An address presented at Joseph Merrick Baptist College

SEMINARIES ARE DANGEROUS GROUNDS FOR SERIOUS TASK: A MEDITATION ON THE ROLE OF CAMEROON BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY WITHIN THE CAMEROON BAPTIST CONVENTION FOR THE FORMATION OF SECONDARY, HIGH SCHOOL AND UNIVERSITY GRADUATES

By Dr. Wilfred T. W. Fon, (B. Th., M. A., S. T. M.; Ph. D.) President, CBTS

The word Seminary comes from a Latin word seminarium meaning nursery. It is from the same root as the word semen meaning seed. A seminary is a place then, where seminars take place. The seminar may be defined as ‘a small group of students, as in a university, engaged in advanced study and original research under a member of the faculty, ... a course or subject of study for advanced graduate students.’[1] The very dictionary defines seminary as ‘a school, especially one of higher grade. A school for the education of men for the . . . ministry. A place of origin and development.’[2]

By following these definitions we can safely say that the seminary is a dangerous place. Let me advance for you three reasons:

1. It is a place for the Integration of Theory and Practice

Theological seminaries develop and disseminate doctrine. They form men and women who influence and change the life of the church. Traditionally, doctrine has been formulated and then emerged to influence the church from the seminary. At times, theological seminaries have become impractical and out of touch with the church life. Subjects such as biblical studies, theology, and church history had tended to avoid dealing with the setting into which students will go to work thus leaving the impression that they are the academic subjects. On the other hand, the applied disciplines such as preaching, counseling, Christian education, evangelism, have suffered from a lack of qualified practical experienced faculty. This situation constitutes a major problem in theological education today within the Cameroon Baptist Convention. The number one problem in the Cameroon Baptist Convention is the lack of the integration of theory and practice in ministry.

At the Cameroon Baptist Theological seminary we integrate theory and practice. The faculty, collectively and individually, pursue the integration. We cannot assume that the faculty teaching the classical disciplines will handle the academics while those in the applied disciplines handle the practice. CBTS formulates the concept of dual competencies. Each faculty member must meet certain qualifications in terms of both the theoretical materials in one's field and the practice of ministry. Faculty members are required to serve as active members of a local church. Those who do not possess a Masters degree are required to earn one for competency in ministry. Only those with such competencies can successfully prepare students for a realistic ministry.

As Millard Erickson observed

The theology with which Karl Barth shook the theological world in 1919 was not thought out in an ivory tower somewhere, but grew directly out of the young Swiss pastor's struggle to minister to the needs of the people in his spiritual care. He had to preach, and the theology which he had learned simply did not satisfy the needs of his congregation. Similarly, Paul Tillich's theology grew in large part out of his service as a military chaplain in the First World War. One night, in the trenches among dying men, he "peered into the abyss of non-being."[3]

Christian theological education takes cognizance of the field of service because it can never merely be a philosophy seeking to describe reality. It is a whole world-and-life view. It deals with the totality of humanity and addresses issues that cover all of life. It is therefore pragmatic and experiential on the one hand, as it is reflective and rational on the other. These dimensions are maintained in any seminary that bears the name of a Christian Academy. Ferguson advised that such education will profit from great books of the Christian faith and not secondary literature.[4]

The seminaries serve as research grounds for the Church

The Church must meet the daily challenges of its society. The Cameroon Baptist Theological Seminary exists as a research center for the Cameroon Baptist Convention. In fact, we continue to train and research methods and skills necessary for today’s challenges. To aim for less is to give the Cameroon Baptist Convention and the Church in Africa a mediocre manpower for the future and so endanger the life of the Church and the Christian course. The training of pastors and Christian workers in all fields of life occupy the Seminary as she forges forward for a new Africa and her people for the Lord Jesus Christ. As universities engage in research, so also must the seminaries. The Seminaries nurture the mind of the Church and can possibly breed change for the growth and development of the church. No one should underestimate the significance of the seminary in research. In fact no seminary is worth the name if she is not engaging in this exercise. Thus a good seminary is known for her library and faculty publications. Better still, a good seminary is known by her students’ publications.

The Cameroon Baptist Theological Seminary sponsors a program of faculty exchange during which faculty from other institutions can come to do research work at the Library and share the results with the Seminary. We also instituted an African Scholars Sabbatical program that seeks to engage African scholars in scholarly pursuit for the advancement of the Kingdom of God in Africa. In plan is the building of the Learning Center designed to serve the needs of a growing church in Africa. We envisage a center that will link up with the great seminaries of the world via satellite and the lecture will be down-loaded and instant dialogue maintained between a class in Cameroon and any other class around the world to which we hookup. Computer assisted research has blossomed in this center. We are envisaging the centers for urban theological ministries in the great cities of Cameroon. Research in the context of the Cities will bring the seminary into the cutting edge of ministry today. We believe that the Church in Africa will greatly benefit from these ventures. The seminary is the haven for nurturing these tasks that implement research for the church.

Seminaries must research and give answers to the vexing problems of corruption and the lack of moral aptitude with the society. Seminaries can no longer only prepare the clergy; they must prepare Christians for public service and leadership within the various communities.

The Seminary must Identify and Develop Leadership Qualities

The Cameroon Baptist Theological Seminary can boast that she is able to single-handedly provide 90% of the pastors for the Cameroon Baptist Convention. However, such shouting is not called for. We must ask the question, ‘How well have we identified and developed leadership qualities in the pastors we graduate from the seminary?’ Many times we hear that some of our graduates are misfits. If that statement is true of many graduates, the seminary must rethink its services to the church in terms of the production of quality leadership. Erickson states,

To the extent that seminaries are still given to training full-time professional leadership, they may need to screen for and develop in their students certain qualities which have not always been a primary focus in the past.[5]

Our pastors must have the best leadership qualities of our time. The department of leadership is strengthened in the seminary because we expect our graduates to lead Jesus’ way. Christ’s leadership role as Servant-Leader can only be appreciated if we spend time and energy to instruct our student not only in theory but also in practice. Our graduates are experts in Biblical and theological knowledge and they are also men and women who know the art of leading the people of God. They are creative and they have the willingness to carry out their whole plan. The cry and want for visionary leaders is becoming a cry of the pass as we look forward to a new day of leadership development in the seminary. The need will be met if we diversify our interest and think imaginatively about Christ leadership development. Godless leaders can never solve the crisis of this nation. Christian men and women are being groomed for leadership responsibilities and that is the work of the Seminary.

A new day has dawned for the Cameroon Baptist Theological Seminary with her Masters program in Biblical Studies, Pastoral Ministries, Counseling and leadership, Christian Education and Theology. Through these programs we envisage the equipping of our graduates to serve effectively in the communication of the gospel, in leadership at home, Church and society, and as academicians forging forward a better scholarship for the future of the African Church. We are developing leaders who will engage in Church life and in the wider context of pastoral ministry. We are developing leaders in the area of theological critical analysis of the philosophic trends that dominate our society. We must bite the bitter truth that the majority of Cameroonians have qualifications that make them look down on the clergy and that we have not always given them the pastors who can meet their needs academically. The lack of such quality leadership in the past does not in any way say that the church cannot make good her past failures. We look forward to a better tomorrow for the Cameroon Baptist Convention and for the Church in Africa. As a leader at the Cameroon Baptist Theological Seminary I want to call on all Christians of Africa to pray for us and for all the Africa Christian Seminaries that we may take our rightful place at the forefront of the church as Christianity marches forward.

In Cameroon today life is lived in at least three separate compartments. There is the public life in which a man or woman might be a very successful business person, a good lecturer, a worker.

Secondly, there is the private or social life in which a man or a woman may be allowed the freedom to drink and once in a while get drunk, take a bribe, have a sexual affair, utter bad language and enjoy life.

Finally, there is the religious life in which the very person may serve as a communicant, a leader in the church congregation, a high priest to a traditional religious practice, and an advocate for new religious forms and practices.

The Cameroon Baptist Theological Seminary offers opportunity for the integration of life in these three dimensions so that all of life is brought under the leadership and glory of God.

We are working on introducing disciplines that will lead to a Higher National Diploma alongside the Bachelor of theology degree. We believe that a degree in translation and linguistics will serve as an integrating factor in a nation with linguistics diversity as Cameroon. We are therefore offering diplomas, first Degrees and Masters Degrees. We are preparing a people for the job market in Cameroon in the field of leadership, pastoral ministries, counseling and public relations. The school is in the process of upgrading into a University and our files are with the ministry of Higher Education in Yaounde. We have specifically asked for the degree granting status up to the Masters level. We have cooperation ties with foreign institutions. We work with the Accrediting Association for Theological Education in Africa (ACTEA). We work with individual schools in Canada and the United States of America. We are working hard to get courses on the internet by the end of 2005/2006 academic year. These opportunities can be open to deserving students of CBTS.

Life’s satisfaction comes with integrity. Integrity is gained in the unification of life under God, so that in public, private or religious life you shine forth with the same illumination in the face of Jesus Christ. If we were in the Catholic Church setting CBTS will serve as a Major Seminary while Joseph Merrick Baptist College will serve as a Minor Seminary.

[1] The American College Dictionary. Edited by C. L. Barnhart. New York: Random House, 1964.

[2] Ibid.

[3] Millard J. Erickson, Where Is Theology Going? Issues and Perspectives on the Future of Theology, Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1994, (p. 220). I have depended very heavily on Erickson’s ideas. These should be seen as a sign of good mentoring on his part as my teacher rather than slavish consumption of his ideas. I sat under Erickson for two and a half years and since then had continued as a faithful disciple of his in my ministry as a theologian. My students will testify to this fact in a very eloquent fashion than I can give credits for in this brief article.

[4] Sinclair B. Fergusen, Read Any Good Books? Edinburgh: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1992, (p. 8-9). Great books are an indispensable part of seminary training. ‘ It is worth emphasizing that the greatest books in the Christian church are usually very readable. You should bear in mind why they were written: great books were written to show a great God and a great Christ to the people of God. You must never let yourself be tricked into reading lesser books about great subjects when you are perfectly capable of reading great books about great subjects! As you will discover, they are very often among the clearest and most enjoyable to read.’ This quote is significant for the role of the seminary because the seminary helps the student to begin the reading of great books.

[5] Millard J. Erickson, Where Is Theology Going? Issues and Perspectives on the Future of Theology, Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1994, (p. 223).

Bibliography

I have been influenced by the following works:

Erickson, Millard J. Where Is Theology Going? Issues and Perspectives on the Future of Theology. Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1994.

Feguson, Sinclair B. Read Any Good Books? Edinburgh: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1992.

Ro, Bong Rim “Presidents and Academic Deans, Dangerous People” A presentation to President’s and Academic Deans in Pretoria South Africa in 1997.

Van Til, Corniluis. A Christian Theory of Knowledge. Netley: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Co., 1977.

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Introduction to CBTS

The Cameroon Baptist Theological Seminary is a small school by the world’s standards. However, by Cameroon standards we know no seminary with that high a population. We have a student body of 380 this academic year. We have on the faculty three earned doctorates, two doctoral candidates, 7 masters degree holders, 2 masters degree candidates, 3 bachelors degree holders and some diploma and certificate holders. We have an eleven man staff. Together CBTS employs about 33 men and women to carry out her daily functions. Of these 33 only 4 are missionaries.

The levels for training rage from Child Care and nursery school given to 0-5 years, adult grade school given to women who never had the privilege of going through grade seven school but are now feeling a call to serve the church or are students’ wives, 5 year certificate of theology for those with grade seven certificate who are called into the pastoral ministry, 3 year diploma for those with GCE ordinary level called into pastoral ministry, 3 year B. Th. for those with GCE Advanced Level called into ministry to perform other functions in addition to the pastoral ministry, and 2 to 3 year MA for those with a first degree from a recognized institution.

CBTS has been in the business of training pastors for over 50 years. As an institution of higher learning she was upgraded in 1984 to be a degree granting institution.