Events

Celebrating women! Five female members of the APNTS faculty, all who are ordained elders in their respective denominations, presented a forum on ministering with women Saturday, 21 March that was attended by 80 students and faculty from APNTS, as well as pastors and laypersons from churches in the area. The topics and presenters included

• “Identity Formation: Determining Who We Are”
  Rovina Hatcher, Christian Education and Pastoral Ministry, opened the forum speaking on the topic of sources of identity for women, a theme which was picked up throughout the other presentations.
• “Women’s Ways of Knowing and Doing”
  Dr. Nativity Petallar, Christian Education and Holistic Child Development, discussed the findings of research about how women make moral decisions, the basis for their actions.
• “Women and Worship”
  Dr. Lee San Young, Pastoral Counseling and Religion, spoke concerning lowering barriers so that all women feel included in the presence of God.
• “The Message Speaks: Analysis of the Discourse of Two Sermons on Similar Themes”
  Professor Beverly Gruver, Christian Education and English, presented an analysis of differences in sermon writing for women.
• “Women as Counselors: Guidelines for Pastoras”
  Dr. Carolyn Seifert, adjunct faculty in Pastoral Ministry, offered counseling practices for women.

A short group discussion period followed the presentations. All participants received a certificate awarding .4 Continuing Education Units for their participation in the 4-hour forum. In keeping with the networking nature of women, the forum ended with participants enjoying lunch together in the dining hall.

In the midst of preparations at Asia-Pacific Nazarene Theological Seminary for celebrating our 25^th anniversary, we also joined the world-wide celebration of the Centennial of the Church of the Nazarene.  Chapel services during the month of October focused attention on the Centennial Celebration of the Church of the Nazarene through featured videos of the church, music through the century, and a challenge to go forward to carry the message of holiness onward.  For one quarter of that century, APNTS has been a garden behind walls at Kaytikling corner in Taytay, Rizal. We ponder the limited impact the seminary seems to have made outside those walls, and are seeking ways to intentionally build bridges into the surrounding communities.

Dr. Geneva Silvernail, the Centennial Celebration Coordinator for the Asia-Pacific Region, was the keynote speaker on October 2.  Using the backdrop of the big tent in Pilot Point, Texas, she portrayed an outside observer from the town who watched the northerners and southerners gather and unite under the banner of the perfect love of God “shed abroad in their hearts” as they formed the Pentecostal Church of the Nazarene. As her character began to be transformed through watching the power of God at work, so we also felt the transforming work of God in our hearts.

Rev. Jason Hallig challenged us from the book of Habakkuk to cry out to God in his message on October 7.  October 9^th brought the emphasis from the contribution of the Church of the Nazarene in Korea with the Korean Fellowship group leading the worship, Rev. Kim Byoung Gi teaching us to experience the Korean prayer emphasis, followed by a message toward the future by Prof. Kwon Dong Hwan.

The voice on October 14 was from the 62 years of history of the Church of the Nazarene in the Philippines.  Music was in the general tradition of earlier Nazarene congregational singing including the rousing singing of “Wonderful Grace of Jesus.”  Dr. Angelito Agbuya-long time pastor of Angeles City Church of the Nazarene, District Superintendent of the Metro Luzon District, former president of Luzon Nazarene Bible College, head of the Angeles Church school, and adjunct professor of APNTS-challenged us to firmly maintain our mission of holiness without compromise while we seek to adapt the message to our ever changing context in the 21^st century.

October 16 Sam Tamayo and his group led worship with a blend of the old and the new-all with a focus on bringing our praise to God.  Rev. Rovina Hatcher gave the challenge to rethink our strategies to be intergenerational in reaching our world.

Missions professor and director of the Donald Owens School of World Mission presented the Board of Trustees mandate for making APNTS the premier mission training center for the Church of the Nazarene and reviewed the steps that have been taken thus far in making that a reality.  He prayed for us all that we would most of all have a passion for God that would translate into a passion to bring the message of Jesus to a needy world-a plentiful harvest needing workers.

The month long celebration concluded with seminary President, Dr. Floyd T. Cunningham, reviewing some of the important moments in Nazarene history with a focus on those who looked at their world with eyes of compassion and hearts filled with God’s perfect love that transforms. He challenged us to inclusivity and the responsibility of having Christ as our vision at Kaytikling corner and beyond.

-by Mrs. Beverly Gruver

One hundred sixty guests from Korea, the Philippines, Singapore, and the U.S. congregated on November 17 for the dedication service and thanksgiving banquet of the Fairbanks International School of Communication (FISC), as part of the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Asia Pacific Nazarene Theological Seminary (APNTS).

As the guest speaker for the dedication service, International Board of Education Commissioner E. LeBron Fairbanks, said, “These are big dreams requiring great faith,” referring to the mission of FISC to train pastors, ministers, and media professionals to make disciples.

“Little did I know in 1985 when I began to dream of a communication center on the Asia Pacific Nazarene Theological Seminary campus,” Fairbanks remarked, “that the vision would develop into such a vital and vibrant center as witnessed today. What has emerged over the past 15 years far exceeds my ’small’ vision. I am fascinated with the strong relationship between the APNTS master of Christian communication degree program and the Asia-Pacific World Mission Communication Center (WMC-AP). Because of this collaboration, the potential exists to dramatically impact not only the Asia-Pacific Region, but also the global Church of the Nazarene in making Christlike disciples in the nations.”

Fairbanks featured WMC-AP and its radio programs as examples of collaboration that were already in place. He added, “Media has an amazing ability to impact people … with either the right or wrong message. So our media developers need to produce out of a knowledge and understanding based in the best of our Wesleyan holiness tradition. Likewise, pastors, teachers, and church leaders must be trained in effective, relevant, appropriate, and culturally sensitive communication media. We give, support, and sacrifice for the International School of Communication because we seek no less than the very best education possible in shaping the emerging servant leaders who understand how to communicate effectively to their present generation.

“Collaboratively and collectively,” he continued, “we want to ensure that well trained, highly qualified, culturally sensitive, spiritually mature, and spirit-filled Christian communicators depart from the Asia Pacific Nazarene Theological Seminary to pastor our churches, teach in our schools, lead our denomination, and influence media organizations nurtured in the best of the Wesleyan-holiness theological tradition and the best in communication theory and practice.

“Our hope is in a big God who inspires His people to respond to His plans. Our response must be ‘yes,’” Fairbanks challenged.

As the dedication service progressed, the FISC committee, together with the congregation, was led by APNTS President Floyd Cunningham for a prayer of dedication of the school. Professor and FISC Director Kwon Dong Hwan was prayed for afterwards by Gi Hwan Jung of Manila New Life Church.

In order for the event to be more meaningful to the Korean guests, translation equipment was used for those who are major partners of the FISC program. This equipment had been previously donated by another faithful World Mission Broadcast supporter, Bill Levett.

The guests were ushered to the exhibit and tour area as part of the program in order for them to see the projects and facilities that FISC and its stakeholders have already prepared and accomplished for educating the past, present, and future students.

At the FISC banquet in the evening, World Mission Communications Global Director Dave Anderson gave his congratulatory message along these lines as well. “The communications school can be mightily used of God in the making of Christlike disciples and communicators in Asia-Pacific and beyond.”

Captain Jae Jung Jang, movie producer and president of the Korean Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines, also expressed his joy in congratulating FISC for its re-birth and drive to train more Christian media ministers in its state-of-the-art studio. He referred to World Mission Communications-Asia-Pacific as an asset to the media school.

Speaking from the perspective of a businessman, he added, “It is good for the school to be income generating since there are a lot of Korean ministries and businesses who need audio visual outputs that this media facility is capable of doing. It needs prayer to God.” Jang produced a film called Sa Kandungan ng Langit (Heaven’s Cradle), which won awards and nominations in the New York Film Festival. As he spoke, he stated his interest to continue partnering for Christian productions.

Other guests added their enthusiastic comments: “My wife had to go for chiropractic session, but cancelled it and begged for us to be here, and I think it was worth it,” exclaimed Dan Francisco, founder of Acts 1:8 ministries. This ministry reaches out to people for Christ through the use of visual media. Acts 1:8 is developing a partnership proposal designated for FISC scholarship funds.

Malvin Dinlasan of Lighthouse Educational Corp. committed his interest for media partnership and offered dubbing and translation projects for their Bible story videos on the same occasion.

At the end of the evening’s celebration, Anjung, Korea, Church of the Nazarene offered to pay for the banquet cost. They also pledged to finance the construction of an international conference room at the fourth floor of the Nielson Center for Evangelism and Education.

–Jay Mijares for World Mission Communications-Asia-Pacific