ETS Brief History A GLIMPSE OF ETS HISTORY By Rev. Luna L. Dingayan Ecumenical Theological Seminary is now on its 18th year of life and works. The history of ETS is a journey of faith. It follows at least seven stages of development. The first stage is the conceptualization stage. This was the time when our minds started to wander in search for the most relevant ways of doing theological education in our country given our very limited resources. Sometimes crisis in the life of the church force us to look for better alternatives. The second stage is the birthing stage. This was the time when we give birth to ETS. Many had helped us give birth to this child. Many accepted it and supported it to make it grow. But of course some also rejected it, declared it illegitimate, and wished not to be born in the first place. It was at this point that we really felt the pain of childbirth. The third stage is the curriculum development stage. This was the time when we development curricular programs relevant to the needs and situations of churches. We wanted our curricular programs to be relevant, ecumenical, and ladderized. We decided to follow an action-reflection approach to theological education and made it affordable and accessible to our church workers, especially those who were at the forefront of local church ministry. The fourth stage is the organizational stage. This was the time when we set up the organizational structure that would manage and govern the life and works of the seminary. We wanted very much to get the widest representation and participation from the seminary community and from the churches among those who had the heart for ETS and its ministry of theological education. The fifth stage is the recognition stage. This was the time when our seminary was recognized and approved as ministerial formation center by the General Assembly of the UCCP and also by other denominations. This was also the time when our seminary became a member of the Association for Theological Education in Southeast Asia and established partnership with other seminaries in other parts of the world. The sixth stage is the physical development stage. This was the time when we started to build our own campus. And we began putting up a high rise building that would house the physical facilities of the seminary, and also to serve as a source of income to support the curricular programs of the seminary. And finally, the seventh stage is the expansion stage. This was the time when we tried to reach out as wide as possible to those who were really in need for theological education so that they would be more equipped and become more effective in doing their mission in the world. The Open Seminary Extension Program was introduced, developed, and promoted to the churches. These are the seven stages in the historical development of ETS. The history of ETS goes on and we are part of that history. We are called upon to continue making that history. As we continue to journey together, may we take courage in the thought that our past is in God’s mercy and love, and that our future is in God’s hands. One of the enduring lessons we learned in the history of ETS is the fact that it is not easy to build an institution for theological education. We need a lot of patience and courage, of faith, hope, and love. But nevertheless, God’s promise and God’s abiding presence is always there. “I will be with you till the end of the age,” says the Lord. Amen.
Posted on: Thu, 13 Mar 2014 11:05:33 +0000
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