TEE for the 21st Century

Graham Aylett became General Secretary of the Increase Association in March2021. He studied Natural Sciences at Cambridge University, specialising inBotany, and earned his PhD for research in high altitude rain forests in Jamaica.He then trained as an Anglican minister and met his wife, Nicola, at theologicalcollege in Durham. They served with churches in three very different parts ofEngland, before doing further studies at All Nations Christian College. In 1998they moved to Mongolia, with their two small children, as Mission Partnerswith Interserve. Graham served with the Mongolian national TEE programmefor fourteen years. He joined the Increase Committee in 2010, and in 2014he and Nicola moved to Malaysia to work alongside Tim and Rachel Greenin setting up an Increase support base there. Since returning to England in2016, Graham has continued to serve with Increase as an Increase Equipperand as part of the Executive Team, becoming General Secretary in 2021. Heis Vice-Chair of the Trustees of SEAN International, and a member of theAsia Theological Association’s Commission on Accreditation and EducationalDevelopment. His publications include parts of TEE in Asia and other writingson TEE, specialising in interactive ways to equip leaders of local TEE groups.He continues to enjoy plants, especially growing cacti from seed!

David Ball is Director of the Group-based Open Learning Discipleship (GOLD) Project. He also works part-time for SEAN International where he links with church-based training organizations across Asia. Born in Kenya, David studied Biblical Studies at Sheffield University where he met his spouse, Angie. His PhD in New Testament was specifically on the “I am” sayings in John’s gospel. Since 1994, he has been involved in training Christians in their context of ministry. He and Angie spent fifteen years in India working with The Association For Theological Education by Extension (TAFTEE) as Crosslinks mission partners before returning to the UK. David is an Increase Equipper and chair of Increase’s Task Group for the diaspora; he has written in this area and was co-creator of an online resource to equip TEE local group leaders. He and Angie are actively involved in their local church in Bristol. David believes that the strength of the church’s life and witness depends on the equipping of all God’s people for mission and ministry in the world. A motorcycle enthusiast since he was 16, David is also actively involved in the Christian Motorcyclists’ Association.

Freda Carey, hailing from England, has spent over thirty years in Pakistan working in the field of theological education, the last twenty in the TEE Course Development department of the Open Theological Seminary (OTS), Lahore, which has over 6,000 students studying from basic discipleship courses to master’s level. She also teaches the Bible, Christian doctrine and church history in various residential theological education institutions around Pakistan. Freda first went to Pakistan as a volunteer librarian at a women’s college in Lahore. After completing the Cambridge Diploma in Religious Studies in 1985 through All Nations Christian College, England, Freda returned to teach at the United Bible Training Centre for women in Gujranwala. In 1999, after gaining her Master of Theology in the Study of World Christianity in Edinburgh, she took up a new post in Lahore with the OTS in 2000 and is currently serving as a theological education consultant. She has written one complete course, co- authored another, revised several others, and trained and supervised other course writers for OTS, particularly for the teenagers’ curriculum courses. She is an Increase Equipper and has helped to shape and facilitate the Increase Association’s course writers training workshops.

Paul Cornelius currently serves as the Regional Secretary in India for the Asia Theological Association (ATA). He is involved mainly with accreditation and providing value-added services to member institutions. He also helps in an ATA partnership with Scholar Leaders International on vital sustainability in theological institutions. Over the years, Paul has developed a passion for training “thinking practitioners” for the church and her witness in society. Formerly, Paul and his spouse, Mary, served with Youth for Christ in the city of New Delhi, before furthering his theological studies and engaging with theological education in India. After completing his Master of Theology in New Testament Studies from the South Asia Institute of Advanced Christian Studies (SAIACS) in Bangalore and teaching for a while, he obtained a doctorate in intercultural studies from Fuller Theological Seminary. His spouse, Mary, works in the residential life department at the Kodaikanal International School in South India. They have three adult children.

Miyung Do is originally from South Korea. After university she served in the Middle East, working mainly with women and children. Since 2003, with her family, she has been in Central Asia as an Interserve mission partner. The main focus of her ministry over many years is equipping and training in discipleship and cross-cultural mission. Along with her spouse, Richard, she has served on one of the TEE national teams in Central Asia and contributed to developing TEE national teams across the Central Asian region. She completed an MA in Contemporary Mission Studies in 2007 from All Nations Christian College, England. She has served as an Increase Equipper since 2016 and in 2021 became an Increase Committee member. As a reflective practitioner, her research and writing interests include discipleship, culture, women, and mission. Together with her Central Asian colleagues, she is currently writing a new TEE course for Central Asian believers from a Muslim background.

Volker Glissmann, originally from Germany, has a PhD in Old Testament studies from Queen’s University in Belfast and an MA in Theological Education from London School of Theology. He was the Executive Director of TEE in Malawi (TEEM) from 2010 to 2018. He is a course writer for the All Africa Theological Education by Extension Association (AATEEA) and an educational consultant for TEEM in Malawi and the TEE College in Johannesburg, South Africa. He facilitates a course on “Designing and Delivering Effective Theological Education” for the MA in Theological Education programme at the London School of Theology. He has written grassroots TEE courses for the Malawian context. He is a theological educator and Old Testament biblical scholar with an interest in grassroots theological education. He has written on TEE, theological education and diaspora theology. He is an Individual Member of the Increase Association.

Tim Green grew up in the UK. After graduating in natural sciences from Cambridge University he worked in the textile industry, and then with his spouse, Rachel, trained at All Nations Christian College (England) before arriving in Pakistan in 1988 to serve in the national TEE organization, the Open Theological Seminary. After fifteen years, his TEE experience continued in Jordan, then part-time with Increase from 2008 and helping support the new TEE work in Central Asia. He moved to Malaysia in 2014 and was General Secretary of the Increase Association from 2015 to 2021. He is a trustee of SEAN International which published his TEE courses Abundant Light and Feed My Lambs. Tim’s other published courses include Friendship First, Joining the Family and Come Follow Me as well as parts of TEE in Asia and other writings on TEE. In his capacity as an Increase Equipper, he also trains TEE course writers. Tim holds a Diploma in Religious Studies from Cambridge University, a master’s in Islamic Societies and Cultures, and a PhD on issues of identity for former Muslims following Jesus (both degrees from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London). He is currently Director of Word of Life which helps the worldwide church to welcome, disciple, and learn from Christ’s followers of Muslim background. He has three children and three grandchildren.

Patricia J. Harrison is an Australian who has been involved in education all her life, and with TEE since studying under Dr. Ralph Winter and visiting the original TEE programme in Guatemala. During an initial career teaching in schools and in training teachers for an Australian university, Patricia also helped pioneer TEE in a rural area, designing a number of courses and serving as a group facilitator. While employed with theological colleges in Australia, she has also taught intensive courses at Fuller Seminary and at theological colleges in other countries. For a number of years Patricia served with the World Evangelical Alliance Theological Commission as a consultant in theological education, and in that capacity has often conducted seminars in curriculum design, teaching methods, and various aspects of TEE for theological colleges and TEE programmes on all continents. She helped to design and deliver Increase’s training for TEE course writers. She has studied at Oxford University, Fuller Seminary, and several Australian universities, and holds graduate degrees in education, theology, missiology, teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL), and ethics. Her PhD was on cross- cultural theological education. Currently semi-retired, she teaches online and supervises dissertations for several theological colleges, including the London School of Theology, in conjunction with Middlesex University.

Nicholas Ivins. Armed with a bachelor’s degree in education, a master’s degree in biblical studies and pastoral ministry, and half-empty suitcases, Nicholas and his spouse, Denele, arrived in southern China in 1987. Nicholas spent eighteen years within the Chinese education system studying Chinese, teaching English, and delivering his children by bicycle to local schools. In 2006, he joined MAF Learning Technologies where he served for a decade coaching international ministries to develop training with increased impact. Currently, Nicholas is part of the WITH International Community team serving several organizations that have a focus on transformative learning, including the Increase Association, the Asia Theological Association, Entrust4, More Than a Mile Deep, and the Union Baptist Church of Mozambique. As an Increase Equipper he currently leads Increase’s programme to train course writers. He is thankful to God for the ministry he has given him.

JOHN JUSU (PhD) is a missionary of the Association of Evangelicals in Africa, seconded to the Africa International University in Nairobi, Kenya. He is an ordained minister of the Church of the United Brethren in Christ, Sierra Leone. He is currently on an extended leave of absence from the university and is serving with the Overseas Council International as Africa Regional Director. He works extensively on transformational curriculum issues in response to the context in which formal and non-formal education happens in Africa. His expertise is in understanding the epistemological frameworks of Africans striving to go into pastoral and teaching ministries of the church in Africa, and how that understanding may influence educational practices. In light of this expertise, John serves as Curriculum Consultant for the More Than a Mile Deep – Global Curriculum, Supervising Editor for the Africa Study Bible, Senior Researcher for the Africa Leadership Study, and member of the Global Associates for Transformational Education. John is also involved in faculty development for many educational initiatives in Africa. John is married to Tity. They have three children.

Kangwa Mabuluki is a native of Zambia and an ordained minister of the United Church of Zambia. He has been a pastor in various local congregations, Chaplain of the University of Zambia (1986–1989), Africa Regional Secretary (1990–1994) and General Secretary (1995–1999) of the World Student Christian Federation. Currently he is General Secretary of the All Africa Theological Education by Extension Association (AATEEA). His involvement in TEE began in his student days when he volunteered to translate TEE courses into one of the Zambian local languages. Later as Executive Director of TEE in Zambia (TEEZ) from 2002–2014, he was also one of the founders of the All Africa Theological Education by Extension Association (AATEEA), in which he served as volunteer General Secretary from 2006–2014, becoming full-time in 2015. He holds a graduate diploma in theology from Makerere University (Uganda), a master’s degree in applied theology from Oxford University (England), and a PhD in Christian education from the University of KwaZulu Natal (South Africa). Passionate about the biblically mandated “priesthood of all believers,” he sees TEE as one effective way of “preparing all God’s people for works of Christian service” (Eph 4:12) and effective ministry.

Rina Robinson lives in Malaysia with her family. Along with her spouse, Martin, she serves in a leadership and training capacity in diaspora TEE ministry with TEE Malaysia. She has worked with the Nepali diaspora in Malaysia since 2001 through Migrant Ministry Klang (MMK) and helped pioneer diaspora TEE ministry among the Nepali community. She has a master’s degree in Christian studies from the Malaysia Bible Seminary. She is an Increase Equipper and serves on the Diaspora Task Group.

David Samuel is from Tamil Nadu, India. Ordained a Presbyter of the Church of South India, he worked in the Kanyakumari Diocese. He obtained a BSc in physics and an MA in English, before completing a BD from Union Biblical Seminary, Pune (India), an MTh from the United Theological College, Bangalore (India), and a PhD from Kings College, London (England). He has been serving as Director of TAFTEE (The Association For Theological Education by Extension) since 1984. He also serves as President of the Union Biblical Seminary Society and as a Trustee of the South Asia Institute of Advanced Christian Studies. He has also served as Chairman of the Evangelical Fellowship of India, Secretary of the Evangelical Fellowship of India Theological Commission, Chairman of the Christian Institute of Management (Bangalore), and member of the boards of Theological Education of the Senate of Serampore and the Asia Theological Association, India.

J. Norberto Saracco is a pastor, educator, and theologian. He has master’s degrees in theology (Universidad Bíblica Latinoamericana) and religious sciences (Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica), and a PhD in theology (University of Birmingham, England). He became a Pentecostal pastor in 1969 and pastor of Good News Church (1985 to the present). He was a founder and co-president of the Buenos Aires Council of Pastors. He is a member of the Bible Society and of the Argentine Evangelical National Alliance (ACIERA). He was a member of the International Council of the World Evangelical Alliance and International Deputy Director of the Lausanne Movement from 2004 to 2011. Since 1973 he has been involved in TEE. He founded in 1977 the Instituto Teológico FIET (International Faculty of Theological Studies), of which he is currently Rector Emeritus. FIET offers programmes from certificates to doctorate level. From 1981 to 1984 he was co-founder and International Director of the Latin American Faculty of Theological Education which has sponsored TEE programmes in twenty-two countries across the continents of North and South America, Africa, Asia, Australia, and Europe. From 2001 to 2018, he was a member of the Latin American Doctoral Programme (PRODOLA) and continues to direct the Latin American Network of Doctoral Programmes.

Thomas Schirrmacher, author, pastor, and scholar, is Secretary General of the World Evangelical Alliance after having previously been responsible for theology and education within the alliance for a long period. He has four earned doctorates, ranging from studies in missiology and ecumenism, to cultural anthropology and ethics, and comparative sociology of religion. He founded the Martin Bucer Seminary (Bonn, Germany) and has taught and lectured on several continents, including in the advanced programme on “Human Rights and Religious Freedom” at Regent’s Park College, Oxford University. He is also Director of the International Institute for Religious Freedom. He is married and interacts directly with many global leaders in other religious traditions.

Perry Shaw is Researcher in Residence at Morling College, Sydney, Australia, and author of Transforming Theological Education. Prior to moving to Australia, Perry and his family served from 1990 to 2019 in the Middle East. During the 1990s, he helped to establish extension centres in Syria for the PTEE (the Programme for Theological Education by Extension). He then taught at the Near East School of Theology (Beirut) during the early years of the millennium, joining the Faculty of the Arab Baptist Theological Seminary (ABTS, Beirut) in 2007, where he served as Professor of Education. While at ABTS, Perry was closely involved in the development of their highly innovative curriculum, while also becoming increasingly involved in international consultancy for theological education. Perry has authored two TEE texts, The Acts of the Apostles and The Art of Teaching and co-edited the collection Challenging Tradition: Innovation in Advanced Theological Education. He has also published numerous articles in the fields of theological education, intercultural studies, and Christian leadership.

Stephen Spencer studied theology at Oxford University, achieving a doctorate on the social thought of Archbishop William Temple. He has tutored in theological education in the north of England, most recently as Vice Principal of St. Hild College in Yorkshire, UK. He has published books on William Temple, Anglican social theology and a study of church growth in Tanzania and England. He has also published study guides on Christian mission, Anglicanism and church history, and a book on seasonal retreats. He has worked as a parish priest in England and Zimbabwe, in urban, suburban, and rural parishes, and for six years was the Diocesan Link Officer between Leeds and the Mara Region in Tanzania (where he saw TEE in action). In 2018 he became Director for Theological Education in the Anglican Communion, based at the Anglican Communion Office in London, working to build up links between theological colleges and courses across the world and commissioning learning resources for online publication. His spouse, Sally, is a Methodist minister and they have three adult children.

Tanka Subedi was born into a Christian family in 1971 and grew up in the western part of Nepal. In college days he became active as a disciple-maker among fellow students. While engaged with the student movement he caught a vision for the growing church in Nepal and its need for grassroots level teaching and training for its self-appointed and least educated church leaders. This led him to take up the translation of SEAN TEE materials. With the help of some like-minded people, this programme, known as ITEEN (Institute for TEE in Nepal), was warmly welcomed and used by hundreds of village pastors. They in turn used it as a tool for discipling in their churches. Many who completed ITEEN courses pioneered new churches and facilitated the needs of the fast- growing churches. Tanka has also promoted ITEEN among Nepali diaspora. After democracy was introduced to Nepal, there were opportunities to promote religious freedom, but in the light of more recent restrictions and persecution against religious minorities, fighting for equality and freedom continues to be a part of Tanka’s mission. He serves as Equipper and committee member in the Increase Association.

Anneta Vysotskaya was born in Russia in 1960 and has lived in New Zealand since 2004. She holds an MA in philology and a BA in religious studies from the Far Eastern Federal University in Vladivostok (Russia); and she gained a Certificate in Christian Ministry and a Diploma in Christian Studies from Faith Bible College, Tauranga (New Zealand). Anneta was awarded an honorary Doctor of Divinity by Vision International University (USA). Although brought up as an atheist, she became a believer in 1992 and has been actively involved in Christian ministry ever since. She was a pastor in the Evangelical Christian Church of Vladivostok, Russia from 1997–2004, and is a religious liberty journalist, researcher, and theological educator. Her ministry focus is on Russia, Central Asia, Azerbaijan, and other former soviet countries, and she makes regular visits to the region. She was International Director of the Open Russian Theological Academy (ORTA) from 2005 to 2017 and has been General Director since 2017. She has been a TEE consultant for Central Asia since 2006, a member of the Increase Committee since 2008, and chair since 2017. She is a member of TEE Aotearoa, New Zealand, a member of the Central Asia Vision Group (CAVG), and was a member of the Religious Liberty Commission of the World Evangelical Alliance from 2005 to 2018. She has authored many publications on issues of religious freedom and Christian persecution.

Rick Weymouth is the e-Learning Director for the Arabic language Program for Theological Education by Extension (PTEE), based in Jordan, where he has served since 2005. Rick holds a PhD in theology (Otago University, NZ), building on two earlier theology degrees, and a bachelor’s in chemical engineering. Originally from Australia, Rick is married with two older teenage sons. He has been a mission partner with Middle East Christian Outreach (MECO) and the New Zealand Church Missionary Society (NZCMS), serving in both the Middle East and Asia since 1996. In 2018 his family relocated to New Zealand, with Rick now working for the PTEE at a distance. He has also been a member of the Asia Theological Association (ATA)’s Commission for Accreditation and Educational Development (CAED) since 2010, and is a co-editor of the ATA’s “Manual for Accreditation.” For nine years he had a similar role in the Middle East and North Africa Association for Theological Education (MENATE). Since 2010, Rick has been an Increase Equipper and co- authored Standards and Guidelines for Online Evangelical Theological Education published by ICETE in 2019 as part of its larger Standards and Guidelines for Global Evangelical Theological Education (SG-GETE).