Director’s Message

Director’s Message • History • Mission and Vision
Courses Offered • Five-year Strategic Goals

Cooperative, Constructive, and Creative:
Participate in Building “New Bridges” for Christ

Dong Hwan “Bill” Kwon

It is my privilege and honor to host the christening ceremony of Fairbanks International School of Communication (FISC) with guests from the Philippines, United States, Korea and other parts of the world.

In the recorded history of believers, we find that God continues to raise different people with skills and abilities for each significant ministry in His Kingdom building. We have witnessed this same history in Asia-Pacific Nazarene Theological Seminary as God has led educators and church leaders in the development of FISC.

The communications program began with the Master of Arts in Christian Communication (MACC) degree in 1995 as a result of a cooperative endeavor of Christian communicators around the Asia-Pacific region. Numerous media educators sacrificed their time, collaborated together, and offered their expertise to lay out the academic and practical foundations of the program. World Mission Communication Asia-Pacific (WMC-AP) has continually partnered with APNTS to provide a sound media facility, offer the technical expertise of personnel, and make available necessary tools and equipment for a successful communication program.

Communication technology is an acknowledged influence in the post modern society, even much more than we can imagine. In addition to the traditional media, the rapid development of digital technology enables multiplication of media options through satellite, Internet, cell phones and other gadgets. Furthermore, the new digital phenomena naturally lead to global and international interactions. Media shapes and changes what people think and how then act. Media is not just serving the society, but Media are the society, and we live in the media.

In this context, media education for church leaders and workers is essential rather than optional. Qualified production skills in the developing media gadgets are important to communicate the unchanging Good News message to people in contemporary society. God’s message

must be communicated through culturally relevant means. To be culturally relevant, seminarians need to inquire into the sociological and theological understanding of the media and their effects in the globalized society. The constructive dialogues between theologians and media scholars will contribute to knowledge needed in traditional theological education.

FISC will serve as a leading communication school that lays a creative bridge for communicating the gospel in the Asia-Pacific region. Yet, this bridge will only be possible through supporters like you who share the same vision and mission, and who continue to pray for the ministry of FISC. The future of FISC will depend on how you and I can continue to participate and partner in building communication bridges for the kingdom of God.

May God bless you as you partner with us!

Dong Hwan “Bill” Kwon
Director
Fairbanks International School of Communication
Asia-Pacific Nazarene Theological Seminary