Sharing Insights

In March 2019, the Foundation awarded a grant to CMS Ireland to cover part of the costs of a visit the Principal of the Church of Ireland Theological Institute, Dr Maurice Elliot was about to make to St. John’s Seminary Kitwe Zambia. The trustees wished to encourage the opportunity that this visit gave for sharing the insights into the task of theological education when those from two quite different contexts of learning had opportunities to meet over an extended period of time. 

CMS Ireland saw the visit “as part of a three stranded approach to building the capacity and credibility of the Seminary as a local academic institution.” The purpose of the visit was:

• To give the students an, albeit brief, experience of learning that is otherwise not readily available in Zambia.

• To explore possibilities of staff development and further academic study

• To seek to build a relationship between the Seminary and the Institute thereby giving both students and staff further opportunities and experience while at the same time offering students in the Church of Ireland Institute an opportunity to spend some time in Zambia as part of their first-year elective

Maurice taught for three mornings on preaching and Christian leadership and the links between them. He also had meetings with the staff that proved very encouraging and positive exploring several issues to do with course design, particularly the concept of “integration”. This was to be taken further when the St John’s staff met to make the final preparations for the new intake due in September 2019. 

Staff development at St John’s was also discussed and Dr. Elliott was able to refer the Seminary to the Archbishop’s Examination in Theology as a possible route for staff members to follow in order to develop their own academic ability and standing.