wfn.org | European, U.S. seminaries work for stronger link

[NewsDesk <NewsDesk@UMCOM.UMC.ORG>]

June 11, 1999 News media contact: Linda Green*(615)742-5470*Nashville, Tenn.
10-71B{326}

By Kathy Gilbert*

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) -- A closer bond has been forged between United
Methodist seminaries in America and Europe following a recent meeting of
school leaders in Vienna.

"There is an urgent need to provide theological education in the emerging
nations of Eastern Europe so that the people living in the post-communist
world of Europe can hear the Gospel in their own language and in the context
of their own culture," said the Rev. John Harnish, staff executive of the
churchwide Division of Ordained Ministry in Nashville, Tenn.

In the first part of the trip, the group visited the Russia United Methodist
Theological Seminary in Moscow. Then it divided into teams to visit other
United Methodist seminary programs in Prague, the Czech Republic; Tallin,
Estonia; Graz, Austria; and Warsaw, Poland.

The visit to Moscow was hosted by Russian Bishop Ruediger R. Minor and
included conversations with various church leaders and key people in
theological education. The seven presidents and deans who represented the 13
United Methodist seminaries in the United States learned firsthand of the
opportunities and challenges of teaching Wesleyan theology in those nations,
Harnish said. 

"I was impressed by the passion and commitment of the pastors and seminary
leaders in Russia and Estonia. They are struggling to build the church in
the wake of great difficulties from the Soviet era," said the Rev. L.
Gregory Jones, dean of The Divinity School, Duke University. 

"I was moved by the risks and sacrifices that pastors, faculty and seminary
leaders are making in order to offer a United Methodist presence and
witness," he said.

The Vienna Theological Education Consultation was the second part of the
trip for the group. Bishop Heinrich Bolleter of Switzerland hosted the visit
in Vienna, Austria. At that meeting, deans and directors of the theological
schools of the United Methodist Church in Europe established the Association
of United Methodist Theological Schools in Europe (UMTSE).

"Most of the schools in Europe have only started in recent years, and the
institutions saw the need for a stronger link among them," said the Rev.
Helmut Nausner of Vienna. "The newly established association of UMTSE will
meet this need."

The new group will also encourage a stronger link with the U.S. seminaries,
he said.

"I appreciated the informal meetings we had with colleagues," said the Rev.
Tord Ireblad, dean of the United Methodist Seminary in Goteborg, Sweden. "It
helped us to understand what it means to be a teacher in the church in a
local context with a global perspective and to understand what is going on
in theological thinking in our church."

"The goal of the meetings was to discuss how we work together for the sake
of the global church," Harnish said. "It was the first time representatives
from the U.S. had met with all nine European seminary directors."

He added that the nine programs in Europe have gained a closer relationship
with each other as well as formed a connection with the United Methodist
seminaries in the United States.

# # #

*Gilbert is a staff member in the Office of Interpretation at the United
Methodist Board of Higher Education and Ministry.

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