Quality Masters & Doctoral Degree in Theology

As for the church, it can never be paper chase or degree accumulation for the sake of prestige or payrise or career prospects, as Christ has given to the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers and pastors and evangelists to equip the saints. The centre of equipping is within the church and not Seminaries or the academy. I am not saying Seminaries and Theological Universities or Colleges are not important, but if they are useful, it is to train pastors in biblical languages, read the texts in their original languages.

Systematic theology and church history are no less important, so that pastors can think theologically and doctrinally with a broad perspective of historical theology of how it developed since the inception of the early church throughout the first few centuries. 

As I see it, lecturers are keys as well as administrators and leaders of institutions to ensure good governance and maintenance of standards, rules and regulations that are transparent and relevant to producing quality graduates especially pastors with a sound knowledge of the Bible and languages of the Bible. 

Malaysia and most South East Asia countries are far behind in terms of theological maturity and qualifications. I was surprised by the fact that after 36 years of its foundation, the so-called best local Seminary has no one with a PhD in the Bible (OT or NT), and most local lecturers obtained their Masters internally supervised and examined by their own colleagues. 

Those who hold a PhD are less than the fingers of one hand with a few more with DMin or DTheol from local or regional seminaries. The only proper doctorate in New Testament is held by a non-Malaysian, a missionary faculty. 

And after 36 years and almost 60 years of my own Bible College, no native or indigenous person holds a PhD in the Bible or for that matter in any field of theology. If that is not a failure of leadership and lack of vision what else or who else is to blame? 

Nine years ago at a reception at Ehwa Women’s university at a conference held in Yonsei University, the Vice President of Korean New Testament Society stated that there were 300 PhD holders in New Testament from UK, USA and Germany. Why in Sabah that has a rich tradition of Christianity for more than a century does not even have 3 PhDs?