to its greatest heights

under the leadership of the famous Origen before his departure to Caesarea (where he

developed a similar institution).26 Its scope is well summarized as ‘an encyclopaedic

teaching, presenting in the first place the whole series of profane sciences, and then rising

to moral and religious philosophy, and finally to Christian theology. It is set forth in the

form of a commentary on the sacred books’. In all this, Origen was clearly influenced by

Alexandrian and Jewish precedents, but that the school was more than a ‘Christian

University’ it is evidenced by the fact that it produced notable missionaries (e.g. Gregory

the Wonderworker, Apostle of Pontus, who studied under Origen at Caesarea and so on).

2.2.2 The Early Medieval Period

Moving now into the early medieval period (i.e., 500-1000) the Church plunged

into a new situation. The area in which it had become established was devastated by wave

after wave of barbarian invaders.27 By land and sea, from north, south, east and west, they

did not come all at once, but at intervals during the course of half a millennium or more.

26
Cross, F.L.; Livingstone, E.A., eds. “Clement of Alexandria, St.” in The Oxford Dictionary of the
Christian Church (2ed.). (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1974),
27
Ferris, The Role of Theology in Theological Education, 105
 21

From First Goths, to Vandals, Franks―not to mention Angles, Saxons and Jutes―in the

fourth and fifth centuries. Before these―and others―had been assimilated, the forces of

Islam began their momentous march westwards which was to give them dominance in the

Near East, North Africa and Spain, until they were stopped in 732 at Poitiers. 28 Then it was

the turn of the Northmen from Denmark and Norway who ravaged Western Europe and

settled in parts of it.29 Finally, the seething pot of Asia poured into Europe Slavs and

Magyars among the last instalment.

Apart from the question of survival, the Church of these ‘Dark Ages’ found itself

faced with two enormous tasks; first the conversion of the barbarians which is a task that

was in some cases, almost as formidable as the conversion of communists today; second, a

somewhat self-imposed but almost equally daunting labour which also is the preservation

of the culture of Rome which had to some extent been Christianized.

Already in the fourth century, Basil of Caesarea and the ‘Cappadocian Fathers’,

not to mention Jerome, had begun to steer monasticism in the direction of scholarship.

Strong impetus was given to this tendency by Cassiodorus and to some extent the Rule of

St. Benedict.30 At the same time, the tradition of episcopal training did not die out. Far from

it. Bishop Germanus of Auxerre in Gaul, a fifth century bishop with a missionary vision,

was the man to whom Patrick went for training when convinced that he was called to

evangelize Ireland31. Again, Augustine of Canterbury, having gained a foothold in England,

established a school for the training of clergy which was subsequently developed by
28

Ibid
29

Ibid
30

Samuel Rowen, Missiology and the Coherence of Theological Education. (Monrovia, CA.: MARC,
1996), 93
31
Ibid
 22

Theodore of Tarsus into the School of Canterbury. It was known that the curriculum

included the interpretation of Scripture, and that Greek as well as Latin was taught there.

Indeed Bede (673-735) affirmed that there were disciples of Theodore known to him to

whom Latin and Greek were as familiar as their own language. 32 Also taught at Canterbury

were music, which was essential to the liturgical services of the Church, and astronomy

which was required for the calculation of the Christian Calendar. Also the School of York

appears that a course was given in Ecclesiastical Law.

The Early medieval era continued under the Emperor Charlemagne, crowned Holy

Roman Emperor in 800, a briefly successful attempt to bring something like peace and

good order to a large part of Europe was accompanied by a minor renaissance of learning. 33

Charlemagne’s School of the Palace, headed from 782 to 796 by the Northumbrian scholar

Alcuin who became a kind of academy. In 789 the Council of Aix-la-Chapelle urged the

school saying; ‘Let schools be built to teach children to read’. In all the monasteries and in

all the episcopal churches, psalms, hymns, singing, arithmetic and grammar shall be

taught’34. Lagarde was probably right in deducing that Charlemagne’s aim was not to

attempt the impossible task of providing universal education, but to ensure that priests and

monks should be trained ‘capable of understanding the Scripture, of reading the office

correctly, of performing liturgical functions exactly and intelligently’. 35 Repeatedly,

enactments are often a sign of failure to take action, but it is worth noting, for instance, the

32

Harold H. Rowdon, Theological Education in Historical Perspective,

https://biblicalstudies.org.uk/pdf/vox/vol07/education_rowdon.pdf. Accessed July 8, 2023.
33

Ibid
34

Ainley, Patrick, Vocational Education and Training, (London: Cassell, 1990), 5

35
Andre Lagarde, The Latin Church in the Middle Ages (London: Wentworth Press, 1915), 519
 23

requirement of 814 that each cathedral should have its episcopal school. The stress upon

the episcopal duty to provide training is obvious, though it must be added that this training

is now related less to the understanding of Scripture and more to the performance of

liturgical and sacramental functions. It should be added that stipulations should be found.

2.2.3 The Later Middle Ages

The situation in the second half of the middle Ages (c. 1000-1500) was markedly

different from that of the previous half millennium. On the surface, Europe was now

Christianized, and the most concerted endeavour ever made to achieve God's kingdom on

earth was fostered.36 The Pope and Emperor assumed ultimate responsibility for Church

and State issues, respectively (though they rarely succeeded in defining the line between

the two or deciding their correct relationship to each other). 37 The distinguishing features

between the sacred and the secular was highly muddled, making it difficult to differentiate

ministerial training from the given in preparation for God's service in the state. The

fundamentals of a general education were not as difficult to achieve as commonly

assumed.38 Monasteries continued to supply a quota, but in a purportedly Christian culture,

they intended to revert to type and prioritize seclusion from society. Nonetheless, there

were monastic schools, which were normally held outside the monastery's walls and

administered by secular clergy. In which Promising youths were also instructed by local

village clergy. It was affirmed by Theodore of Etaples who taught at Oxford in the early

twelfth century that, there were experienced schoolmasters not only in towns but also in

36

Ibid
37

Doris Stenton, English Society in the Early Middle Ages (England: Penguin, 1951), 259
38

Ibid, 260
 24

villages.39 In 1220 the Council of Westminster reaffirmed the duty of priests to maintain

free schools in towns.40 Associated with larger parish and collegiate churches were the

Grammar Schools. A twelfth century description of London refers not only to those

associated with the churches of St. Paul, Holy Trinity and St. Martin, but also to other

schools that were licensed by special grace and permission. 41 Sons of wealthy families

could be boarded out with bishops to learn good manners in their household and be taught

by chaplains and clergy. Through these means it was possible to gain knowledge of reading

and writing in Latin, still the language of learning and of the Church in the West, simple

accounts and training in the liturgical usages of the Church in its worship. Many ‘poor

parson’ like the worthy character in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales would have received such

training as it comes their way in one of the humbler modes.

The advent of the university was the most notable development of the twelfth

century. In some ways, the university arose from the bishop's mission to give clerical

education. The 4th Lateran Council of 1215 still admonished every metropolitan bishop to

guarantee that theology was taught in the framework of his cathedral church, but this duty

had been taken up by universities.42 Due to bishops' increasing involvement in state

concerns as well as Church higher politics, the bishop's teaching duties had long since

passed to the cathedral chancellor. Now, as part of a notable renaissance of learning, and in

some cases at least developed out of the activities of the cathedral chancellor, the university

came into existence as a ‘studium generale’ (i.e. a general resort of students).43

39
Stenton, English Society in the Early Middle Ages, 260.
40
Harold H. Rowdon, “Theological Education in Historical Perspective,” (Vox Evangelica, 1971), 7
41
Lagarde, The Latin Church in the Middle Ages
42

Ibid
43
Ibid.
 25

The organization of the university seems to have been influenced by the structure of

the medieval gild at this time. Ultimate control resided in the hands of the Cathedral

Chancellor, but effective control was exercised by the Rector or Master of the Schools,

who was usually elected by the masters and merely confirmed by the bishop. 44 Masters

gave lectures which were attended by the bachelors who at first lived in rooms, privately

hired, then in halls where rooms were let to them by a master. When colleges came on

board in the late thirteenth century they were primarily communities in which masters lived

a common life under a warden. The course of studies for bachelors was the already

stereotyped programme of the seven liberal arts, comprising the Trivium (Grammar,

Rhetoric and Dialectic) and the Quadrivium (Arithmetic, Astronomy, Music and

Geometry).45 More specialized studies, such as Medicine, Canon Law (increasingly

important with the growing centralized bureaucracy of the medieval Roman Church) and

Theology were post-graduate.46

Scholasticism reigned supreme in theological studies during this time period. It

consisted of a combination of Aristotle's metaphysics, along with Anselm's approach of

providing glosses or commentaries and his analysis of dogma into rational concepts,

connected by logical bonds. Additionally, Abelard contributed by synthesizing dogmas

through rigorous critical examination. Similar to the Catechetical School of Alexandria, the

medieval university sought to cultivate comprehensive knowledge across various

disciplines, with theology regarded as the pinnacle. 47 Unfortunately, due to the lengthy

44

Stenton, English Society in the Early Middle Ages, 262

45

Ibid
46

Ibid
47
Peter Abelard, Theology of Atonement: A Multifaceted Approach and Ree,
https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/jats/vol26/iss1/5/. Accessed July 10, 2023.
 26

duration of the entire course, which could span up to 17 years and encompass both

disputations and lectures, the focus gradually shifted away from practical ministry work

and towards an academic life dedicated to scholarly pursuits. High ideals proved to be self-

defeating. In any case, the nature of the Church in the Middle Ages with its sacramental

emphasis, its liturgical forms and its ever increasing basis in canon law called for a type of

ministerial training which provided largely stereotyped pastoral equipment and a negligible

amount of homiletic preparation.

Affirmatively, pastoral and homiletic manuals that help in teaching these were

available, but they were expensive and relatively inaccessible. The main answer to the need

of pastoral and homiletic ministry then was the development of new religious orders.

Dominicans and Franciscans, trained to combat heresy and minister to the needs of the

unchurched masses in the sprawling towns and cities of the thirteenth century were able to

preach from experience as well as from books. Each friary had its training school, to which

secular clergy were often welcome. In each of the seven areas into which England (for

example) was divided, there was a school of liberal arts and theology (e.g. Black friars in

London). According to Thomas Aquinas (himself a Dominican) the Orders of Friars

provided that training for secular clergy which the reforming Lateran Councils had failed to

provide.48 But in process of time, the schools of the friars became absorbed into the

university set-up, and their separate impact was largely lost.

The reformers of the sixteenth century drew attention to the extent of clerical

ignorance and ineptitude. Bishop Hooper’s famous visitation of the clergy of his Gloucester

diocese revealed appalling ignorance (two of the clergy questioned thought that the Lord’s

48
Thomas Aquinas, The Roots of Educational Theory (weebly.com), accessed July 10, 2023.
 27

Prayer was so called because ‘the Lord King’ had commanded it to be used). 49 This was

undoubtedly an extreme example, but conservative humanists like Dean Colet of St. Paul’s

and the celebrated Erasmus also drew attention to the inadequacies of the clergy,

inadequacies which were undoubtedly highlighted by the rising standards expected.

In a nutshell, the Middle Ages, the rise of universities, such as the University of

Paris and the University of Oxford, provided a formalized structure for theological

education. The curriculum included the study of theology as the "Queen of the Sciences,"

alongside other disciplines such as philosophy and law. Monastic schools, associated with

religious orders like the Benedictines, also played a significant role in theological education

during this period.

2.2.4 The Reformation Period

The Reformation took place against the background of another renaissance of

learning. The Northern Renaissance, with its Christian basis, applied the principle of ‘Back

to the sources’ to the ministerial task.50 Its keen critical faculty not only exposed the falsity

of documents, for instance, the Donation of Constantine, which had been used to buttress

papal claims, but also studied the Scriptures in their original languages with the same

attention to historico-grammatical rather than the dominant method of allegorical

interpretation.51 The major reformers were more indebted to humanism than is sometimes

thought. Melanchthon at Wittenberg, as well as Calvin at Geneva and the numerous centers

of training set up in the Netherlands, Scotland, and later North America, under the direct or

indirect inspiration of Geneva, gave ministerial training a firm basis in exegesis of the

49
Ibid
50

Erwin Fahlbusch, and William Bromiley, The Encyclopedia of Christianity, Volume 3. (Michigan:
Eerdmans, 2003), 362.
51
Ibid
 28

Scriptures in the original languages.52 In Geneva at least, this high academic training was

balanced against practical experience which, in the case of those bound for dangerous

missionary work in France, might extend to anything between one and twenty years of

practical work in French Switzerland. Attention is often drawn to the stream of men

coming, fully trained, from Calvin’s Academy at Geneva. It should not be forgotten that the

University of Wittenberg had been fulfilling a similar role for decades before the

foundation of the Academy, and that Calvin had learned something at least from the stress

on Biblically based education at Strassbourg under Martin Bucer and the famous

educationalist, lean Sturm.

Principal Kingdom has argued that the churches in the Reformed tradition centred

ministerial training upon the universities because they were largely under the control of the

churches.53 Of particular interest is a method of ministerial training which does not

necessarily require the facilities of a university. It is in Zurich that we first meet the term

‘prophesying’ used in this context. Prophesying has been described by Patrick Collinson in

his fine study of Elizabethan Puritanism as ‘an academic exercise in the spirit of biblical

humanism, replacing logical discourse, as the principal discipline for the schooling of

future ministers’.54 At Zurich, both practicing ministers and divinity students met five days

a week to share in systematic exposition of the Scriptures. This method was perfected by

the English Puritans.

52
D. P. Kingdom, Training for the Ministry (Longman, 1969), 4.
53

Ibid.
54

Peter Collinson, The Elizabethan Puritan Movement (Michigan: Eerdmans, 1967), 169.
 29

In his ill-fated reform of Canon Law in England, Cranmer had planned that

ministers should be trained in cathedral schools under the eye of the bishop and the tuition

of readers in Divinity, Greek and Hebrew. This came to nothing, and royal injunctions,

archbishops’ injunctions and orders of Convocation failed to achieve much in the way of

raising standards of clerical competence. Puritan initiative undertook to supply the

need―and provide public edification at the same time. There were variations of method,

but the basic pattern was for a panel of preachers under the guidance of one or more taught

moderators to expound a passage of Scripture, proceeding steadily through whole books, to

work through a systematic compilation of theology or to deal with practical and pastoral

questions in the same way. In some cases, only the more adequate ministers spoke in

public: the relatively unlearned were examined by the more learned ministers after the

public had left. In a university context, this method could be applied more rigorously.

Weekly conferences were held at which one scholar dealt with the original language,

another with grammatical interpretation, another with logical analysis, another with ‘the

true sense and meaning of the text’, another with the doctrines. 55 Here was a cooperative

method of training, and one which possessed considerable flexibility. Before leaving the

Reformation period, one must note that the Council of Trent required all cathedral and

greater churches ‘to maintain, to educate religiously, and to train in ecclesiastical

discipline, a certain number of youths of their city and diocese’ or to provide for this to be

done ‘in a college to be chosen by the bishop for this purpose’.56 Thus were initiated the

lesser seminaries which provided general education, and the greater seminaries to add

55
Ibid.
56

F. W. B. Bullock, A History of Training for the Ministry of the Church of England and Wales from
1800 to 1874 (Eedermans, 1955), 3.
 30

ministerial training which would enable Roman Catholic priests to match the learning and

devotion of some at least of their Protestant counterparts. According to Kampschulte, a

Catholic historian, Acquavia, the general of the Society of Jesus who drew up the

curriculum for Jesuit seminaries, derived a great deal from Calvin’s academic regulations.

‘In regard to the organization proper and in fundamental principles, the two institutions are

much alike, so that they are related to each other as the blue-print and the completed

work.’57

2.2.5 The Post-Reformation Period

When discussing the post-Reformation era, it is possible to only touch upon certain

aspects of the situation in England, specifically within the established church and

dissenting groups. The universities remained highly regarded as the primary institutions for

training individuals for the ministry of the established church. A notable example

highlighting this is found in the preface to the statutes of Sidney Sussex College,

Cambridge, established in 1596. The college is described as a "seminary" that selectively

nurtures the finest individuals, providing them with ample knowledge from various

academic disciplines until they reach maturity and can be transferred into the Church. In

this way, the Church benefits from their intellectual contributions and grows spiritually

through their teachings.

Furthermore, the fact that the universities effectively supplied the Church is evident

in statistics from the diocese of Norwich. For instance, between 1663 and 1800, nearly all

clergy members, with the exception of five, had received their education from universities.

However, it is important to examine the nature of this training. Halevy, a French historian

57
D. P. Kingdon, 144
 31

of nineteenth-century England, presents a sombre depiction of the situation at the beginning

of that century.

‘England was probably the sole country in Christendom where no proof of

theological knowledge was required from candidates for ordination... At Oxford
theology was reduced to one single question asked of all candidates for
examination. At Cambridge no theology whatsoever entered into any of the
examinations for a degree. The entrance examination once passed, and it was
elementary in the extreme, not to say childish, students who were not the eldest
sons of gentle families, and did not possess sufficient industry or capacity to face
more difficult examinations, could proceed without further delay to the clerical
status.’58

While the portrayal may be somewhat exaggerated, there is an element of truth in it.

The universities were afflicted by a general sense of apathy, prioritizing social aspects over

educational value. Serious study was often seen as an optional addition, and examinations

were noticeably scarce.

Regarding theological studies, there were professors and tutors available, and those

preparing for ordination were expected to seek their guidance in preparation for the

bishop's or chaplain's examination, a prerequisite for ordination. However, due to the

impression given by university statutes that only those holding a Master of Arts (M.A.)

degree were obliged to attend theological lectures, such lectures were seldom conducted.

Furthermore, with the increased age of matriculation, there was little time between

graduation and the canonical (23) for entering the diaconate. Moreover, many bishops

were known for their laxity in examining ordinands.

58
E. Halèvy, Theology, Church and Ministry: A Handbook for Theological Education, (England
1924), 391.
 32

In the early nineteenth century, there was a considerable amount of protest and

suggestions for improvement, leading to eventual action. The introduction of the “Previous

Examination” at Cambridge, also known as the “Little-Go,” in 1822, infused a stronger

religious emphasis into the general curriculum. 59 New regulations in 1841 and 1842 also

incorporated this religious element into the examination for the Ordinary Degree. A

“Voluntary Theological Examination” encompassing Greek Testament, assigned portions

of the Early Fathers, Church History, the Articles of Religion, and the Liturgy of the

Church of England was established. More significantly, most bishops agreed to require all

Cambridge ordinands to pass this examination.60

The establishment of an Honours School in Theology at Oxford in 1870 and a

Theological Tripos at Cambridge in 1871 marked a turning point. The study of theology at

these prestigious universities became more rigorous and scholarly, but it also became more

theoretical and academic in nature. Owen Chadwick summarized this shift aptly in his

comprehensive history of The Victorian Church, noting that while Pusey prioritized his role

as a canon and secondarily as a professor, his successor, Driver, prioritized his position as a

professor and secondarily as a canon.61

The work of the older universities was supplemented by the foundation of King’s

College, London in 1829 and the University of Durham in 1832. The former which was the

King’s college was at first intended to prepare for the older universities those who desired

degrees and ordination, but later provided complete training for ordination. The latter gave

59
Carter Lindberg, The European Reformations (Third ed.) (New York: Wiley-Blackwell, 2021), 22
60

Ibid
61

O. Chadwick, The Victorian Church, (Longman, 1970), 451-452.

 33

careful attention to the needs of theological students and in the creation of a theological

degree course anticipated the older universities by several decades. In addition to the

degree course it established a Licence in Theology course in 1833 which was open to

graduates of other universities.

Though the tradition of bishops involving themselves in ministerial training by no

means died out, it suffered from the hostility of the universities. The efforts of Bishop

Burnet of Salisbury (1689-1715) were frustrated in this way, and he felt obliged to give up

a promising experiment after five years. In a more remote area the saintly Bishop of Sodor

and Man, Thomas Wilson (1689-1755) used to give a year’s training to ordinands.

According to Hugh Stowell’s Life, ‘without the formality of college lectures, the Bishop

was daily communicating the substance of such doctrines in a more attractive manner and a

more engaging style’.62 During the nineteenth century, several diocesan colleges were

established, but the idea of bishops giving personal instruction and inspiration to ordinands

was not altogether lost. Bishop Lightfoot, for example, gathered graduate ordinands around

him at Durham.

Likewise, the belief that significant learning can occur during the period of serving as a

curate maintained the emphasis on "learning on the job," a concept deeply rooted in the

Church's history. This notion was effectively expressed by Bishop Fraser of Manchester

during a diocesan synod on November 26th, 1874, when he stated, "If incumbents give a

title to a young curate, it seems to me that the incumbent is just as obligated to instruct the

curate in the duties of the vocation, similar to how a joiner would teach an apprentice their

trade."63 While this ideal has often been more neglected than observed, there is no doubt

62
F. W. B. Bullock, History of Theological Education, (Edingburg, 1989), 11.

63
Ibid
 34

that it served as a valuable form of “in-service” training. Similarly, ministers' fraternal,

which became nearly as important as the Puritan conference during the Evangelical

Revival, also served as a valuable means of such training.

2.3. Purpose of Theological Education

Every educational process has explicit and implicit assumptions about its purposes,

methods and intended outcomes for teaching and learning. Theological education is no

exception. In some contexts the term 'theological education' is used almost exclusively for

ministerial formation, often referring to graduate-level degree programs designed to

prepare people for ministry of one form or another.64

Historically theological education has been regarded as a means of preparing men

and women for professional Christian service. According to TenElshof & Furrow the

emphasis on theological education in the past was on practical professional skills,

predominantly those of theological and biblical study. 65 Consequently, following the

establishment of professional schools in the nineteenth century, professional interests

informed theological education. According to Banks theological education became a

professional service where seminary students went about a practice, a skill, an art, and a

craft in the service of others, much like law and medicine. 66 Theological education at the

time was rooted in the common practice of the day, namely apprenticeship. Hence this shit

of apprenticeship impacted largely on the aim of theological education as it is practiced

64

Joseph Ban, (ed), The Christological Foundation for Contemporary Theological Education (Macon:
Mercer University Press, 1988), 18.

65
TenElshof & Furrow, The Role of Secure Attachment in Predicting Spiritual Maturity of Students
at a Conservative Seminary, Journal of psychology and theology, 2000, 99
66
Banks, Robert. Reenvisioning Theological Education: Exploring a Missional Alternative to
Current Models. (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1999).
 35

today. Theological education aims at developing a reflective Christian identity and practice,

an informed and spiritually enriched access to biblical tradition, and at empowering people

to participate in the mission of God in this world. It enables people to reflect critically on

the relation between their own Christian identity, their church tradition and other Christian

traditions, their relation to the world, and the tasks of God's mission today.

Graham stresses that the overall aim of theological education should be the

development of theological learning; practical preparation for ministry; spiritual and

ministerial formation; and growth in personal maturity. 67 He further states that theological

learning situations should be characterized by a combination of approaches that will

enhance personal construction of knowledge, explicit and implicit instruction through

modelling and practice, which, when combined, can be viewed as a process of mentoring. 68

As seminary students develop their knowledge about theology, they should also understand

and articulate their personal theology and begin to discern the activity of God in their

personal lives and in the lives of others. Additionally, theological education needs to

provide seminary students with the skills necessary to exercise their God-given ministries.

These skills should form part of a complex competency that includes elements of

leadership and discipleship, collaboration, empowerment and mutuality 69. As stated

already, the aim of theological education includes spiritual formation and growth in

personal maturity. Evidently, spiritual formation requires not only deepening spiritual

awareness and growth in moral character, but also the development of self-awareness and

67

Graham Cole, Theological Education: A Personalist Perspective, Journal of Christain

Education,VOL. 44, Number 3, 36
68

Ibid
69
Ibid
 36

an understanding of others. Speaking of the aims of theological education, McKinney

emphasizes that theological education should be characterized by commitment to the

following aspects:

a. Biblical training: Knowledge of the Bible must be central to theological

education and a devotion to the word of God as the authority for all of life,

both with respect to how theological students think and how they live.

b. The great commission: The spread of the gospel must be incorporated in

theological education. Theological students must be equipped to become

world changers with a passion to win the world for Christ.

c. Holy living: Issues of character, lifestyle, integrity, and godliness must form

part of the ingredients of the aims of theological education. Seminary

students must be taught how to integrate belief, behaviour, right thinking

and right living.

d. Ministerial formation: Theological students should be equipped for

meaningful church-related ministries. There should be a connection between

theory and practice that will produce meaningful ministerial praxis.70

According to Graham the summative aim of theological training is the development of

theological understanding.71 This requires a capacity for theological reflection and wisdom

relating to a responsible life in faith and encompasses fostering a deepening spiritual

awareness, growing in moral sensibility and character, gaining an intellectual grasp of the

tradition of a faith community, and acquiring the abilities required for exercising a ministry
70
McKinney John, https://journals.sagepub.com/ accessed 5/7/2022

71
Graham Cole, Theological Education: A Personalist Perspective, Journal of Christin
Education,VOL. 44, Number 3, 36
 37

in that community. These goals, and the processes and practices leading to their realization,

are normally intertwined and should not be separated from one another. Stevens argues for

biblical theological education when he says the following:

Biblical theological education is a complex reality involving many strands of

learning, faith development and active ministry evoked by [an] authentic relationship
with the living God... it is [an education that is] community-oriented (rather than
individualistic), cooperative (rather than competitive), life-centred (rather than
merely school-based), oriented towards obedience (rather than the mere
accumulation of cognitive information) [and] lifelong (rather than concentrated in a
degree programme).72

From the above views of the aim of theological education it is evident that theological

education is a multi-faceted, enormous endeavour. The formalization of various categories

in training are required if theological education is to meet its required goals. These

categories should not be regarded as different entities, but must complement each other in

order to foster the development of the whole person being educated. Naidoo citing

(Overend 2007), states that 'one of the recent advances has been the growing recognition

that theological education should attend to the development of the whole person, that

spiritual character formation and relational skills are as significant as cognitive

development in preparing people for successful Christian ministry. 73 However, recent

trends in theological education in many seminaries seem to concentrate less on the

ministerial formation of seminary students. In the most far-reaching study to date on

pastors who have exited ministry, the study confirms that the ministry and pastors' lives

differed greatly from what respondents expected those experiences to be, based on their

72

J. Ottis Sayes, Renewal in Theological Education: Strategies for Change (Wheaton, IL: The Billy
Graham Center, 1978), 35.
73
Naidoo, M., ‘Persistent issues impacting on the training of ministers in the South African context’,
Scriptura: International Journal of Bible, Religion and Theology in Southern Africa 112, 2013, 1–16.
 38

seminary experience.74 Hence seminary students' preparation needs to balance its focus on

both content and character, both academic preparation and ministerial formation.

The purpose of theological education has a link stem to the purpose of higher education.

However, the purposes of theological education are as follows,

1. Having a transformative personal encounter with God who engages us in His

ongoing re-construction of creation.

2. Theological education develops students as critical thinkers and problem solvers.

3. Theological education instills discipline in students.

4. It broadens the horizon of reflection and action.

5. Another purpose is to break away from ignorance by propounding theories.

2.4. Impact of Theological Education

For theological education to achieve its expected goal in the church and society, “It has

to take the shape of public theology, a term used to refer to “a body of literature, a form of

discourse, a way of doing theology and ethics” 75. Theological Education component is a

new inclusion in the early childhood Development and Education curriculum. Theological

Education inclusive in the Early Childhood Development and Education curriculum foster

God’s knowledge, and man’s relationship with God and strives at identifying and

enhancing students’ moral and spiritual development. It also has a long-term implications

on the students in the following ways:

74

Ford, L., A Curriculum Design Manual for Theological Education: A Learning Outcome Focus
(Eugene, Wipf & Stock, 1999), 343
75

Ibid.
 39

1. Doctrinally sound: the impact of Theological Education is to provide students who

don’t have foreknowledge about doctrines with the right doctrine and help them to

have the right understanding of each statement of the doctrine in order to serve the

church better. Paying more attention to the message of salvation and as well to

souls. This has made the church an ideal society with a gathering of gifted elites.

2. Fervency of Spirit in prayers and hunger for God’s word. The life of all theological

students or theologians has been described as a continuation of Acts of the

Apostles76 in this modern time. This is feedback from the impacts of Theological

Education.

3. Another impact of Theological Education is to proclaim historical biblical Christ.

2.5 Challenges to theological education

Challenges to theological education at this time begin with the challenge presented

in the area of means and tools before tackling challenges more related to method and

content, namely the huge technological advances in the world. Theological education in our

region has to develop technically in order to keep pace with the rapid advancement in

techniques for collecting, preserving, and benefiting from information. People live in an

electronic and digital world. The computer has replaced the pen and paper; the screen has

replaced the black board; and digital books and magazines are available to everyone by

thousands and tens of thousands—in fact, full libraries are digitized and stored in small

devices. The ease and speed of getting information, books, and magazines is amazing.

Communication and the sharing of information between institutions and individuals is

boundless.
76

Noelliste, D., “Towards a Theology of Theological Education”, Evangelical Review of Theology,

Vol.19:3, July 1995, p.299
 40

Distance learning and learning through electronic communication has changed the

traditional form of education based on geographical and physical existence in one place and

one room. And the list goes on. The world is in the midst of a real revolution in the area of

information technology. Theological education cannot avoid the massive progress and

change in the field of technology, and it should adapt and adjust to it and benefit from it as

much as possible. This is a great challenge facing theological education in the twenty-first

century, not only in Nigeria but in the world at large. But it is obvious that this challenge

that is, keeping pace with progress and change in the area of information technology

involves a hazard of another sort that is equally important: this is the tendency to become

impressed and obsessed by large numbers, speed, technology, images, and information and

drowning in them. The danger in today’s education, and not only in theological education,

is becoming unduly impressed by and concerned with electronic means as if they were the

ends. Alister McGrath, a contemporary theologian, says, “We feel engulfed by a tsunami of

facts, in which we can find no meaning.”77

The second challenge is both old and new—that is, how to develop a theological

education that combines prayer, intellect, and praxis? What it means by prayer is what

everyone call the spiritual formation of the student of theology. An Eastern patristic writer,

Evagrius Pontus, defines a theologian in this way: “A theologian is someone who prays.” 78

Studying theology is basically unlike any other study because it assumes and necessarily

involves a personal relationship between the student and the subject of study, between the

knowledge seeker and the subject of knowledge—that is, between the student and God, the

77
McGrath, An Introduction to Christian Theology, 91
78

Nouwen, H., Reaching Out (Glasgow, Collins, 1976), 69.

 41

subject of theology. The subject of the study of theology is God and all that is related to

God.

At the same time, the subject of our study is also the object of our love and worship.

The subject of the study of theology is a being whom is interacting with and relating to

through prayer, love, and faith. For example, one can imagine physics students—those who

study the physical universe of matter, energy, atoms, neutrons, and electrons—allocating

time in their weekly or daily programs to gathering with others to worship and pray to

matter? Or law students, who are studying legal codes, ending or beginning their day by

singing to law? Or medical students meeting regularly to praise the human body for its

immune system’s ability to overcome diseases? “Theology students are the only students

who necessarily relate to their subject of study with a personal relationship because their

subject of study is not just a subject but also a living being who cannot be truly known

without our interaction with him through love, worship, and obedience’.79

Consistent with this understanding, the theological heritage, rather the Christian

heritage, does not lack the element of prayer in the area of theological studies. But the

challenge here are: combining prayer with personal thought, on the one side, and not

giving priority to study, theory, intellectual and doctrinal matters in their activities.

Instead, some students of theological schools concentrate mainly on the experience of past

heroes, fathers in the Lord‘s sayings, African mentality on curses and generational issues.

Conversion, spiritual renewal and being faithful to a Bible-based spirituality are nowhere to

be found in them which are taught by the schools. However, spirituality and identity are not

limited to a conversion experience or personal piety; it produced and is still producing

79
Ibid
 42

profound and wide-ranging theological thought, which has addressed faith-questions and

also dialogued with philosophy and the human, social and natural sciences.

Contextual Relevance: Theological education faces the challenge of remaining

relevant in a rapidly changing world.” It must grapple with contemporary issues, engage

with cultural shifts, and address the needs and questions of diverse communities”. 80

Adapting theological education to the context in which it operates is crucial for its

effectiveness.

Other challenges theological education face may include;

1. Academic Rigor and Practical Application: Balancing academic rigor with practical

application is another challenge. Theological education should equip students with a

solid intellectual foundation while also providing opportunities for hands-on

ministry experience and skill development. Integrating theory and practice ensures

that graduates are well-prepared for the complexities of real-world ministry.

2. Pluralism and Interfaith Dialogue: Theological education needs to engage with

religious pluralism and foster interfaith dialogue. In an increasingly interconnected

world, religious leaders must be equipped to navigate conversations and build

3. Relationships across different faith traditions. Training in interfaith dialogue and

understanding is essential for promoting mutual respect and cooperation.

4. Social Justice and Ethics: Addressing social justice issues and ethical dilemmas is a

pressing challenge for theological education.81 Theological institutions need to

emphasize the integration of faith and social responsibility, equipping students to

80
Naidoo, M., Persistent issues impacting on the training of ministers in the South African context’,
Scriptura: International Journal of Bible, Religion and Theology in Southern Africa 112, 2013, 1-16
81
Fiorenza, F. S., “Thinking Theologically About Theological Education”, Theological Education,
Vol24, Supplement II, 1988, p. 106
 43

actively engage in promoting justice, equality, and compassion within their

communities and the broader society.

5. Globalization and Cultural Diversity: Theological education must grapple with the

realities of globalization and cultural diversity. Students need to develop cross-

cultural competencies, understanding the nuances of different contexts and

effectively engaging with diverse cultures and worldviews.82 Promoting cultural

sensitivity and inclusivity is crucial for nurturing future leaders in a globalized

world.

6. Technological Advancements: The rapid advancements in technology present both

opportunities and challenges for theological education.83 Embracing digital tools

and platforms can enhance learning experiences and broaden access to education.

However, there is a need to discern how technology can best serve the distinct goals

and methods of theological training while ensuring that personal interaction,

spiritual formation, and community-building are not compromised.

7. Financial Sustainability: Sustaining theological education financially is an ongoing

challenge. Institutions need to find innovative ways to secure funding and manage

resources effectively, especially in an era of economic uncertainty and shifting

priorities.84 Scholarships, partnerships, and creative fundraising strategies are some

approaches that can help address this challenge.

8. Leadership Development: Equipping future leaders for the diverse and complex

challenges of ministry is a key challenge. Theological education should foster the

82
Ibid

83
Ibid
84
Ford, L., A Curriculum Design Manual for Theological Education: A Learning Outcome Focus
(Eugene: Wipf & Stock, 1999), 343
 44

development of visionary, adaptable, and empathetic leaders who can navigate the

changing landscape of the Church and society. Cultivating leadership skills and

nurturing a sense of vocation are vital aspects of theological training.

9. Lifelong Learning: Theological education should go beyond initial training and

embrace a culture of lifelong learning. Graduates need opportunities for continuing

education, professional development, and ongoing theological reflection to stay

relevant and deepen their understanding throughout their ministry careers.

10. Collaboration and Networking: Collaboration among theological institutions,

denominations, and practitioners is crucial for addressing the challenges of

theological education effectively. Sharing resources, expertise, and best practices

can enhance the quality of education, promote innovation, and foster a sense of

unity and cooperation within the wider theological community.85

CHAPTER THREE

BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVES ON THEOLOGICAL EDUCATION

3.0 Introduction

This chapter discusses the biblical perspectives on theological education in the Old and

New Testament. While the acquisition of theological education was not really pronounced

in the Old Testament, there are instances and case studies of people undergoing educational
85

Ibid
 45

training aimed at enhancing their knowledge about God. Likewise in the New Testament,

there are numerous instances of individuals embarking on theological training.

3.1 In the Old Testament

The need for education in the Old Testament was no less true for the Israelites than for

any of the peoples of the ancient world. In fact, the Old Testament record indicates

repeatedly that the success of the Hebrew community and the continuity of its culture were

conditioned by the knowledge of and obedience to God's revealed law ( Joshua 1:6-8 ).

Thus, to ensure their prosperity, growth, and longevity as the people of Yahweh, Israel's

mandate was one of education diligently teaching their children to love God, and to know

and obey his statues and ordinances ( Deut 6:1-9 ).86

For the most part the teaching curriculum was based upon rote learning. This

memorization of the curricular materials was accomplished by both oral and written

recitation.87 Disciplined learning characterized educational instruction, with lessons taught

at fixed times during the day and often for a set number of days in a month. In addition to

being teachers and drill masters, parents (in the home) and tutors (in the formal schools)

also functioned as mentors and role-models, teaching by example and lifestyle.

3.1 In the Pentateuch

The first five books of the scriptures (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and

Deuteronomy) are known as the Pentateuch or Torah. Torah here translates to instruction;

“Teaching” or “law”. Of the 24 books of the Hebrew Bible known as written Torah, Torah
86
Robert W. Pazmiño, Foundational Issues in Christian Education: An Introduction in Evangelical
Perspective (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2006), 83
87

Ibid, 89
 46

consists of the origin of Jewish people hood. Their call into being by God, their trial and

tribulations, and their covenant with their god which involves following a way of life

embodied in a set of moral and religious obligations and civil laws88.

The Torah comprises the examples of many men of God and their families lifestyle

how they received in their different times instructions from God and the rate at which the

transmitted it and insisted on its execution, Adam the first man on earth, Noah the

remarkable man who was saved and his entire household from the flood, Abraham the man

through whom the nation of Israel was found and Moses the law giver man. Two men will

serve as examples for this work.

Abraham as a Focal Point for Education (Genesis 18; 19)

The aim or purpose of education in Pentateuch is encapsulated within the revelation

given to Abraham concerning the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 18; 19).

Here God bids Abraham to direct his children in “the way of the Lord.” This divine

directive embodies the very essence of Hebrew education in the Old Testament curriculum,

affirming the primacy of parental instruction. In addition, the verse identifies the desired

goal or outcome of education: a lifestyle of doing justice and righteousness. There was also

an attendant benefit attached to this “behaviour modification in Yahwistic moral values”

the possession of the land of covenant promise for those Israelites who followed through on

the charge to educate their children in the way of the Lord.

Genesis 18:19 cryptically describes the content of Hebrew education as “the way of the

Lord.” What is meant by this phrase and how does it relate to the religious content of
88
Mark A. Lamport, “The Hand-Me-Down' Philosophy: A Challenge to Uniqueness in Christian
Education.” Christian Education Journal (New York: SAGE Publishing, 1988), 39
 47

education in the Old Testament? Generally speaking, “the way of the Lord” refers to

knowledge of and obedience to the will of God as revealed through act and word in Old

Testament history. The way or will of God for humanity reflects his personal character and

attributes. As human beings love their neighbours as themselves (Lev 19: 18), practice

righteousness and justice (Gen 18:19), and pursue holiness (Lev 11:44) they walk in the

way of the Lord in that they mirror God's character.

More specifically, “the way of the Lord” denotes the particular content of the series of

covenant agreements or treaties Yahweh made with his people Israel. These covenants

formed the basis of Israel's relationship to Yahweh and were characterized by a stylized

literary pattern that included legislation or stipulations necessary for maintaining that

relationship. Often the covenant or treaty concluded with the promise of blessings or curses

conditioned by Israel's obedience (or lack thereof) to the specific covenant stipulations.

The importance of education can be seen in the way Abraham taught his nephew who

lived with him and learnt from him. This was evident when Lot entertained and housed

angels who visited Sodom to destroy it (Genesis 19:1-29). It could be recalled that

Abraham had earlier entertained the same angels who prophesied the birth of Isaac and

revealed their mission to Sodom to Abraham.89

Moses: A Teacher of the Torah - Deuteronomy 6:7-9; 11:19:

The education of a child is the responsibility of the parents to whom that child was

given (Deuteronomy 6:4-9 and 11:18-21). That is why in this passages, parents are asked to

89
Fletcher H. Swift, Education in Ancient Israel from Earliest times to 70A.D. (Chicago: The Open
Court Publishing Co., 1919), 50.
 48

play fully their role which is to teach diligently the commandment of the Lord to their

children.

The mosaic school had one objective “teaching the law to every child and at all

time” and insisted on obedience to God’s law as theme. Throughout his teachings, Moses is

seen as a teacher who cares much about the quality of the teaching given rather than the

quantity. He took time to explain and expatiate to the Israelites all the laws given to him

and taught them to obey and practice it. Moses applied the law that was given 40 years

before to this generation of Israel. He was a typical example of Sunday school teacher who

taught Israel as God commanded him (Deut 6:1). He made sure he carried everybody (old

and young) along in his reading and teaching of the law (Deut 31:10-12).90

Within the Torah, the book of Deuteronomy stands out as one that outlines the norms

for the faith community to follow and teach to the rising generations. In Deuteronomy 6:1–

2, 4–9, Moses is described as exhorting the people of Israel to remember God’s activities in

their history, to teach God’s commands, and, above all, to love, fear, and serve God.

Moses’s teaching called the believing community to relate their faith in God to all of life.

This passage from Deuteronomy provides insights about the goals, the teacher, the student,

the content, and the setting of biblical education. 91 The educational mandate of

Deuteronomy 6:4–9 requires passing on the commandments of God to the next generation.

Its ultimate goal is to foster the love of God expressed in loyalty and obedience. To love

God is to answer to a unique claim (6:4), to be obedient (11:1–22; 30:20), to keep God’s

commandments (10:12; 11:1, 22; 19:9), to heed them and to hear God’s voice (11:13;
90

Adebola O. Jacob, The Role of Christian Education in Developing Christ like Believers (Project Work,
LIFE Theological Seminary, Lagos, Nigeria, 2017), 23.
91
Timothy C. Tennent, “Personal Philosophy of Christian Education” (unpublished student paper,
Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, 1984).
 49

30:16), and to serve (10:12; 11:1, 13). In each of these passages, the word love refers to

obedience from the heart involving all of one’s being.92 Jesus echoes this relationship

between love and obedience in John 14:15: “If you love me, you will obey what I

command.”

The love of God is expressed in obedience to God’s commandments and in giving

oneself wholly (heart, soul, mind, and strength). Teaching is to be incisive in challenging

hearers to such a total life response to God characterized by heartfelt devotion. This

teaching was the particular responsibility of parents, yet this goal has significance for all

forms of education. In the ultimate sense, God is the teacher in biblical education. God is

the author and discloser of all truth, and both teachers and students alike stand under this

truth. God calls teachers and students to understand, grow in, and obey God’s revealed

Word. In this passage and throughout the biblical record, teachers are responsible as

stewards and proclaimers of God’s truth. This truth can be communicated in a variety of

ways, always involving a relational dimension. A relationship of love, trust, openness,

honesty, acceptance, caring, support, forgiveness, correction, and affirmation is to

characterize interactions between teachers and students. 93 Teachers, like parents, are called

upon to model the love of God, which they hope to encourage students to follow.

3.1.2 In the Prophets

The Role of Scribes in Education – Jeremiah 8:

Jeremiah 8:8 exposes the role of the scribes, the professional class of teachers in

Israel whose task was to preserve the written and oral traditions of the nation. They became

92

Ibid.
93
Lawrence O. Richards, A Theology of Christian Education (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1975), 314.
 50

copyists, editors, and interpreters of God's truth (and man's fallible interpretation thereof).

We have already noted the impact of Ezra.94

A. Elwood Sanner suggests that the scribes provided ancient historical background

for varied methodology in teaching. The teaching methods of the scribes included public

discussion, questions and answers, memorization, the exact verbal reproduction of the

teacher's words, stories, oral laws, precepts, proverbs, epigrams, parables, beatitudes, and

allegories.95

At the other hand, R. K. Harrison affirms that Jeremiah analysed the situation and

found that if Israel was taken captive to Babylon, the priests were the one to be blamed

because they did not play their role(teachers) very well, they persuaded the people that

performing religious ritual was substitute to loyalty and obedience in their relationship with

God96. The book of Isaiah opens, the Bible reader experiences something of a Deja vu or a

first-time experience with the earlier historical books. A nation that had been taught by God

and given His truth for its individual and corporate life now faced national judgment and

temporary oblivion because it had rejected God's teaching. Isaiah moans, 'The ox knows his

master, the donkey his owner's manger, but Israel does not know, my people do not

understand" (Isa. 1:3). Prophets served as the teachers in Israel before, during, and after the

Exile.97

94

Kenneth O. Gangel and Howard Hendricks (eds.), The Christian Educator's Handbook on Teaching
(Wheaton, III.: Victor, 1991), 19
95

A. Elwood Sanner, Beacon Bible Exposition (Kansas City: Beacon Hill Press, 1978), 123
96
R. K. Harrison, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries: Jeremiah and Lamentations (Great Britain:
The Tyndale Press,1973), 39
97

Gangel and Hendricks (eds.), The Christian Educator's Handbook on Teaching, 18

 51

The 21 st century church needs to learn more from the experience of Israelites in the

times of Jeremiah and Isaiah and be very careful to not find itself in the same situation .The

legacy to the upcoming generation in church leadership must be based on true word of God

and His will. The failure of the priests to teach the true word of God deviated people from

serving the Almighty God and turned them into idolatry.

The prophets are the social educators of their times who call the people, the leaders,

and the nations to account for their ways. They express the passion of God for

righteousness and justice in the land. Those within and outside the faith community are

scrutinized for the values they espouse and live out in their lives. In response to the lack of

faithful living, the prophets in their teaching bring a message of hope, anger, and courage

that the great North African teacher Augustine described: “Hope has two lovely daughters,

anger and courage. Anger at the way things are, and courage to see that they need not

remain as they are.”98 The prophets’ teachings provide hope for those who are oppressed as

they express God’s anger at human sin, as suggested by Isaiah’s words: “The Sovereign

LORD has given me an instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He

wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught” (Isaiah

50:4). After listening to God, the prophets teach with courageous words, declaring the

alternatives to the current situation.

As outlined by Ezekiel, the Levites have a distinctive role in teaching the people the

ways of the Lord: “They are to teach my people the difference between the holy and the

common and show them how to distinguish between the unclean and the clean” (Ezekiel

44:23). Whereas the Levites’ teaching may be primarily applicable to personal, familial,
98
Wilbert J. McKeachie, Teaching Tips: Strategies, Research, and Theory for College and University
Teachers, 9th ed. (Lexington, MA: D. C. Heath & Co., 1994), 384.
 52

and religious or cultic ethics, the prophets’ role is to set an agenda for the nation in the

public sphere as well as the area of social ethics. This is modelled in the message of Micah:

“He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To

act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8). The works of

justice, righteousness, and mercy encompass all of life and include the social, economic,

and political spheres. The prophets speak of God’s values for all of life that bring human

efforts under judgment and disrupt everyday patterns. God’s demands are made explicit in

the teachings of the prophets, who pose choices for all their hearers, their students in the

public arena.

The prophetic tradition suggests the need for Christian educators to grapple with the

social, political, and economic implications of faith commitments. The prophets were

commentators in their time who took risks in clearly outlining God’s demands. Prophetic

teaching was not always welcomed, and a silencing of the prophets was one response to

their teaching. One important consideration of the prophetic teacher in the present day is

the manifestation of love in confronting hearers, realizing that care is required to confront

others in their sinful and destructive ways. 99 Also, in certain cases women assumed

prominent positions of leadership, like the prophet-judge Deborah (Judges 4:4-5) and the

prophetess-sage Huldah (2 Kings 22:14-15). It seems likely that women of royal standing

in Jerusalem received some kind of formal schooling similar to that of their male

counterparts since they were part of the official political system and queen rule was a

possibility in the ancient Near Eastern world. Of course, common and cultic prostitution

remained a source of employment for women in ancient society.100

99
Klaus Wegenast, Teach, Instruct, Tradition, Education and Discipline, in The New International
Dictionary of New Testament Theology, (ed.) (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1978), 797
100
 53

3.1.3 In the Poeticals

Wisdom Teachings According to Proverbs and Psalms

In time, the Hebrew poetic and wisdom traditions were included in the covenant

content of Old Testament education. The wisdom tradition served as a practical

commentary on the law or covenant legislation, later the psalmist condensed the covenant

content of old testament curricular into the phrase ‘the law of the lord’ the prophetic

tradition functioned as a theological commentary on Old Testament law. (Proverbs 1:3,

Proverbs 2:9, Psalm 119:1).101

Psalm 78:1–8 is another key Old Testament passage providing insights for

understanding the setting for covenant education. This passage speaks about the attention

given to God’s activities in history on behalf of God’s creation and the redeemed

community.102 Wherever God’s words and deeds are passed on to succeeding generations, a

context for Christian education is formed. By necessity, intergenerational relationships

must be present for this to occur. Both the Old and the New Testament communities have a

shared memory or history. In rehearsing the accounts of God’s activities in both distant and

recent history, the meaning and purpose of life in God are shared. Followers of the living

God are not to forget but rather should learn from the victories and failures of persons in

the past.

The Psalms served as educational materials, religious prayer and praise books. It

also served as a religious instruction material in the temple. David, Sons of Kora and Asaph
Ibid
101
Roger E. Hedlund, The Mission of the Church in the World, (MI: Grand Rapids, Baker Book House,
1985), 84.

102
Jim Wilhoit, Christian Education and the Search for Meaning (Grand Rapids: Baker 1986), 21
 54

were great teachers who were remembered with great wisdom who taught their generation.

In Psalms78:1-8 (RSV), Asaph instructs his generation as follows:

Give ear O my people, to my teachings. Incline your ears to the words of my

mouth. I will open my mouth in parable, I will utter dark sayings from of old
things we have heard and known, that our forefathers have told us. We will
not hide these truths from our children; we tell the next generation about the
glorious deeds of the Lord...so the next generation might know them- even
the children not yet born... Then they will not be like their fathers, stubborn,
rebellious, and unfaithful, refusing to give their hearts to God.103

Wherever the need arises for what God has said and done to be transmitted to

succeeding generations, then there is a context for Christian education. Both the Old

Testament and New Testament communities have a shared memory or history. Followers

of the living God are not to forget, but rather to learn from the victories and failures of

people in the past. In the Old Testament times, the family was the primary setting for

education. According to Barclay in exilic and post-exilic times, the agencies of education

also included both synagogues and schools.104

In Old Testament times, the family was the primary setting for education. The

efforts of the family were supplemented and complemented by the instruction in the

covenant community as it gathered. In exilic and postexilic times, the agencies of education

expanded to include both synagogues and schools.105 Even with these developments, the

extended family continued to be important in education.

Crucial to understanding education from the perspective of the Old Testament is the

concept of wisdom and, in particular, its embodiment in Wisdom literature. In the Hebrew

103

James L. Mays, Psalms: Interpretation: A bible commentary for teaching and preaching (Kentucky:
Westminster John Knox Press, 1994), 201
104
William Barclay, Educational Ideals in the Ancient World (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1974), 36
105

William Barclay, Train Up a Child: Educational Ideals in the Ancient World (Philadelphia:
Westminster, 1959), 11–48.
 55

worldview, wisdom was intensely practical, resulted in successful living, and applied to the

heart. A special group of persons was endowed with the gift of wisdom and had the

responsibility of sharing their advice with others. Their task was to develop workable plans

and to prescribe advice for successful living (Jer. 18:18). But wisdom in its fullest sense

was only to be understood in relation to its source, namely, God.106

Ezra Ministry as an Instructor of the Law

Following the return of the exiles from captivity, Ezra reads the Law to the people

(Neh. 8:1–18). Ezra’s ministry is an instrument for renewal in the life of the community;

those able to understand are assembled to hear God’s Word.19 The hearing and heeding of

God’s Word issues in the restoration of life and worship. The uniquely educational aspect

of this event is the Levites’ instruction of the people. They clarify the words of God so that

the people can understand. When the people clearly see the implications of biblical

teachings, they can then respond in ways that are pleasing to God. The tasks of education

include enabling others to come to an understanding of God, divine revelation, and

expectations for personal and corporate human life.

The responsibilities of the educators or teachers include: (1) proclamation, that is,

the reading, speaking, or sharing of God’s Word; (2) exposition, that is, the translation and

explanation or opening up of the meaning of God’s Word; and (3) exhortation, that is, the

suggestion of direct application and response for those who hear. The responsibilities of the

hearers or students include the following: (1) knowing God’s Word by listening attentively

to its proclamation; (2) understanding God’s Word by responding to its exposition; (3)

106

David H. Hubbard, “Wisdom,” in The New Bible Dictionary, ed. J. D. Douglas (Grand Rapids:
Eerdmans, 1962), 1333.
 56

obeying God’s Word by responding wholeheartedly to its exhortation; and (4) worshiping

God, who is encountered through the proclaimed Word, and celebrating the restoration

realized in personal and corporate life.

In general, hearers or students are expected to have reverence for God’s Word (the

people stand while Ezra reads the book of the Law) and to respond at several levels,

including one’s thoughts, decisions, and affections. A response includes the intellect in

terms of understanding, the will in terms of obedience, and the emotions in terms of

repentance and worship. A call is made to set one’s mind, will, heart, and affections upon

God. Here is an example of education that goes beyond the immediate family situation to

include the whole community and nation.

Education in Later Judaism.

Important developments in education during this period included the rise of the

synagogue as both a religious and educational institution; the emergence of scribal schools

for copying, studying, and interpreting the Hebrew Scriptures; and the establishment of

"schools" or academies for the study of the Torah under the tutelage of well-known rabbis

or teachers. However, three items deserve mention in the development of the educational

process in Judaism because of their theological significance for the New Testament and

Christianity.

First, the formative period of Judaism (roughly from the reforms of Ezra to the time

of Maccabees) witnessed the expansion of the religious content or curriculum of Jewish

education. This new material, known as the Mishnah, was accumulated oral tradition

supplementing the Mosaic Law. The Mishnah, along with analysis and commentary, was
 57

eventually codified in the Talmud, the final written form of this earlier oral tradition. The

Talmud was accorded equal standing with the Old Testament Scriptures in the Jewish

rabbinic schools.107 In part, this led to the rift between Jesus and his religious Jewish

counterparts because he rejected the authority of the oral tradition, decrying a religion that

neglected the law of God to cling to the traditions of men ( Mark 7:1-9 ).

Second, the emphasis on law keeping or obedience to God's commands eventually

led to a pharisaic legalism that tithed spice seeds with ruthless calculation (Matt 23:23).

Regrettably, devotion to the law of God displaced devotion to God himself so that certain

circles of Judaism now ignored the very essence of Torah faith, justice, and mercy.

Ironically, this was the intended educational outcome of that original mandate for

instruction in the way of the Lord given to Abraham (Gen 18:19).

Third, the idea of biblical study (and study in general) as worship emerges during

this time period. The precedent for understanding study as an act of worship stems from the

Old Testament, where the psalmist remarked that all those who delight in the works of God

study (or "worshipfully investigate’’) them.

The Practice of Education.

Until a child was about five years old informal education in the home was largely

the responsibility of the mother, a nurse, or a male guardian. A youth between the ages of

five and twenty usually worked with his father as an apprentice learning a vocation. No

doubt parental instruction in the ways of the Lord continued through these years, reinforced

by association with the extended family and involvement in the ritual of community

107
Ibid,780
 58

worship. In later Judaism, male children between the ages of five and twenty usually

attended synagogue schools and were trained in the Torah, the Mishnah, and the Talmud.

At age twenty a young man was ready for marriage and independent full-time employment,

and at age thirty he might assume an official position of responsibility.108

Young women were educated in the way of the Lord and culturally acceptable

domestic skills by their mothers or other women of some standing. Several professions

were open to women, including those of nurse and midwife, cook, weaver, perfumer,

singer, mourner, and servant. In certain cases women assumed prominent positions of

leadership, like the prophet-judge Deborah (Judges 4:4-5) and the prophetess-sage Huldah

(2 Kings 22:14-15). It seems likely that women of royal standing in Jerusalem received

some kind of formal schooling similar to that of their male counterparts since they were

part of the official political system and queen rule was a possibility in the ancient Near

Eastern world. Of course, common and cultic prostitution remained a source of

employment for women in ancient society.

The Agencies of Education.

There were basically three agencies or institutions responsible for the education of

youth in Old Testament times: the home or family, the community, and formal centres of

learning. Here it is important to remember that the process of education described in

Scripture was predominantly informal (home and community), not the formal education of

learned institutions.

108
John D. Barry et al., “Wisdom” in The Lexham Bible Dictionary (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press,
2007), 265
 59

The home was the primary agency for instruction in Hebrew society. 109 While the

Old Testament emphasizes the role of the father as teacher, both parents are given charge to

train their children (Proverbs 1:8 Proverbs 6:20; 31:26). Since ancient Israel was largely a

clan society, extended family members like grandparents, aunts and uncles, and even

cousins might also participate in the educational process within the home. The "home

school" curriculum was both religious and vocational, as parents and other family members

tutored children in "the fear of the Lord" (Prov. 2:5) and a trade or professional skill most

often that of the father.110

Since all Israelites were bonded together in covenant relationship as the people of

God before Yahweh, the religious community also played an important role in the

education of the Hebrew youth. Again, community instruction was essentially religious in

nature and purpose and took the form of didactic and historical meditation, moral training,

sign and symbol, memorization and catechism, festival and sacrificial liturgy, ritual

enactment, and priestly role modelling. Specific examples of community education include:

the three great pilgrimage festivals (Unleavened Bread, Weeks, and Tabernacles Deut

16:16 ; cf. Exod 12:14-28 ), the public reading of the Mosaic law every seventh year ( Deut

31:12-13 ), the covenant renewal enactments (Deut. 29-30; Josh. 23-24), the annual

national festivals/fasts, Sabbath worship, historical teaching memorials, tabernacle/temple

architecture and furnishings, the sacrificial system, and priestly dress and liturgical

function.

Although the Old Testament lacks specific documentation, it is assumed by analogy

to known practices in the rest of the ancient Near East that formal learning centres or
109
Ibid
110
Ibid
 60

schools existed in ancient Israel.111 Hints of these organized schools for particular training

are scattered throughout the Old Testament, especially in the company of the prophets

associated with Elisha ( 2 Kings 2:3 2 Kings 2:5 ; 6:1-2 ; cf. 1 Sam 19:20 ), the wisdom

tradition of the Book of Proverbs, the Jerusalem temple conservatory of music (cf. 1 Chron

25:8 ), and the office of sage or counsellor associated with Israelite kingship (cf. 1 Kings

4:5-6 ; 1 Kings 12:6 1 Kings 12:10 ; Jer 18:18 ).

In addition to formal learning centres, the Old Testament indicates specialized

training took place in organized labour guilds of various sorts. 112 This instruction for

vocational, technical, and professional service to society (and especially palace and temple)

included military training, arts and crafts (smiths, artisans, weavers, potters), music, royal

officials (scribes, historians, overseers), temple personnel (priests, Levites, gatekeepers,

treasurers, judges), and domestic servants (midwives, cooks, bakers, perfumers).

Outcomes

Theologically, the practice of education as outlined in Old Testament revelation

resulted in God's covenant blessing for the Hebrew people. These divine blessings included

political autonomy and security, and agricultural and economic prosperity (Lev 26:1-8).

Sociologically, the practice of education facilitated assimilation into the community of faith

and ensured the stabilization of that community because the principle of "doing justice"

permeated society (Leviticus 19:15 Leviticus 19: 18). Religiously, the practice of education

111

Mark A. Lamport, “The Hand-Me-Down' Philosophy: A Challenge to Uniqueness in Christian

Education.” Christian Education Journal (New York: SAGE Publishing, 1988), 49

112
Ibid
 61

sustained covenant relationship with God through obedience and proper ritual, which

prompted God's favour and presence with Israel ( Lev 26:9-12 ).

3.2 In the New Testament

The New Testament, as was the case with the Hebrew Scripture, or Old Testament,

provides a variety of insights regarding the tasks of teaching the faith. The Gospels and the

Epistles set an agenda for the propagation of the Christian faith in what often was an alien

or hostile setting. Jesus as a teacher had to contend with an unwelcome reception by many

to what he was proclaiming. The facts of his incarnation, the threat to his life in Bethlehem,

his rejection at Nazareth, and his crucifixion in Jerusalem all point to the risks and costs of

teaching the truth in his time.113

3.2.1 In the Gospel

Methods from the Master Teacher

In the New Testament, the Old Testament patterns of education persist, but the

followers of Jesus are provided with a new agenda for their educational efforts. This

agenda is most explicit in Matthew 28:16–20. The purpose of the disciples’ ministry is to

enable other persons to become obedient disciples of Jesus Christ. Kevin Giles points out in

relation to the New Testament that every leader of the faith community was a teacher.

Those leaders included apostles, prophets, bishops, deacons, elders, women, church

members, and even children who were brought within Jesus’s circle of teaching. The vision

was for everyone to be teachers.114

113
Robert W. Pazmiño, So What Makes Our Teaching Christian? Teaching in the Name, Spirit, and
Power of Jesus (Oregon: Wipf and Stock, 2008), 46
114

Kevin Giles, Patterns of Ministry among the First Christians (Melbourne, Australia: Collins Dove,
1989), 114–18.
 62

This teaching of responsibility is for all who are disciples of Jesus. It is a difficult task

to teach obedience. Those who have taught others can appreciate this difficulty. Yet there is

the promise that Christ’s very presence, as well as his authority, will empower his disciples

to disciple others, be it in the home, the church, the classroom, or the wider community.

The purpose of making disciples is totally dependent on sharing the content of Jesus’s own

teachings, those truths revealed by God with direct implications for life. The challenge

posed for current efforts in Christian education is this question: Are obedient disciples of

Jesus Christ being nurtured and taught all that Jesus taught? If so, there is a basis for

affirmation and continued reliance on God’s gracious undertaking. If not, there is a

challenge for careful evaluation and renewed efforts.

Another passage of particular significance for a discussion of theological education,

and of methods in particular, is Luke 24:13–35, in which Jesus talks with two disciples on

the road to Emmaus. Jesus’s approach in interacting with these disciples includes three

noteworthy elements. First, Jesus asks them questions (vv. 17–19). The Master Teacher

knows the answers, yet he wants his students to think for themselves. Second, Jesus listens.

He hears their response to the questions he asks. Teachers often fail to listen to students and

to allow adequate time for thought. Third, it is only after questioning and listening that

Jesus both exhorts these disciples and opens the Scriptures, explaining their meaning.

Jesus explains the truths discussed by Moses and the Prophets through his

interpretation of the texts. In response to Jesus’s teaching, these disciples describe their

encounter as one in which both their eyes and the Scriptures were opened. The word for

“open” here is the same word used to describe how a womb is opened at the birth of a

child. There is a sense of joy and the burning of the heart that parallels a birth experience in
 63

terms of its personal impact. The joy associated with such a disclosure is a desperately

needed dimension in each and every Christian education endeavour. Key components of

this teaching episode for consideration are discussion (v. 14), open inquiry (v. 17),

correction and clarification (vv. 25–27), role modelling (vv. 30–31), and the need for

response (vv. 33–35).115

It is important to note that Christian educators must also be aware of the dimension

of interpersonal relationships addressed in the New Testament. Christian education centers

on relationships with the Triune God, with other persons, and with all of creation. Various

Scriptures could be cited that deal with the relationships among persons as they are to be

patterned after the foundational relationship with God. One passage of particular

significance is John 15:12–17, which presents Jesus’s new commandment to love others as

he himself has loved his disciples. Jesus modelled this love in how he taught both

Nicodemus and the Samaritan woman in his encounters with them as recorded in the

Gospel of John. This commandment to love is overwhelming and yet foundational for all

interpersonal interactions in Christian education.

3.2.2 In the Book of Acts

There is no evidence of formal theological education, in the form of schools or

seminaries, in the Apostolic Era; however, this means that there was no theological training

of any form whatsoever. Among the Jews, it is noted about the schools of Hillel and

Shammai. Gamaliel I, grandson of Hillel, was the teacher of Paul (before his conversion) in

his pharisaic training. That to be educated under Gamaliel was a certification of authority in

matters of law is evidenced by Paul statement in his apology before the Jews of Jerusalem:

115
Howard Hendricks, Teaching to Change Lives: Seven Proven Ways to Make Your Teaching Come
Alive (Colorado: WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group, 1996), 35
 64

I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of

Gamaliel, taught according to the strictness of our fathers law, and was zealous toward God

as you all are today (Acts 22:3).

3.2.3 In the Epistles

Paul, an Excellent Teacher

Having had theological training under Gamaliel, Paul understood the importance of

education; but, more than that, having understood the grace of God and its preciousness, he

strongly emphasized upon learning. In fact, his epistles are great examples of doctrinal and

practical teaching. He taught by word and epistle (2Thess 2:15). In addition to that, he

mentored young people like Timothy and Titus and not only passed on to them knowledge

but encouraged them to be diligent in both learning and teaching: And the things that you

have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able

to teach others also (2Ti. 2:2).116

However, the New Testament is clear on the fact that spiritual understanding of

Scriptures cannot be the result of mere cramming of knowledge. In fact, Paul states that

spiritual understanding requires not just knowledge of letters but also a turning of the will

towards God: Even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. Nevertheless

when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away (2Cor. 3:15-16). The writer of Hebrews

asserts that scriptural interpretation requires skill that comes from spiritual maturity: Solid

food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their

senses exercised to discern both good and evil (Heb. 5:14). Paul states that the things of the

Spirit of God can only be spiritually discerned (1 Cor. 2:14).117

116
Roy B. Zuck, Teaching As Paul Taught (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1998), 50
117

Ibid
 65

Also, the Apostle Peter was very keen on the importance of learning for scriptural

interpretation; and so he writes: beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to

him, has written to you, as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in

which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to

their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures (2Pet. 3:15-16). Peter is

saying that there are untaught and unstable people who misinterpret Scriptures to their own

destruction. Now, while Peter himself was not theologically trained in Jewish schools like

Paul was trained, he along with the others was trained by Jesus; therefore, the Jews noted

when they listened to Peter and John: Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John,

and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marvelled. And they

realized that they had been with Jesus (Act 4:13). Obviously, Peter and John reflected the

authoritative teaching style of

Jesus. Not coming short, Paul does not brag about his formal theological training under

Gamaliel, but ascribes the authority of his spiritual understanding to the revelation of Jesus

Christ:

A general pattern of Paul’s ministry as reflected in the book of Ephesians, but also

in his other writings, is one that incorporates instruction, intercession, and exhortation. 118

Instruction consists of a focus on the content of Christian faith, on what God has done.

Intercession is prayer for those instructed, with a conscious dependence on God and the

work of the Holy Spirit. The third element of the pattern is exhortation. Paul specifies what

believers are to be and do in light of God’s activities and revelation in Christ.

118
John Stott, God’s New Society: The Message of Ephesians (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1979),
146.
 66

In addition to this general pattern, Ephesians 4:7–16 provides specific insights for

discerning the purposes of the teaching or educational ministries of the church. Teaching is

a spiritual gift. The immediate purpose of teaching is the preparation of God’s people for

works of service within the church and the world. A truth of particular significance for the

Christian church in the twenty-first century is the ministry of all believers. The sixteenth-

century church affirmed the priesthood, and in some cases the prophet hood, of all

believers, which is now being understood in terms of a ministry that each believer

possesses. All of God’s people must be equipped, taught, and trained for their varied

ministries, making use of the gifts God has bestowed on a covenant people.119

In Colossians 1:9–14 Paul prays that God will fill the Colossian Christians with

knowledge of God’s will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. He prays this so

that these Christians might live their lives worthy of the Lord, pleasing God in every way.

Paul specifies ways in which this worthiness might be expressed: bearing fruit in every

good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according

to God’s glorious might, and joyfully giving thanks to God. In other words, service,

spiritual growth and empowerment, and worship are evidences of the application of

Christian knowledge and wisdom to life.

In this epistle Paul goes on to emphasize the supremacy of Christ in creation and his

centrality in the experience of Christians. It is in Christ that Christians have redemption, the

forgiveness of sins (1:14). It is in Christ that Christians must center their education. Paul

describes his purpose in ministering that fellow believers “may have the full riches of

complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ,

119

Pazmiño, Foundational Issues in Christian Education: An Introduction in Evangelical Perspective, 37

 67

in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (2:2–3). It is in Christ that

integration and wholeness in education can be found because in him are all the treasures of

wisdom and knowledge. Reality itself is found in him (2:17). Paul warns of hollow and

deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this

world, rather than on Christ (2:8). It is essential that the Christocentric character of

Christian education be recognized and affirmed at its roots. Christ himself is at the center

of all life from a Christian world and life view.120

120
Sara Little, The Role of the Bible in Contemporary Christian Education (Richmond. VA: John
Knox, 1962), 74
 68

CHAPTER FOUR
ASSESSMENT OF THE MINISTERIAL IMPACT OF LIFE THEOLOGICAL
SEMINARY GRADUATES (2010-2020): A CASE STUDY OF MAGBORO AND
AREPO AXIS

4.1 Brief History of LIFE Theological Seminary.

Records indicate that the seed of what turned out today to be known as the LIFE

Theological Seminary was indeed sown in 1954, shortly after the first arrival of the Curtis

to Nigeria.

In this vein, Adeogun asseverates:

The Curtis family arrived in 1954. After a few months, the family rented a
flat at King George Avenue (Herbert Macaulay Street)…Being handicapped
by not getting a place for lecturing and by a very small followership, Rev.
Curtis had to start a Vocational Open Air Bible School in the frontage of his
residence. The pioneer students were James A. Boyejo, Rev. Friday C.
Osuwa, Samuel O. Odunaike, one Bro. Thomas and a few others. The
teachers were the missionaries: Sister Margret Season, Rev. Curtis and his
wife, Faye. Lecture materials were printed on leaflets. Among the pioneer
students were three ministers who probably had to be taught in the
vernacular. They were: one Rev. Sadela and two others, all from the Christ
Apostolic Church (C.A.C).121
The standard of the initial Vocational Open Air Bible School that was said to have

started in 1955 is not known, but it was likely to have been that of a standard theological

college as we know it today. It was likely to have been more of a discipleship and

leadership training initiative, rather than a standard Bible School.

121
Adeogun, Ebenezer Ola, A transplant of the vine. Forty years of Foursquare History in Nigeria,
(Lagos: The Foursquare Gospel Church in Nigeria, 1999)
 69

However, the Vocational Open Air Bible School transformed into a more formal

and standardized Night Bible School shortly after the Foursquare Gospel Church in Nigeria

was inaugurated in 1955. Day classes were first held at the campus in Ikorodu in 1958,

following Reverend Curtis' ingenuity and tenacity to see the school grow into a full-fledged

Bible school in an ambient location.122

One surmises that the missiological purpose was primarily at the heart of the LIFE

Bible College which Rev. & Mrs. Curtis and the early missionaries founded. The intention

then was basically to train ministers, equipping them with the basic tools and requirements

for spreading the gospel through church planting and discipleship. Of course the second

purpose was also served to some degree, as the students were at least taught the basic tenets

of faith of the Foursquare Gospel Church and the principles which the denomination hold

dear.123

Rev. & Mrs. Curtis engineered the move to the present permanent site of the LIFE

Bible College in Ikorodu, soon after its inception. The leadership of the institution then

located and settled for the present site, which then was a far-flung location in Ikorodu.

They got enough space as they required, for a modest price. The environment was serene

and conducive for serious study, as it was removed from the cacophony of noise

characteristics of city life. Soon after the acquisition of the site, an academic building, a

dormitory for the students and the missionaries’ residence were built. The move to Ikorodu

was said to be between 1958 and 1959.124

122
“Our History”, https://lts.edu.ng/history#:~:text=The%20school%20was%20founded%20by,Church
%20in%20Nigeria%20was%20inaugurated. Accessed August 10, 2023
123

Tope, Oni, A Branch of the vine the history of L.I.F.E Theological Seminary, Ikorodu, Lagos, (Lagos:
Promark Communications LTD, 2012), 7
124

Oni, 15.
 70

The teething problem of the early years of the Bible College Ikorodu, which

expectedly would centre on finance, dearth of students and of lecturers, and compounded

by the ill-health of Mrs Curtis, caused the Bible College to be shut down for one year

between 1963 and 1964.125 While lauding the efforts of the foreign missionaries in building

the LIFE Bible College, their thirty-year work left much gap and opportunities for further

development of the Bible School. With the installation of Rev. Dr. Odunaike as the first

indigenous General Supervisor/Superintendent of The Foursquare Gospel Church in

Nigeria in the ‘70s, the desire for an accelerated transformation of the Bible College

became intense. The national leadership therefore requested the international office in Los

Angeles to assess LIFE Bible College, Ikorodu.126

Today, Curtis' mustard seed has grown to become a mighty tree that people from

various walks of life are nesting on. The seminary has witnessed significant development in

every aspect. About ten thousand students across various Christian denominations and

countries (Ghana, DR Congo, Central Africa Republic, Togo, Sierra Leone, Cameroon,

Liberia, Sudan, Tanzania, Rwanda, etc.) in Africa have graduated from LIFE with

certificates, Diplomas, Bachelor, Masters and Doctoral Degrees.127

LIFE has study centers spread across many cities in Nigeria. Two of the seminary's

satellite campuses, have now evolved into the status of a college of theology. These are

LIFE Colleges of Theology in Aba and Abuja. The Seminary continues grow by leaps and

125
Oni, 16.
126

Oni, 16.
127

“Our History”, https://lts.edu.ng/history#:~:text=The%20school%20was%20founded%20by,Church

%20in%20Nigeria%20was%20inaugurated. Accessed August 10, 2023
 71

bounds, making the mark of one of the foremost seminaries in Africa, and in strong

alliances with global theological institutions in Africa and the world.128

4.2 The Ministry of LIFE Graduates at Arepo and Magboro Axis.

From the interview conducted with the zonal pastor of Magboro in person of Pastor

Abegunde Tunji, it was noted that the Zonal church started on Sunday, March 5, 2006 and

was chartered on Sunday April 25, 2010, became a Zone on Sunday, February 12, 2012.

After the inception of the Magboro Zone, Arepo Zone was carved out of Magboro Zone

with some Churches seeded to them. Secondly, Alamo Zone was also carved out of

Magboro Zone with some Churches seeded to them too. Currently there are 11 Churches

under the Magboro charter of Foursquare Gospel Church. During this duration, there have a

reported 28 number of Pastors under the zone who have been to LIFE theological seminary.

21 Pastors have graduated from LIFE while 7 Pastors have not gone through to LIFE.

The theological education acquired as made the pastors more effective in the discharge

of their ministerial duties. According to Pastor Abegunde Tunji, he rated the ministry of

such graduates has been ‘some are Good and some are very Good.’ 129 This indicates that

the acquisition of theological education by LIFE Alumni has really helped such graduates

in their respective ministries.

4.3 Assessments of the Ministerial Impact of LIFE Alumni

Assessing the ministerial impact of LIFE Theological Seminary alumni involves

evaluating the contributions and influence of these graduates within various aspects of

ministry. In terms of Church growth and development, LIFE alumni have been

128
Ibid
129

Interview with Pastor Abegunde Tunji

 72

instrumental in fostering church growth, both numerically and spiritually, these roles cut

across roles in leading congregations, facilitating discipleship, and nurturing spiritual

maturity among members.

LIFE Alumni have also been actively engaged in community outreach and social

impact initiatives in Magboro and Arepo Axis of the state. 130 Their efforts has counted on

addressing local needs and promoting positive change. Evangelizing, sanitizing and

promoting cultural dialogues are ways that alumni’s of the school promote engagement.

LIFE Alumni also engage in community outreaches like social impact projects initiated or

supported by alumni, such as educational programs, health clinics, poverty alleviation

efforts, or environmental initiatives.131

LIFE Alumni in the axis has also taken on various leadership roles and positions like

Sunday school coordinator, evangelism coordinator, Head pastors and even pioneers within

their churches and communities. They do not just take up leadership positions but also seek

to mentor and disciple others to become leaders and active participants in ministry. 132

The depth of biblical understanding and theological knowledge demonstrated by alumni

in their preaching, teaching, and counselling roles has also been top notch. This is

evidenced in the spiritually sound members produced by each undergoing ministries.

4.4 The Challenges and prospects of LIFE Theological Seminary on Alumni

Ministers

130
Ibid
131

Ibid
132

Personal Observation
 73

Alumni ministers who graduate from LIFE Theological Seminary encounter various

challenges as they navigate their roles and responsibilities within the ministry. These

challenges include doctrinal diversity, which arises from the exposure to a range of

theological perspectives during their seminary years. This diversity can lead to theological

tensions within alumni networks and ministry settings, requiring careful navigation to

ensure constructive discourse and unity.133

Another significant challenge according to Pastor Tunde is the need for continuous

learning. The landscape of theology is constantly evolving, demanding that alumni

ministers stay updated on new trends, developments, and theological insights. Striking a

balance between their pastoral duties and the need for ongoing education poses a constant

challenge.134 Contextualization presents another complex challenge. While the education

received at LIFE Theological Seminary equips graduates with a strong doctrinal

foundation, applying these theological concepts to diverse cultural contexts requires careful

consideration.135 Alumni ministers must find ways to maintain doctrinal integrity while

ensuring their teachings resonate with the cultural nuances of their congregations.

Ministry burnout is a pressing challenge. Alumni ministers often find themselves

juggling multiple responsibilities, including pastoral duties, personal well-being, and

family commitments. The demanding nature of ministry can take a toll on their physical

and emotional health, making burnout a prevalent concern.

Financial strain is also a common challenge. Many alumni ministers serve in

congregations with limited financial resources. Balancing financial stability with their

133
Personal Observation
134

Interview with Pastor Abegunde Tunji

135

Personal Observation
 74

calling to ministry becomes a significant challenge, often requiring innovative approaches

to sustain their work.

Despite these challenges, there are promising prospects for alumni ministers who

graduate from LIFE Theological Seminary. The seminary's emphasis on theological depth

equips graduates to engage constructively with the challenge of doctrinal diversity. They

can navigate differing perspectives while fostering healthy theological discourse within

their ministry contexts.

These prospects are suggested based from the challenges observed amongst the

surveyed participant. A commitment to lifelong learning is a strong prospect. By instilling a

culture of continuous education, LIFE Theological Seminary empowers alumni ministers to

stay informed and adapt to evolving theological developments. This ongoing learning

equips them to engage with contemporary challenges in ministry effectively.

Cultural competence is another promising area. Graduates are equipped to

contextualize their teachings, ensuring that theological concepts are relevant and applicable

to the diverse cultural and social contexts they serve. This prospect enables them to connect

with congregants on a deeper level.

The seminary's role in promoting holistic well-being is a significant prospect. By

offering resources for self-care, stress management, and maintaining a healthy work-life

balance, LIFE Theological Seminary contributes to the overall well-being of its alumni

ministers, reducing the risk of burnout.

Alumni networks offer a platform for mutual support and collaboration, mitigating

the isolation that some ministers experience. Strengthening these networks can create

opportunities for idea sharing, joint initiatives, and emotional support.

 75

Ethical leadership is a promising aspect. Alumni ministers, equipped with a strong

theological foundation, are well-positioned to demonstrate ethical leadership within their

congregations and communities, fostering trust and integrity.

Innovative ministry models are a noteworthy prospect. Equipped with a theological

education, alumni can pioneer new approaches to address contemporary challenges and

effectively engage diverse demographics.

Social impact is another promising area of prospect. Alumni ministers, armed with

theological insights, can address societal issues, promote social justice, and lead initiatives

that contribute to positive change in their communities.

Collaborative partnerships are a significant prospect. The seminary can facilitate

connections between alumni ministers and organizations, enabling them to leverage

resources for community transformation.

By recognizing and addressing these challenges while leveraging the prospects,

LIFE Theological Seminary can continue to shape alumni ministers who are equipped to

make a meaningful impact in the ministry landscape.

4.5 Data Presentation, Analysis, and Discussions.

The various related items were grouped together in order to arrive at a meaningful

interpretation. It employed simple percentage (%) analysis of the data. The data was

generated from the questionnaire to the respondents. So a total of eighty-four (84) people

responded to the questions out of the proposed one hundred (100) targeted respondents and

the collected responses were carefully analysed.

Section A: Background Information

Table 1: Gender Analysis of Respondents

Gender Response Percentage
 76

Male 52 62%
Female 32 38%
Total 84 100%

The gender distribution of response shows 62% of total respondent are male and 38% are

female. This provides insight into the gender distribution of respondents and helps

contextualize the perspectives shared in the subsequent data.

Table 2: Age Analysis of Respondents

Age Response Percentage

20-35 16 19%
36-55 48 57%
56 years and above 20 24%
Total 84 100%

The age of the respondents is categorized as described above, reflecting the tradition of

separating adults into young and senior respectively. The young adults (20-35 years)

accounted for 19% of the total sample respondents. While the senior category (36 and

above) accounted for a joint 81%. This shows respondents in there are more senior than

young adults among the respondents. This will facilitate a more advanced research on the

subject matter.
 77

Table 3: Educational Background of your pastor or minister in your church in

Theological Studies

Position in Church Response Percentage

CCM 16 19%
Diploma 24 29%
BTh 20 24%
MTh 20 24%
Dmin 4 5%
Total 84 100%

The most common educational background among pastors/ministers is a Diploma which

accounts for 24 (29%) of the respondents, followed closely by Bachelor of Theology 20

(24%) and Master of Theology degrees 20 (24%). Certificate in Church Ministry (CCM) is

held by a smaller proportion of pastors/ministers 16 (19%), while a Doctor of Ministry

(Dmin) degree is the least common 4 (5%) of the total respondents. This indicates that all

pastors under the survey had a theological education and the distribution of educational

backgrounds suggests a diversity of academic qualifications among the pastors/ministers.

Table 4: Marital Status

Position in Church Response Percentage

Single 12 14%
Married 72 86%
Divorced - -
Widow - -
Widower - -
Total 84 100%
 78

The majority of respondents are married (86%). A smaller number of the respondents are

single (14%), and there are no respondents who identified as divorced, widowed, or

widower. This indicates an understanding in the marital composition of the church

community and its potential influence on the perspectives and dynamics within the

congregation.

Table 5: Duration of church membership

Position in Church Response Percentage

0-5 years 24 29%
6-10 years 24 29%
11-15 years 12 14%
16-20 years 8 10%
20 years and above 16 19%
Total 84 100%

The highest number of respondents have been members of the church for 0-5 years and 6-

10 years (both 29%). A smaller number have been members for 11-15 years (14%), 16-20

years (10%), and 20 years and above (19%). This diversity in membership duration

contributes to a well-grounded perspectives and experiences within the congregation

towards the subject matter.

Table 6: Year of service of your pastor or minister as a Minister

Position in Church Response Percentage

0-5 years 20 24%
6-10 years 24 29%
11-15 years 16 19%
16-20 years 12 14%
20 years and above 12 14%
Total 84 100%
 79

The highest number of pastors or ministers have served for 6-10 years (29%) and 0-5 years

(24%). A smaller proportions have served for 11-15 years (19%), 16-20 years (14%), and

20 years and above (14%). The data shows that the subject matter and subsequent

questionnaire will be well attended to by the respondents.

4.5.1 Presentation and Discussion of Data

Key: 1. Very Effective 2. Effective 3. Not very Effective 4. Not effective.

A. Impact of Theological Training on Ministers

S/ Statement/Question 1 % 2 % 3 % 4 % T
No.
1 Rate the overall 48 57% 28 33% 16 19% - - 84
effectiveness of the
minister in your
church’s theological
education in
preparing their
ministerial role?
2 Rate how effective 52 62% 24 28% 8 10% - - 84
the theological
education has
equipped graduants
with a solid
understanding of the
religious tradition's
teachings, doctrines,
and scripture.
3 In terms of leadership 48 57% 32 38% 4 5% - - 84
and pastoral skills,
how effective was the
 80

theologian’s
theological education
in developing their
ability to provide
guidance, support,
and care to the
religious community?
4 To what extent have 40 48% 32 38% 12 14% - - 84
their theological
education emphasize
ethical awareness?
5 To what extent have 48 57% 24 28% 12 14% 4 5% 84
their education
emphasize social
impact?
6 How effective have 36 43% 32 38% 12 14% 4 5% 84
their theological
education influenced
engagement with
social justice issues
and community
service?
7. How effective has 48 57% 28 33% 4 5% 4 5% 84
theological education
promote the growth
and success of church
members
8. All about the minister 44 52% 32 38% 8 9% - - 84
or pastor in my
church has changed
having under gone
theological training in
LIFE Theological
training
Total 364 433% 23 274% 76 90% 12 15% 672
2

FINDINGS
 81

In the above table, it is observed that only 672 respondents agreed with the hypothesis

which the percentage is 707% while 88 respondents disagreed which the percentage is

105% in the hypothesis one; that Theological training has a significant impact on ministers

reflecting on ministers theology knowledge, style of ministry and eventual handling of

scripture and church business.

B. Impact Of Theological Education On Ministry

Key: 1. Strongly Disagree 2. Disagree 3. Agree 4. Strongly Agree

S Statement/Question 1 % 2 % 3 % 4 % 82T
/
N
1 Theological 8 10% 4 5% 56 67% 16 19% 84
Education has greatly
impact their
ministerial
assignment
2 Theological 16 19% 4 5% 44 52% 20 24% 84
education has
contributed to their
personal spiritual
formation as a
religious leader
3 Theological 12 14% 8 10% 44 52% 20 24% 84
education has
contributed to their
personal spiritual
growth as a religious
leader
4 Theological 12 14% 16 19% 44 52% 12 14% 84
education has
prepared them to
engage with diverse
cultures, beliefs, and
contexts?
5 The theological 8 10% 16 19% 40 48% 20 24% 84
education has done a
lot especially in
preparing them to
engage with diverse
cultures, beliefs, and
contexts
6 Based on your 4 5% 12 14% 48 57% 20 24% 84
experience, there are
some areas where
theological education
could be improved to
better equip
individuals for
effective ministry.
7 LIFE has impacted 8 10% 12 14% 40 48% 24 29% 84
. them to balance
spirituality with
academic
Total 68 82% 72 86% 316 376% 132 158 588
%
 83

FINDINGS

In the above table, it is observed that only 448 respondents agreed with the hypothesis

which the percentage is 534% while 140 respondents disagreed which the percentage is

168% in the hypothesis one; that Theological education has a significant impact on

minister’s respective ministry. This impact in felt their engagement with culturally diverse

worldview, and personal spiritual growth.

4.5.2 DISCUSSION OF THE FINDINGS

In testing hypothesis one, 48 (57%) of the respondents rated the overall

effectiveness of the minister in their church’s theological education in preparing their

ministerial role has very effective, 28 (33%) chose effective and 16 (19%) were of the

opinion that it was not very effective. It is evident that the majority of respondents agree

that theological education helps in preparing ministers for ministry. This reflects a

widespread understanding of the purpose of theology education.

In the second statement under hypothesis one, 52 (62%) of the respondents very

effectively rated that theological education has equipped graduants with a solid

understanding of the religious tradition's teachings, doctrines, 24 (28%) chose effective and

8 (10%) were of the opinion that it was not very effective. The high number of agreement

indicates that most respondents believe that theological education contributes significantly

to graduates' understanding of religious teachings. Acquiring Theological education is

believed to further prepare ministers for the work of the gospel as necessary doctrines and

teachings about the gospel is taught in theological seminary.

 84

In the third statement under hypothesis one, 48 (57%) of the respondents found

theological education "Very Effective" in developing leadership and pastoral skills. 32

(38%) chose effective and 4 (5%) were of the opinion that it was not very effective. This

suggests that theological education is perceived as playing a pivotal role in equipping

ministers with leadership and pastoral skills. Therefore acquiring theological education is

necessary for ministers seeking to be effective in the ministry.

In the fourth statement under hypothesis one, 40 (48%) of the respondents believed

theological education "Very Effective" in emphasizing ethical awareness. 32 (38%) chose

effective and 12 (14%) were of the opinion that it was not very effective. This indicates that

a significant portion of respondents feel that theological education contributes to ethical

awareness. Ethical awareness in form of how ministers are supposed to behave both on and

off the pulpit.

In the fifth statement under hypothesis one, 48 (57%) of the respondents found

theological education "Very Effective" in emphasizing social impact. 24 (28%) chose

effective and 12 (14%) were of the opinion that it was not very effective while 4 (5%)

chose not effective. This suggests that a majority of respondents see theological education

as promoting a focus on social issues. This reflects the impact theological education plays

in exposing ministers to their social justice responsibility.

In the sixth statement under hypothesis one, 36 (43%) of the respondents found

theological education "Very Effective" in influencing engagement with social justice and

community service. 32 (38%) chose effective and 12 (14%) were of the opinion that it was

not very effective while 4 (5%) chose not effective. This indicates that many respondents

believe theological education encourages minister’s engagement with social justice and
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community service. This further reflects the impact theological education plays in exposing

ministers to their social justice responsibility.

In the seventh statement under hypothesis one, 48 (57%) of the respondents rated

theological education as "Very Effective" in promoting growth and success among church

members. 28 (33%) chose effective and 4 (5%) were of the opinion that it was not very

effective while 4 (5%) chose not effective. This suggests that respondents perceive a

positive impact of theological education on the church's growth and members' success.

In the last statement under hypothesis one, 44 (52%) of the respondents believed

that ministers or pastors changed significantly after undergoing theological training in LIFE

theological seminary. 32 (38%) chose effective and 8 (9%) were of the opinion that it was

not very effective. This indicates that a significant portion of respondents observed changes

in ministers' behaviour and approach due to theological training. This further asserts LIFE

theological seminary has a reputable institution capable of producing effective ministers in

the field.

Furthermore, in the table two in testing the hypothesis two, the ninth which says

Theological Education has greatly impact their ministerial assignment, 16 (19%) of the

respondents strongly agreed while 56 (67%) of the respondents agreed while 8 (10%)

respondents strongly disagreed, and 4 (5%) disagreed. This indicates a strong perception

that theological education positively influences ministerial roles. Ministers are therefore

encouraged to obtain theological education.

From the data provided above, there is an indication that a largely positive

perception of the impact of theological training on ministers' roles and contributions within
 86

the church. Respondents believe that theological education enhances ministers'

understanding of religious teachings, leadership skills, ethical awareness, social

engagement, and growth within the church. This underscores the value of theological

education in equipping ministers to effectively serve and lead their congregations.

In testing the tenth statement under hypothesis two, 20 (24%) of the respondents

strongly agreed with the statement which says that theological education has contributed to

ministers personal spiritual formation as a religious leader and 44 (52%) agreed while 16

(19%) respondents strongly disagreed, and 4 (5%) disagreed. This suggests that theological

education has a significant role in the spiritual development of religious leaders.

In testing the eleventh statement under hypothesis two, which says Theological

education has contributed to their personal spiritual growth as a religious leader, 20 (24%)

of the respondents strongly agreed with the statement while 44 (52%) of the respondents

agreed and 12 (14%) strongly disagreed while 8 (10%) disagreed. This highlights the

importance of theological education in fostering spiritual growth among attendants.

In testing the twelfth statement, 12 (14%) of the respondents strongly agreed that

Theological education has prepared them to engage with diverse cultures, beliefs, and

contexts cultural competence among ministers. This is necessary in effectively interpreting

scriptures, tackling societal issues and meeting people at the ‘gate’.

In the thirteen statement which says Theological education has prepared ministers

to engage with diverse cultures, beliefs, and contexts, 12 (14%) of the respondents strongly

agreed with the statement while 44 (52%) of the respondents agreed and 12 (4%) strongly

disagreed while 16 (19%) disagreed. This further highlights the importance of theological
 87

education in fostering cultural competence among ministers. This is necessary in

effectively interpreting scriptures, tackling societal issues and meeting people at the ‘gate’.

In the fourteen statement, 20 (24%) of the respondents strongly agreed with the

statement that there are areas where theological education could be improved while 48

(57%) of the respondents agreed and 4 (5%) strongly disagreed while 12 (14%) disagreed.

This suggests room for enhancement to better equip individuals for effective ministry.

In the last statement, 24 (29%) of the respondents strongly agreed with the

statement that LIFE has impacted ministers to balance spirituality with academic while 40

(48%) of the respondents agreed and 8 (10%) strongly disagreed while 12 (14%) disagreed.

This indicates a perceived positive influence of LIFE on maintaining a balance between

spiritual and academic aspects.

It is evident from this data that respondents generally agree that theological

education has a positive impact on various aspects of their roles as religious leaders. They

perceive theological education as contributing to their ministerial assignment, personal

spiritual formation, spiritual growth, cross-cultural engagement, and the balance between

spirituality and academics. Additionally, there is an acknowledgment of areas for

improvement in theological education. This data further highlights the value of theological

education in shaping religious leaders and preparing them for effective ministry in diverse

contexts.
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CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1. Summary

Within the context of the LIFE Theological Seminary Graduates, theological

education is crucial for forming and developing ministers. Ministers receive thorough

training that gives them the information and abilities they need to lead effectively in their

work. The impact of theological training on ministers and their ministry can be seen in

many facets of their work, including a deeper grasp of theology and biblical studies,

improved cross-cultural outreach methods, and the growth of leaders who are spiritually

mature and reflect Christ. Theological training thereby supports the ministry initiatives,
 89

encourages contextualised ministry, and promotes the continuity and expansion of the

church's influence in advancing the Gospel and developing thriving Christian communities.

Theological education traditionally covers a wide range of subjects, including

scripture study, systematic theology, church history, ethics, and practical ministry. Having

the privilege of undergoing this process will lead to a lot of trained, nurtured, and groomed

theological ministers.

5.2. Conclusions

The sheds light on the significant role that LIFE Theological Seminary graduates

have played in the communities of Magboro and Arepo. Through a meticulous mixed-

methods approach involving interviews and surveys, this study has aimed to

comprehensively evaluate the influence and contributions of these graduates within local

churches and the broader community.

In a world where the role of theological education is constantly evolving, this case

study offers valuable insights for both the seminary and other institutions seeking to

evaluate their ministerial impact. By acknowledging the significance of localized

assessments, educational institutions can ensure their graduates are equipped to make

lasting contributions that resonate within communities and foster holistic development.

From previous findings gathered, it has become obvious, that graduates from LIFE

Theological Seminary under the year in review have been up to the task for ministerial

works. The Theological education acquired has been able to further propel alumni’s into

greater exploits for the gospel sake. This further drives home the importance of theological

education while also evaluating its outcomes and adapting its approaches to better serve the

diverse needs of communities. Through this research, insights is gained for a deeper
 90

appreciation for the transformative power of education and its enduring effects on the lives

of individuals, churches, and societies.

5.3. Recommendations
Based on the findings of the study on the assessment of the ministerial impact of life

theological seminary graduates, (2010-2020): a case study of Magboro and Arepo of

Obafemi Owode local government the following recommendations are proposed:

1. Based on the identified needs and challenges within local church ministry, the

seminary could consider enhancing its practical ministry training. This could

involve incorporating more hands-on experiences, internships, and real-world

scenarios into the curriculum.

2. The church and seminary should encourage graduates to actively engage with the

communities of Magboro and Arepo. Seminary courses or workshops could focus

on community development, social justice, and understanding local needs to equip

graduates for effective and meaningful engagement.

3. The church and seminary should establish a platform for ongoing professional

development and networking for seminary graduates. Regular workshops,

conferences, and webinars can help them stay updated on ministry trends and

enhance their skills.

4. The church should create mentorship programs where experienced pastors or

ministers can guide and support recent graduates. This can help bridge the gap

between theoretical knowledge and practical application.

5. The church and seminary should foster strong partnerships between the seminary

and local churches in Magboro and Arepo. This collaboration can facilitate a
 91

seamless transition for graduates into active ministry roles within these

communities.

6. The church should conduct regular needs assessments within Magboro and Arepo to

identify specific areas where ministry graduates can contribute most effectively.

This data can inform the seminary's curriculum adjustments.

APPENDIX A

LIFE THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY, IKORODU, LAGOS STATE

QUESTIONNAIRE

Dear Respondent,

I am a post graduate student of the above-named institution. I am writing my project on

“Assessment of The Ministerial Impact on LIFE Theological Seminary Graduates

(2010-2020)” This questionnaire is required to elicit information for the completion of the

project. I therefore, solicit your cooperation to objectively respond to all statements or

 92

questions, as all information given would be treated with utmost confidentiality. Please

take some time to respond to the following questions.

Thank you

Yours faithfully,

Signed.

Ibikunle ESTHER

Researcher

SECTION A: BIODATA OF RESPONDENT

INSTRUCTION: Please read the questionnaire carefully and respond as honestly as you

can by ticking appropriately in the spaces provided below.

1. Gender: Male ( ) Female ( )

2. Age: 20-35years ( ) 36-55 years ( ) 56 years and above ( )

3. Educational Background of your pastor or minister in your church in Theological

Studies: CCM ( ) Diploma ( ) BTh ( )

MTh ( ) Dmin ( )

4. Marital status: Single ( ) Married ( )Divorced ( )Widow( )Widower ( )

 93

5. Year of being a member in your church.0-5( ) 6-10years ( ) 11-15years ( ) 16-20

years( ) 20 years above( )

6. Year of service of your pastor or minister as a Minister: 0-5 years ( ) 6-10

years ( ) 11-15years ( ) 16-20years ( ) 20 years above ( )

SECTION B: RESEARCH QUESTIONS

Key: 1. Very Effective 2. Effective 3. Not very Effective 4. Not effective.

S/No. Statement/Question 1 2 3 4

1 Rate the overall effectiveness of the minister in your church

‘s theological education in preparing their ministerial role?

2 Rate How effective the theological education has equipped

graduants with a solid understanding of the religious

 94

tradition's teachings, doctrines, and scripture.

3 In terms of leadership and pastoral skills, how effective was

the theologian’s theological education in developing their

ability to provide guidance, support, and care to the

religious community?

4 To what extent have their theological education emphasize

ethical awareness?

5 To what extent have their education emphasize social

impact?

6 How effective have their theological education influenced

engagement with social justice issues and community

service?

7. How effective has theological education promote the

growth and success of church members

8. All about the minister or pastor in my church has changed

having under gone theological training in LIFE Theological

training

Section C

Key: 1. Strongly Disagree 2. Disagree 3. Agree 4. Strongly Agree

S/ Statement/Question 1 2 3 4

No.
 95

1 Theological Education has greatly impact their ministerial

assignment
2 Theological education has contributed to their personal spiritual
formation as a religious leader
3 Theological education has contributed to their personal spiritual
growth as a religious leader
4 Theological education has prepared them to engage with diverse
cultures, beliefs, and contexts?
5 The theological education has done a lot especially in preparing
them to engage with diverse cultures, beliefs, and contexts
6 Based on your experience, there are some areas where theological

education could be improved to better equip individuals for

effective ministry.

7. LIFE has impacted them to balance spirituality with academic

Section D

Oral Interview questions

1. The Zonal church started in which year??

2. How many churches are under the zone?

3. How many pastors under the zone have been to Life theological seminary?

4. Do you think they are more effective due to their Theological education?
 96

5. How can you rate them?

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