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| Pastor F.A. Olaniyi |
By Boluwatife Oparinde
The Coordinator of Christ Apostolic Church Theological Seminary, Ile-Ife (Lagos Campus), Pastor F.A. Olaniyi has highlighted the necessities for creativity, spirituality and sustainability for CACTS campuses in order to stay fit and relevant with the way and manner education is evolving.
Pastor Olaniyi said this while giving the second lecture titled “Creativity, Spirituality and Sustainability of Christ Apostolic Church Theological Seminary in the New Normal” on Monday, 16th May, 2022 at the ongoing 2022 CACTS Staff Retreat at CACTS Main Campus, Opa, Ile-Ife, Osun State.
Admitting the present challenges of the world, competition of the world, rapid development of information technology and the rapid flow of globalization, the Speaker expressed the necessity “to establish resilience as a dynamic condition of our theological seminaries and life capable of combating all forms of threat that endanger the sovereignty and survival of our institution. Therefore, all seminarians must be encouraged to be creative in time like this.”
Pastor Olaniyi who gave some suggestions of creativity expected in theological schools such as, “Our students need to be trained in business skills so they can become bi-vocational when they graduate; Encourage teachers/lecturers to be bi-vocational also; Adjust the objectives and methods of training; Use appropriate technology; Think in terms of sustainability; Develop an understanding of what the Seminary's purpose and mission are; Be creative in the creation of financial freedom for the Seminary." He alluded that, “the example of the Apostle Paul’s training school in the lecture hall of Tyrannus in Ephesus (Acts 19:9) provides a biblical basis for sustainable theological education.”
The Lagos Campus Coordinator declared that, the emphasis of the church, and all related institutions of the church, has always been a focus on the development of one's spiritual life, thereby, explaining salient facts in the need for spiritual development including, becoming a Spiritual Guide to others; Spiritual Development is meant for Counselling/Coaching; Spiritual Development is for a purpose; and Spiritual Development as the reason for calling.
Stating that some common challenges facing theological Seminaries are, humanitarian needs, speedy shifts to Information Technology, increased demands on faculty and financial challenges; he advocated that, preparing for the future, schools will need to turn their attention to some of the longer-term changes required for theological seminaries in the new normal such as online investment and mission transformation.
According to Pastor Olaniyi, “Although the fact of the current global challenges has made everything change, sustaining the values of theological education: relational, humanities, creeds, and mission become a joint task. Theological education becomes an essential part in facing the deterioration of national character as the impact of the ambivalence of science and technology development.”
“Therefore, sustaining the values of theological education remains a priority for stakeholders and education providers. Theological education is expected to create a superior young generation in all fields facing the challenges of intolerance amidst diversity. Educators are expected to instill Christian values and national values to prepare students for entry into the workforce of this technological era,” he said.