Mission and Vision

Our Mission

Asia-Pacific Nazarene Theological Seminary, a graduate school in the Wesleyan tradition, prepares men and women for Christ-like leadership and excellence in ministries.

Our Vision

Bridging Cultures for Christ, APNTS equips each new generation of leaders to disseminate the Gospel of Jesus Christ throughout Asia, the Pacific, and the world.

Our Strategic Objectives

  • Provide solid biblical, historical, and theological foundations and encourage lifelong learning.
  • Demonstrate the power, spiritual formation, and transformation possible within a multi-cultural commmunity of committed believers.
  • Create a dynamic environment that reinforces spiritual gifts and graces, and the call to ministry.
  • Challenge to reach across ethnicity, culture, gender, class and geographical region for the sake fo the Gospel.

The mission and vision of the seminary is accomplished through the development of both personal and professional attitudes and skills so as to enable analytical reflection upon Christian faith and life, and through the development of competencies in the practice of ministry.

We recognize that fruitful service is dependent upon the Holy Spirit, but also that it is developed and nourished through the discipline and refinement of personal talents and innate abilities. The Seminary intends to encourage the effective communication and proclamation of the gospel within Asia, the Pacific, and beyond, and to address the gospel creatively and dynamically to the various cultures of the world. We realize that we must enable ministers to facilitate wholistic growth within the people for whom there is responsibility for Christian care. In doing this there must be an understanding of and commitment to the Word of God. We are committed to the authority of the Bible as understood by the Wesleyan evangelical tradition. There must be a sensitivity to theological interpretation and an ability to put these understandings into practice in local situations.

The attainment of these purposes should be evident in the graduates of the Seminary. Those students who have exercised discipline and who have adequately completed the programs of the school will evidence attainment of these purposes through certain intellectual, professional and personal characteristics.

On an intellectual level, graduates should be able to:

  • demonstrate a thorough knowledge of the contents, history and theology of the Bible;
  • interpret the Bible analytically for the Asia-Pacific context;
  • reflect theologically upon the task of ministry from a Wesleyan perspective;
  • detect and criticize theological and philosophical presuppositions;
  • show familiarity with the historic church's doctrines and significant events;
  • appropriate creatively and use the wisdom of the Christian church, past and present, for ministries in Asia and the Pacific; and
  • understand their own cultures so as to apply their theological persuasions in ways which are consistent with the gospel message, suitable for their own people and socially relevant.

On a professional level, graduates should be able to:

  • be guided by biblical precepts in their ministries;
  • proclaim and exemplify the redeeming power of the Word of God;
  • remain loyal to the positions and institutions of their tradition and church;
  • find and use forms of worship conducive to communion with God;
  • administer adequately and facilitate the growth of local congregations;
  • express the gospel and evangelize effectively through skillful and bold communication of the Word;
  • direct the nurture of Christians in the faith;
  • take positions of leadership in the church in this area of the world;
  • encourage and cooperate with others in ministry; and
  • guide laypersons into responsible and truly Christian leadership roles in communities.

On a personal level, graduates should be able to:

  • seek after knowledge and truth on their own initiative;
  • possess a sense of mission to a lost world;
  • serve the church in this area of the world with deep and sacrificial commitment;
  • sense the leading of God in their lives; develop programs of spiritual deepening for themselves and others;
  • understand themselves;
  • be confident of their leadership abilities and gifts;
  • testify to the experience of regeneration and entire sanctification; and
  • rely upon the Holy Spirit for life and service.