I'm now more than half way through my time in Ukraine. The joint EAAA/OCI meeting that began yesterday continued today with sessions about financial sustainability and the religious context in Russia.
I'm really enjoying the informal time between sessions. In fact, during each meal and tea break, I found myself lingering over a good conversation as the session began. That is one of the nice things about having no official responsibilities for the conference. My friend and colleague, Taras Dyatlik, who serves as OCI's advisor in the region and a member of the staff of EAAA, has done an amazing job with the team of coordinating the conference. It's been great to hear of developing graduate programs in Christian leadership and management in St. Petersburg, of programs designed to provide ongoing professional development to regional leaders of the Russian Baptist church, innovative ways for seminaries to provide flexible training within churches, and new means of generating local income. I'm really blessed to be around such an amazingly creative group of people. It reminds me of how little I know!
A highlight of the trip has been spending some time with three leaders of a school in Central Asia. It's fascinating to hear their stories of leadership in a context that is very challenging due to very strict control of all religious activity, both Muslim and Christian, in their country. It has been kind of fun to have limited conversations with them in their own language, which I studied as part of my graduate work at Indiana University a few years ago. Unfortunately, I've lost much of my ability, but I think they've valued my pitiful attempts. Thankfully, we're able to converse in Russian most of the time. We have had some great conversation about their curriculum and their context and the interrelation between the two.
Tomorrow morning, I'll give my presentation on global trends in theological education. I've rewritten the presentation several times over the course of the last few days. Rather than just bringing a list of impressions, I've attempted to form it in terms of questions I would ask theological educators today. Basically, the base-level question is "does what you are doing really respond to local issues," or stated differently, "does it respond to the questions people in your churches are asking about their lives, their families, their communities, their societies?" I am hoping that it can stimulate some good thinking. As always, I'd rather be sitting in the back row listening to others...
I often find myself amazed by the sheer variety of what I do. It is really a priviledge to be able to learn on such a stage and from so many fascinating, talented people.
I'm really enjoying the informal time between sessions. In fact, during each meal and tea break, I found myself lingering over a good conversation as the session began. That is one of the nice things about having no official responsibilities for the conference. My friend and colleague, Taras Dyatlik, who serves as OCI's advisor in the region and a member of the staff of EAAA, has done an amazing job with the team of coordinating the conference. It's been great to hear of developing graduate programs in Christian leadership and management in St. Petersburg, of programs designed to provide ongoing professional development to regional leaders of the Russian Baptist church, innovative ways for seminaries to provide flexible training within churches, and new means of generating local income. I'm really blessed to be around such an amazingly creative group of people. It reminds me of how little I know!
A highlight of the trip has been spending some time with three leaders of a school in Central Asia. It's fascinating to hear their stories of leadership in a context that is very challenging due to very strict control of all religious activity, both Muslim and Christian, in their country. It has been kind of fun to have limited conversations with them in their own language, which I studied as part of my graduate work at Indiana University a few years ago. Unfortunately, I've lost much of my ability, but I think they've valued my pitiful attempts. Thankfully, we're able to converse in Russian most of the time. We have had some great conversation about their curriculum and their context and the interrelation between the two.
Tomorrow morning, I'll give my presentation on global trends in theological education. I've rewritten the presentation several times over the course of the last few days. Rather than just bringing a list of impressions, I've attempted to form it in terms of questions I would ask theological educators today. Basically, the base-level question is "does what you are doing really respond to local issues," or stated differently, "does it respond to the questions people in your churches are asking about their lives, their families, their communities, their societies?" I am hoping that it can stimulate some good thinking. As always, I'd rather be sitting in the back row listening to others...
I often find myself amazed by the sheer variety of what I do. It is really a priviledge to be able to learn on such a stage and from so many fascinating, talented people.
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