Evangelism in Theological Education (University of Greifswald, Germany)

In 1999, the Federal Synod of Leipzig ‘rediscovered’ Mission and Evangelism as the major purpose of the Christian church, and challenged its congregations to set priorities for Mission & Evangelism on their agenda. They realised the urgency of developing a theology of Evangelism, and of providing practical support for churches (e.g. evangelistic strategies and events). Evangelism must become a permanent dimension of local (open and inviting) churches. “[The church] needs cultural diversity [in order] to tear down the cultural walls which separate unchurched people from the Gospel.”

As a part of this Evangelistic strategy, they are seeking to understand how unchurched people communicate in the postmodern context. They are developing more and deeper contacts with unchurched people, learning to communicate with them. They realise that preaching must no longer be like an academic talk, but more like narrative story-telling. And they are trying to make more use of the Biblical stories (as people don’t know them!).

But Michael Herbst, of the University of Greifswald, in the Eastern part of Germany, has suggested that none of these strategies will be effective unless we deal first with some major problems in the way ministerial students are trained:

- students are trained to be scholars, but they have to act as leaders/managers in their churches;

- students are trained for Christendom, but they have to develop church life in a mission context;

- students are trained to preach and teach for regular attenders, but not for unchurched people;

- students are trained to understand, but not to trust (they must be able to lead a personal spiritual life as academic theologians);

- students are trained to understand and act in a kind of one-man-show.

Michael concludes that evangelism has to become a major part of theological education, and so established, as a part of the university’s Theological Faculty, ‘The Research Institute for Evangelism and Church Development’.

I am probably not qualified to comment on the state of theological education in the UK. It is true, though, that I can identify some of the deficits noted above in my own experience. Much of my reading and study since leaving college has been on emerging church, the post-modern context, etc. (perhaps as an attempt to ‘plug the gaps’).

I am struck again, though, by the many similarities between the East German and the UK contexts. It is imperative that we talk to one another, share experiences and insights, and co-operate across our national boundaries.

Central to Michael Herbst’s convictions is that, in order to engage in meaningful mission we must at the same time re-imagine/re-think the way we do church. I think that is SO important. It is all very well to be more cultural aware when we talk about (and do) mission. But if we are simply inviting not-yet-believers to join us and do the same ‘churchy’ things that we have always done, they will certainly not stay with us. We HAVE to find ways of making our churches attractive and relevant for outsiders, stretching and challenging those who already attend, as well as meeting the spiritual needs of our members.