Church leader uses Avondale Seminary launch to affirm formal pastoral education
A Seventh-day Adventist Church leader affirmed the value of ministers with formal theological training during a dedication ceremony for the newly named Avondale Seminary.
Speaking in his role as president of the church in the South Pacific, Dr Barry Oliver encouraged lecturers in the former School of Ministry and Theology at Avondale College of Higher Education to continue fostering relationships that “build trust and confidence with the leaders of our regional conferences. They have so much to gain by employing graduates of Avondale.”
For a number of years there have been too many people employed in ministry who have not had proper theological education. I don’t hide my concern.Dr Barry Oliver, president, Seventh-day Adventist Church in the South Pacific
Those relationships seem crucial because, added Oliver, “it gives me considerable concern that for a number of years there have been too many people employed in ministry who have not had proper theological education. I don’t hide my concern. If ever there was a time we needed a well trained, educated, practical, committed ministry, that time is now.”
Head of Avondale Seminary Dr Kayle de Waal spoke about the seminary’s vision and mission. “We’ll continue to be the mind of the church in the South Pacific, a champion of the everlasting gospel of Jesus Christ and the Advent message, an oasis of conviction, research, creativity and leadership and the key theological resource, fostering kingdom collaboration with local, regional and international partners to advance the cause of Christ in this world.”
Members of Avondale’s governing body joined current and former seminary staff at the dedication ceremony in Ladies Chapel this past Tuesday (March 24), but the largest group represented were students. And de Waal addressed them directly. “Faith that cannot be tested cannot be trusted,” he said. “[Studying at the seminary] is an opportunity for you to question and probe and reflect and ponder and study your faith so you can then take it out into a broken world.”
de Waal described the seminary staff members as “scholar practitioners” who “enjoy the pulpit and the classroom, evangelism and education, mission and meditation, pastoral care and academic rigour.” He challenged the staff and the students to “continue to make Jesus Christ your supreme obsession. Theology is empty apart from Him. The church is incapacitated apart from Him. Preaching is futile apart from Him. Leadership is vain apart from Him. And we know that life itself is meaningless apart from Him.”
In offering the prayer of dedication, Avondale president Professor Ray Roennfeldt thanked God for “giving ministry gifts to all those You call. We celebrate that You have called some to pastoral ministry, so we pray for all our students, women and men, who’ve responded to that call.”
Earlier, senior lecturer Dr Lyell Heise presented a historical overview of former lecturers in ministry and theology at Avondale. “The reason we offer their names is because of the power we associate with mentoring. All of us who’ve studied here have a litany of stories of people who motivated and inspired us.” Addressing the students, he added, “You will have a litany of stories, too, and that scares those of us who are your lecturers because we know those stories are going to last.”
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