The second theological training institution founded by Carey Outreach Ministries has recently been established in Iloilo City, Philippines.
As reported in ET, the first college, Constanta Bible Institute, was set up in Romania in 1997. There, the first students are expected to graduate from this part-time programme in 2002, having completed the required minimum of 20 courses.
Carey Outreach Ministries was founded by Dr Bob Penhearow, who until last year, was the Executive director of the Canadian branch of R. C. Sproul’s Ligonier Ministries. His vision is to give local churches access to theological education, which would otherwise be denied to them.
Opportunities
Drawing from a scattered faculty of 25 pastors and professors (which includes 18 with doctorates), lecturers visit the host church in pairs and by invitation. They conduct intensive modular courses twice a year, sometimes preceded by a reading assignment and always concluding with interviews and examinations.
In addition to return visits to Romania and the Philippines next year, faculty members will also be exploring opportunities in Peru, Cambodia, China and Outer Mongolia.
The team visiting the Philippines was made up of Les Macdonald who, with his wife Lorraine, had been a missionary there over 20 years ago; Mike Green, the administrator of Carey; and Ray Tibbs, a pastor from UK.
They conducted courses in Genesis, Romans, and ‘Spirituality’. Teaching was conducted in English, as that is a second language for many in the Philippines. Bob Penhearow preached at the inauguration service.
Assisting pastors
Carey was invited to the islands by the 30 pastors of the Conservative Bible Believers Ministers Fellowship (CBBMF). The leader of this newly formed group is Rev. Warlito Monsalud who, while in the UK as a student at the London Theological Seminary, met Dr Penhearow.
One emphasis in the work of the CBBMF is to assist pastors in the more outlying districts of their central area of the Philippines. Out of the 70 students who attended, some had travelled nearly 2 days to be there, while others had given up their holiday.
This eagerness to learn was evident by the avid interest of the students in all the material presented to them.
One of the numerous expressions of appreciation came from Rev. Ramon Coruna, who said ‘I thank God for the William Carey School of Theology, for opening up my mind about my limited concept of the gospel’.
Literature ministry
Guest preacher at some of the evening worship services in the second week of the school was Noel Espinosa of the Cubao Reformed Baptist Church in Manila.
This was his first visit to the region and links are being explored between the Grace Ministerial Academy, of which he is Principal, and this fledgling seminary in Iloilo City.
The literature ministry of the Manila church, Evangelical Outreach Inc., has agreed to assist in the supply of textbooks, and friends in UK have already donated over 1000 Bibles, hymnbooks, gospels for free distribution, and study books for the library of the William Carey School of Theology.
Publishers have also been generous, but more resources are needed for an area which, like the district around the Constanta Bible Institute, falls outside regions that already receive regular assistance from the West.
