1. Standing Committee of General Synod nominated me as one of the seven Anglican delegates from Australia to the Eighth Assembly of the World Council of Churches, Harare, Zimbabwe, December 1998. The other delegates from the Anglican Church of Australia were Richard Appleby, Sue Bazzana, Scott Cowdell, Philip Freier, Erica Mathieson, Vivienne Sahanna.

2. A friend suggested that I go one week earlier, to Kenya, and visit theological colleges in and around Nairobi. Kenya is the major urban centre serving S.E. Africa, where many of the headquarters of international commercial enterprises and missionary agencies are located.

3. A part background to this was the observation I believe David Seccombe of George Whitfield College has made, that in many countries south of the Sahara, Christianity is the predominant tribal religion. For example, in Rwanda, 95% of the population call themselves Christians, and about 85% attend Church on Sundays. Further, there may be as many 50,000 village churches with their own pastor, most with only minimal training. David Seccombe believes that we now have an unparalleled window of opportunity for theological education in Africa. If, say, a strongly committed and well trained Evangelical was to learn a tribal language, and give himself to a life-time of training and supporting pastors at the village level, it would enormously strengthen not only the present generation of African Christians, but help form the Church for generations to come.

Further inquiries indicated that theological educators from Australia are needed at three levels:

•with a good B.Th, to teach at diploma level, i.e. at local level
•with M.Th. degrees, to teach in the now widely emerging B.Th./B.D. and M.Div programs in Africa,
•and with Ph.D degrees, to teach at post-graduate level, i.e. the emerging generation of African theologians.

Helpful conversations followed with David Claydon and John Menear of CMS. David Claydon reckoned that in S.E. Asia and Africa, he can see 50 places for:

•10 theological educators with good B.Ths
•25 with M.Ths
•15 Ph.Ds

So, I went to Nairobi, not only to learn something of the inner workings of theological education in that key city, but to also test the 'Claydon-Seccombe' hypothesis: '50 for Africa and S.E. Asia by 2010'. Unsurprisingly, this testing was to extend from Nairobi to Harare, and the opportunities the WCC Assembly gave me to talk with fellow Evangelicals and others from the third world, many of them bishops.

In what follows I have picked a mainly missiological track through a kaleidoscope of experiences jammed into three weeks.

4. I was able to visit five theological colleges in and around Nairobi:

i. Trinity College, which is a TEE college (theological education by extension), and has been brought to its present strength especially through the work of Margaret Thornton. Its emphasis is lay training.

Their TEE program covers all dioceses in Kenya. Each diocese has a centre with trained tutors who regularly visit each TEE group in that diocese. There are more urban students than rural. Total number of students about 3,000. At present Trinity is running TEE as lay leadership training.

The course books range from 'easiest' at the first level to 'more difficult' at the third and final level. They appear well graded, and the 'easiest' level appears to require only a primary school level of English. 22 of the 30 books are on specific books of the Bible, the rest either on biblical themes (e.g. life of Christ), church history, or practical personal formation and evangelical ministry to others. Each book costs KSh 250, with the exam costing KSh 150. The notional minimum wage in Kenya is KSh 2,000 per month. Therefore, the commitment of their students is of a high order.

ii. Carlile College, the Church Army Training College. (Dip Th )

This is where Jacob Muiruri, who completed a postgraduate degree at Moore College, works. I spent time with several African faculty, then met with Timothy Dakin, the principal, a missionary from England in his late thirties.

As is not-untypical in the African situation, Carlile College contains two schools, the School of Theology and the School of Business Studies, and it describes itself as, 'an Anglican college of higher education'.

The Theology School 'is concerned to prepare people for Primary Evangelism, Church Growth and Christian Education, whether as lay or ordained people.' Its 350 graduates work as missioners throughout East and Central Africa. In a context where being an ordained minister is too often more about status than service, Carlile has a reputation for producing biblically resilient and hard working missioners. My observations of the quality of education given at Carlile are in accord with this outcome.

iii. Nairobi Evangelical Graduate School of Theology (M.Div, MA; soon M.Th)

NEGST is sponsored by the Association of Evangelicals in Africa (AEA). They 'have been granted provisional registration with the Government of Kenya as a private university and degree awarding body, and are actively working with the Commission for Higher Education for full accreditation with the Accrediting Council for Theological Education in Africa (ACTEA) and expect(s) to become a candidate for accreditation during the first term of 1998-99 academic year.'

They were founded through the vision of the late Dr. Byang Kato of Nigeria, who was the first African General Secretary of the then Association of Evangelicals in Africa and Madagascar (now AEA), who was concerned to avoid a coming crisis of 'Christopaganism' in Africa. 'His passion was to see African Biblical theologians with the advanced training needed to combat the cults and "isms" that would attack the church and undermine the gospel.' Dr Kato died tragically in a swimming accident in Mombasa. Its sister, francophone school is Bangui Evangelical School of Theology in Bangui, Central African Republic. Their doctrinal statement is that of the AEA, and is akin to similar statements by AFES etc.

There are 16 full-time faculty, 11 from outside Africa. The entry qualification for students is a university degree. The offer a Master of Divinity, and Master of Arts in various formats, and a Master of Theology after completion of the M.Div. They are hoping to offer a Ph.D in the near future.

As NEGST, offering only post-graduate theological education, is somewhat 'up-market', I would have liked to have explored with the faculty questions concerning the involvement of their students in practical ministry prior to NEGST, the nature and extent of their ecclesial involvement and accountability while at NEGST, and what their graduates are doing now. Unfortunately, discussions on other important matters took up our time.

iv. St Andrew's College of Theology and Development, Kabare. 2.5 hours outside Nairobi. (Dip Th; moving towards a B.Th)

St Andrew's is very much the child of Archbishop Gitari, and offers courses in theology, community development, and business studies. Graduates who are Evangelists engage in both preaching and health care. The year long business studies program aims to produce honest employees. Out of 102 students, 86 are in the theological program. The emphasis at the College is training and equipping of 'evangelical Christians to gain the capacity, knowledge and skills for a holistic mission in this world so that through the agency of Christ's Church, the triune God may increasingly reign over cultures in Africa.'

They offer a three year Diploma in Theology. They hope to achieve university status and offer a B.Th.

v. St Paul's United Theological College, Limuru (BD; towards MTh and PhD eventually)

St Paul's Limuru is about 1.5 hours out of Nairobi, in the foothills, with a well appointed campus. It has been a BD college since 1988, and now is seeking from the government university status. It is ecumenical, being run by the Anglican, Presbyterian, Methodist and Reformed Churches of Kenya. The Chairman of the Governing Council is Archbp Gitari.

In the period 1997-98 they had 106 theological students drawn widely from Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Sudan, Zambia and Liberia. 33 are graduating this year. This year they have had 11 faculty, who all appear to be full-time. They hope to introduce master's programs in theology very soon, and a Ph.D eventually.

I had the good fortune to meet and have an extended conversation with the incoming Vice-Chancellor (designate), Godfrey Nguru, who is a graduate in education, from Daystar University, where he also has been an administrator. Daystar is a Christian university in Nairobi of some standing. St Paul's is a long way along the road to becoming a multi-faculty university. Dr Nguru is very keen that in the projected expansion of St Paul's that the Christian and evangelical tenor of the theological faculty not be lost.

5. In this context I was seeking to do three things:

i. Find out something of how theological education is being done in the African context. I am grateful for the many insights I was able to gain. The faculty at each of these institutions were generous in their time, patient with my ignorance, and open in their sharing.

ii. To talk to interested groups about 'The Crisis in Theological Education in the West - the perspective from Moore'. In that regard I drew heavily on the recent book by a very experienced theological educator in North America, in the Presbyterian Church, John Leith, who styles himself an 'evangelical liberal'. The book, Crisis in the Church: the plight of theological education (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 1997) bemoans the failure of the liberal evangelical or evangelical liberal agenda in the United States since the late 1940s, how it has in that time halved the number of church goers while more than doubling the number of ministers. In Leith's view, the problem starts in their theological colleges, his own as prime example. His book is salutary reading. It highlights nearly all the various points where they have gone wrong, both theologically and educationally. By what I can only describe as an act of pure grace, in each instance, this diocese and Moore College have done almost exactly the opposite.

iii. To test the 'Claydon-Seccombe' hypothesis.


6. Then I attended the WCC Assembly in Harare, where in the midst of a confusing kaleidoscope of activity, I was able to follow up perceptions that had been forming in Nairobi. With respect to the question of theological education, two special occasions stand out. Between them, I will give some impressions from the WCC.

7. First Special Occasion. I had an interview with ABp David Gitari, the evangelical Archbishop of Kenya.

I asked ABp Gitari whether there were any observations or comments he might like to make about our mutual fellowship in the work of theological education in Kenya.

There are 17 dioceses in Kenya, mainly poor, with some ordinands only doing 4 weeks of full time theological education before ordination. When he was bishop of W. Kenya, Gitari had encouraged full time degree study in theology. Elsewhere there was little serious consideration of theological education. Some priests had only finished short-term studies at Pentecostal colleges, which has led to many pastoral problems in the present. So, now as Archbishop he is retraining them, with CMSUK sending 2 lecturers to assist.

Students must pay 20% of fees, the dioceses the rest.

Since 1988 there has been a rationalisation of diocesan colleges, from 9 to 5. Further reduction is needed, to 3.

The ABp raised the question of Sydney's stand on the ordination of women. My reply to the question of women's ordination was the one I had given in other contexts in Kenya: Sydney was not trying to impose its understanding on others who had come to different conclusions, but to continue to wrestle with the text of Scripture on the issue.

The ABp made a number of requests, some in the form of questions. Amongst them:

•He wants good theologians to come and teach in the colleges of Kenya.

•Is there the possibility in Australia of a PhD program for Africans, who, unlike the experience with the USA, would come back to serve in Africa?

I replied that Moore was aiming to commence a PhD program, most likely in association with a secular university; and that the return rate by overseas students training in Australia was considered to be good. This is due in part to the Australian government generally making students return home on graduation, and only from their home country being able to make an application for a work visa, which were scrutinised very closely. And in part, due also to the fact that there are in Australia very limited opportunities for PhD graduates to work in departments of religion or in theological colleges, unlike the situation in the USA.

•Any help with buying new or second theological texts for college libraries would be much appreciated.

The interview was cordial, and I felt that ABp Gitari had spoken plainly about his concerns.

8. Scenes from the WCC, Harare

Scene i. I followed the faith and order hearings, and found them useful, yet frustrating. Although it is generally acknowledged that faith and order issues are now less central to the ongoing business of the WCC, the quality of the input from the front and off the floor was good. Several issues were recurrent:

(i) The need to investigate homosexuality from the ground of theological anthropology. Notably, this was especially raised as an item of concern by Evangelical and Orthodox women, and Africans.
(ii) The need to continue consideration of ecumenical and ecclesiological hermeneutics.
(iii) In the light of the strengthening of existing barriers to eucharistic fellowship, the need to continue dialogue over the nature and purpose of the church and thus koinonia.
(iv) A study on 'ethnicity, nationalism and the unity of the church'.

The contributions by the Roman Catholic theologian and observer, Roger-Jean Tillard, and his call at a plenary for the WCC to once again make theology central, were of a high order. However, the summary and reporting of the hearings did not always match well with the actual interests voiced at those hearings.

Scene ii. At a special meeting for Anglicans, various concerns were expressed, mainly from English and Irish delegates:

(i) By Bishop John Neill of the Church of Ireland, the complaint that the ethos of the WCC was being diluted by the increasing admission to membership of small churches (unconscious humour, perhaps).
(ii) The concern of Bishop Nazir-Ali that the consensus already reached between the Anglican and Roman Catholic communions in the ARCIC process could be set aside or overlooked if the Roman Catholics join the WCC. That is, he highlighted the fact that except for one bishop, ARCIC I had undergone reception by all the bishops at an earlier Lambeth. (The dissident voice was that of Archbishop Donald Robinson, Sydney).
(iii) The concern that if the Roman Catholics join, their shear numbers may side-line Anglican interests.
(iv) The fear that if the Roman Catholics do not join, then the WCC will continue to become less and less representative of churches calling themselves Christian.
(v) The fear that Anglicans appear to have already been side-lined by the WCC's focus on placating the dissident note sounding from the Orthodox.
(vi) The worry (widespread throughout the Assembly) coming from Conrad Raiser's proposal for another ecumenical forum, which could sideline the WCC itself.
On the basis of his current understanding of 'koinonia', Raiser asked the Assembly to endorse the setting up of another, external body, so that churches not yet in the WCC may dialogue with the WCC and its member churches. The fear is that this may decentre the WCC in the ecumenical process, and undermine the financial commitment of its members, and their mutual accountability in ecclesiological matters.

Although I do not necessary share all the assumptions in the questions, my observation is that except for (vi), the fears are largely unfounded, or trivial (especially v). During the Assembly the Roman Catholic observers made it clear that if their communion was to join the WCC, it would not involve a large number of delegates. In my judgment, the background reasons for this had been well articulated at our own meeting: 'The Pope does not sit on committees.' 'The Pope does not attend press conferences or answer questions.' As to (vi), the final form of this voted for by the Assembly appears to offer the prospect for wider dialogue between Christian churches, both with a view to increased representation in the WCC and better mutual understanding, but without the attendant danger of diminishing the current ethos and role of the WCC. However, in my opinion, if it gets off the ground to any appreciable degree, it does offer the possibility of change, even fundamental change in the WCC, which may not be a bad thing.

Scene iii. Regarding the plenaries, paradoxically the most disappointing was the African one, in which Jesus Christ received no mention. As a colleague remarked rhetorically in the context of the link posited between African Christians and their ancestors, 'I do hope they were talking about the Communion of the Saints!'

Scene iv. The most helpful plenary was the one in which we celebrated the 50th anniversary of the WCC. The review of past Assemblies, until recent times at least, was overtly Christ centred, and raised important theological issues.

The climax was the arrival into the crowded hall of President Nelson Mandela, complete with a magnificent South African choir. As I observed from my vantage point, even if one did not have a personal regard for Mr Mandela, which I do, one could not but be moved by the importance of this occasion not only to the WCC, which had supported the ANC at a time when it was unpopular to do so, but also the Africans present. Unlike President Mugabe in his learned address on a previous occasion, Mr Mandela did not make an open profession of Christian faith, but did go out of his way to thank the Christian missionary movement for the education it gave him and fellow black Africans at a time when the white government did not make provision for it.

Scene v. Encouraged by Bishop Appleby, (leader of the Australian Anglican team) I followed the progress of the informal Evangelical 'caucus' set up by Vinay Samuel and Chris Sugden of the Oxford Mission Centre, and the associated Evangelical 'padares' or fringe meetings. At three points I and others tried to insert into the official business of the WCC four items central to Evangelical concerns:

i. That alongside ecumenical and ecclesiological hermeneutics, the WCC also make space for a hermeneutic based on the Bible's own interpretative principles in which Scripture alone is the final norm.
ii. Renewal of respect for conversion, both from a non-Christian religion to Christ, and within the Christian religion to Christ.
iii. Alongside the exposure of unprincipled proselytism, the exposure of any physical, social or political coercion used to counteract an individual's or group's freedom to practice or propagate their religious understanding.
iv. Active work to identify and bring to the attention of the churches of the WCC the terrible persecution suffered by our Christian brothers and sisters worldwide, so that we may seek to alleviate their plight through prayer, and social and political action.

The last concern was also expressed outside of the Evangelical 'caucus'. All efforts to get i., ii., and iii. on the agenda for the next seven years met with failure. As Dr George Vandervelde of the World Evangelical Fellowship said from the floor at a closing plenary: 'Since Canberra, there has been no progress by the WCC in addressing Evangelical concerns.'

There has been however, some progress in an unofficial dialogue between the Orthodox and Evangelicals. But that has been fostered more by Evangelicals and members of the Orthodox than the WCC. It is an unofficial process which began at the last WCC Assembly in Canberra. It is hoped that the Orthodox may now allow inclusion in the dialogue of Evangelicals living in Orthodox territory.

Scene vi. The Assembly gave me good opportunities for informal conversations about mutual concerns with quite a few delegates from the developing world, especially with respect to theological education. For me this was perhaps the highlight.

Some conversations involved a sharing of concern that the WCC, although often locally of import through National Church Councils for protecting and fostering minority churches in hostile cultures, mainly Islamic, may by the processes evident at Harare in fact be corrupting the churches. Delegates from S.E. Asia and Africa shared their dismay at both delegates and stewards (drawn from Christian youth worldwide) being confronted for the first time with Christians arguing for the acceptability of homosexual behaviour.

There was significant and widespread concern by Orthodox, African and Evangelical delegates that lobbying for homosexual interests was placed unannounced and unvoted for on the agendas of the special celebratory assemblies or gatherings for women, and youth, held before the Eighth Assembly. Subsequently, muted but definite statements seeking moral and religious approval for homosexual acts and life-styles appeared in the concluding statements issued by these earlier gatherings. It was a consistent complaint from African, Orthodox and Evangelical participants at the women's celebratory assembly that these statements were not voted for in their closing sessions, but inserted by the executive.

Scene vii. My small Bible study group was well mixed, but I found the study booklet less than helpful. In an opening rubric we were instructed not so much to come to grips with the meaning of the text of Scripture from its own viewpoint, i.e. exegetically, but to share our experiences. I personally found offensive the removing of biblical images and doctrines from the theological context Scripture itself gives them, and applying them to human religious experience without due regard for an appropriate inference licence from Scripture itself.

However, I benefited from the personal interactions the group experience facilitated, especially with the Africans. One African member, from Sierra Leone, obviously still seriously traumatised, shared with us some of the indescribable brutality being suffered in the civil wars in Sierra Leone - in some cases with Christians as perpetrators or collaborators. Frequently we were in tears. Before his rhetorical question, 'What hope can we offer them?' - referring to whole villages of men, women and children who had been systematically lined up by the rebels and had their hands cut off - the nostrums of northern liberalism looked pale. May God bless and have mercy on Africa in all her distress, and faithfulness.

9. Second Special Occasion. Sunday evening, sharing BBQ meal with a number of Anglican Bishops

In the semi-darkness I was invited to sit at table with Bp Hector Zabala of Chile, who recently has had a senior presbyter finish his B.Th with us at Moore College, Bishop Carlos Lozano of Spanish Reformed Episcopal Church, ABp Emmanuel Kolini of Rwanda, and Bp Miguel Yamoyam in the Bontoc region of the Philippines.

We engaged in a broad discussion about evangelical ministry. Hector Zabala was effusive in his praise of Moore College, pointing out that he uses our material (External Studies correspondence course), which has been translated into Spanish, to train his own presbyters. (During the week Hector and I had become warm allies in trying to draw to the attention of the WCC evangelical concerns - with no discernible result. Often times he would second a motion; and comfort me afterwards.) It was a great evening, shining in the somewhat discouraging context of the WCC Assembly.

I asked ABp Kolini of Rwanda (formerly bishop in Central African Republic; has visited Australia) and Bp Yamoyam what use graduates of Moore College might be as long-term missionaries working in theological education in their own contexts? That is, I once again tested the 'Claydon-Seccombe' hypothesis. ABp Kolini was most welcoming. One line was telling: 'You know Robert, we need your graduates in Rwanda, for we need to teach our people of Christ, again, because we must have got it wrong last time.'

10. Since Nairobi and Harare, David Claydon has complete another tour of S.E. Asia, and has revised his figures: CMS can deploy not just 15 Ph.Ds, but 40.

11. Conclusions. Let me draw three broad conclusions.

i. Resurgence. The theological colleges of the Anglican Church of Australia are contracting, and the average age of their students is moving upwards into the 40s. The two exceptions are both Evangelical, Ridley and Moore. Behind the unprecedented growth in the full-time students to Moore, some 230 this year, and their thirst for and confidence in evangelical ministry, lays some very hard work and risk taking by parishes in reasserting evangelical ministry under modern conditions.

Brethren, after the cultural confusion and the rapid Christian contraction of the 60s, we now see a resurgence in evangelical culture, which I thought we may never see. Behind this is the sheer grace of God evident in the faithfulness, often under duress, of so many parish ministers and their parishioners. By God's grace, we seem to be getting it right. One of the reasons we can think of 'Club 50' - 50 theological educators for Africa and S.E. Asia by 2010 - is that now, joyfully, we have more students than our diocesan parishes can use. It has been hard work, and we must continue to pay the price for change. So may I both encourage, and exhort you, stick with it.

ii. Opportunity. Africa and S.E. Asia are in a time of unprecedented opportunity: to see whole tribes of gentiles being gained for Christ, an opportunity which can only diminish. When you have 85% in church on Sunday, the only move left is downwards. Further, Africa and S.E. Asia want our young men and women, they want Australian Evangelicals to prepare the next generation of Christians, as well as to serve the present generation. They want our students because they are known to be, what historically Evangelicals have most distinctively been: stable, biblically resilient, hardworking.

If Evangelicals do not fill these places, liberal Anglicans and Episcopalians will.

So, I ask, please continue to work to enlarge your people's missionary outlook. Pray the Lord of the Harvest to thrust labourers out into his harvest. Continue to pray that God would increase our generosity, both local and diocesan. Pray for Moore College as we seek to enlarge out post-graduate facilities and programs.


iii. Fragility. A less rosy perception from a wider view.

For all their faithfulness in the midst of so much disorder and death, the African evangelical situation is as fragile - as fragile as ours is. By its nature, evangelicalism has a half-life of only one generation.

There have been two big assemblies in recent times, WCC Harare, and Lambeth. The stand against homosexuality at Lambeth and Harare has been encouraging and laudable.

But there is another document from Lambeth, which I have been told by a participant, received very little scrutiny or critical comment by the same evangelical bishops who stood against the distortion of human sexuality.

Resolution III.8 or the Lambeth Resolutions regarding the Virginia Report is in 9 parts. All parts affirm the report, with half of one introducing a qualification: "(c) commends its discussion . . . while recommending the need for further work to be done with respect to the report's discussion of reason in relation to the primacy of Holy Scripture."

The Virginia Report offers a systematic restructuring of authority in the Anglican communion into four hierarchical levels of increasing authority from local diocese on upward though provincial synods and successive primates to one primate, the Archbishop of Canterbury. Doctrinally, it has a muddied doctrine of the sovereignty of Scripture, a Roman Catholic doctrine of reception, and a Roman Catholic doctrine of episcopacy, in which the office of bishop is the necessary icon or sacrament of church unity, and in which the diocese with its bishop is not just the administrative unit of Anglican ecclesiology, as our Constitution carefully says, but is the smallest unit we can truly call 'church'. 'No bishop, no church'; 'no bishop, no sacrament' - so Ignatius and Cyprian of the second and third centuries, from whom this catholic doctrine ultimately derives. In this conception, the orders of bishop, priest and deacon are the necessary, intermediary sacraments of the person and work of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

It is interesting to read alongside the Virginia Report the latest document to come out of ARCIC, Authority III. The rethinking of the nature of authority in the Anglican communion in the Virginia Report has neatly forms a landing ground for Authority III's approbation of the Roman Primacy as 'the gift of God'.

Friends, through a certain view of providential history, and a shift of focus from 'theology' to 'anthropology' which confuses the work of man with the work of God, we have moved from Cranmer's view of the office of bishop as 'a thing indifferent'. We have moved from Cranmer's sober estimate to an inflated, representative view, which sees episcopacy as a sacramental necessity.

Opposition to distortions in human behaviour are laudable, but why not the same passion over distortions of the scriptural teachings on God, and his work in the world?

We appear to have grown dissatisfied with Cranmer's evangelical views of episcopacy. Because of the structural importance of the episcopate to Anglicanism, get our doctrine and estimate of episcopacy wrong, then we will see the phenomena so distinctive of both Roman Catholicism and Anglocatholicism, the gospel subordinated to a sacramental view of the universe where God only deals with us indirectly. The evangelical view of Cranmer, and the 16th century Reformation, was that in his Word, 'Christ clothed with his gospel', God deals with us directly and in person.

In the last chapter of his book, God's Apprentice: the autobiography of Stephen Neill (1991), Bp Neill laments that African bishops often combine the worst features of tribal chiefs and Anglican bishops more generally. A theologically over-inflated view of episcopacy will not only fan that temptation, but similar temptations Australian bishops face.

In closing, I commend to your critical study, both by ministers and senior layfolk, the Virginia Report and Authority III. To my observation, if we are to maintain evangelical ministry, there is the next battle, the next area for reform, episcopacy.

The Rev. Dr. Robert Doyle lectures in
Church History and Theology and is Director
of Postgraduate Studies at Moore Theological College, Newtown, Sydney, Australia.

© Robert C. Doyle 1999 and, in this format, The Anglican Church League

Document placed on the ACL's website (www.acl.asn.au), 25 July 1999