Zambia Hunt

Guest Contributor: Sandala Mwanje. smwanje@cabuniversity.com

I have made a case for the urgent need for theological training in Africa. I now want to turn the page to discuss the kind of relationship that should exist between theological institutions and the local church. To dismiss any doubts, confusions, and misunderstandings, I want to say from the onset that theological institutions are not churches, neither are they above the local church nor parallel to the local church. A theological institution worthy of its salt exists to serve the local church. It’s imperative that theological institutions know this and thus their boundaries. They must know what they can do and what they can’t do. Top on the list of things that theological institutions MUST not do include:

– They should not send missionaries. It’s not their mandate. It’s the church that was told, “separate for me Barnabas and Paul—for the work to which I have called them” (Acts 13:2).

– They should not ordain men to pastoral ministry. It’s not their mandate. It was within the context of the local church that we hear these words: “If a man desires the office of an overseer, he desires a noble task…” (1 Timothy 3:1). Or, “The reason I left you in Crete was to appoint elders…” (Titus 1:5).

– They should not run churches. It’s not their mandate. Again, Scriptures overwhelm us with evidence of who should run a church—it’s the elders (Acts 14:23; 1 Timothy 3:1; 5:17; Titus 1:5).

What then is the mandate of theological institutions? They are servants to the local church, and they must only serve the training needs and training interests of the local church.

The needs and interests of the local church for which a theological institution exists is to HELP the local church equip the saints for the work of ministry. Even after theological institutions have done their work, students must never be given the impression that a theological qualification means they are qualified for ministry. It’s still the jurisdiction of the local church to determine who is fit for what ministry.

In view of the above, every theological institution must ensure that:

1. There’s a clear written philosophy that seeks to enhance the passion for the local church in its students, faculty, and staff. A theological degree that kills passion for the local church is good for nothing! The institution must put in place clear strategies and policies to meet this objective. Theological institutions that undermine the local church become accomplices to the death of the local church, and they too, eventually die or drift!
2. They do not act as a conduit for brain drain. The church must not be drained of its best minds because of the institution. The institution must facilitate the advancement of the best minds in the church. Remember that the institution exists for the church and not the church for the institution. Equally, remember that the advancement of the local church inevitably leads to the advancement of the theological institution.
3. Churches and church leaders are regularly consulted. They are the most qualified consultants. In this regard, it’s important that theological institutions spend time understanding the local churches’ training needs. The institution must be equipped for the real church, in real-time, in both local and global contexts.
4. Institutional professors, executives, and administrators must be faithful church members serving in their area of giftedness, and should not be treated as church experts. We have no church experts at church; we just have brothers and sisters.

Theological training is a must for the church (Ephesians 4:15; 2 Timothy 2:2), and theological institutions come alongside that need. We don’t view theological institutions as the answer to a declining Christianity or false-teacher-plagued Christianity. A healthy church is the answer to the dying world, and to fend off false teachers and theological institutions are the necessary and convenient tools to that end. The real accreditation body for theological institutions is the church! The church determines our curriculum outcomes because they are the end users of our product.