CONTACT January, 1997---- Vol. 8, No. 2
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INDEX:
Kosin University celebrates 50th
anniversary
September 12 and 13,
1996 Kosin University, Pusan, Korea celebrated its 50th anniversary.
The ceremonies, which emphasized the sovereignty of God over all of
life and learning, were attended by representatives of institutions
of Christian higher education in Korea and throughout the world,
including Australia, Canada, Japan, the Netherlands, South Africa,
and the United States.
Particular attention was given to Kosin's relationship with
Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education, since a
number of Kosin's faculty have received their doctors' degrees from
that South African institution. During the ceremonies in the
university auditorium, Kosin conferred an honorary doctorate on Dr.
Carolus Reinecke, Rector of PU for CHE. Following the ceremonies,
representatives of Kosin and PU for CHE signed documents establishing
an official relationship in which the two institutions declare that
they share and support each other in promoting a biblical,
reformational perspective on education.
The anniversary celebration continued with an International Symposium
on Christian Higher Education which included the following
speakers:
Those desiring the Symposium Proceedings should contact:
Editorial,
by John C.
Vanderstelt
On behalf of the board of
directors, especially its executive committee, I hereby extend a
hearty welcome to Dr. John B. Hulst as our new executive
secretary.
Since 1979, he has been actively involved in the affairs of IAPCHE.
He served as chairman of the hosting committee of the 1981
International Conference held at Dordt College. Then, while he was
president of Dordt College (and I executive secretary of IAPCHE),
Hulst serve as chairman of our board of directors from 1981-1987.
Since that time he often provided helpful advice to two executive
secretaries---Mr. James De Young in Sioux Center [1987-1990] and Dr.
Paul G. Schrotenboer in Grand Rapids [1990-1996], and to the
executive committee, especially to me as its chairman after the
sudden death in 1993 of our previous chairman, Dr. Peter De Vos.
Perhaps as no one else (except his wife, Louise), I know of Dr.
Hulst's unceasing and profound commitment to the cause of IAPCHE. The
need for a higher education that is biblically-directed, i.e.,
saturated by the liberating presence of God in Jesus Christ through
the Spirit, has become such an integral part of his life that one
could say it is "in his bones."
We are delighted to have him help us chart the future course of
IAPCHE. Now that he is retired form Dordt College as its second
president, he can (continue to) do internationally for Christian
higher education what he has so vigorously done in North America as
president of Dordt College during the last fourteen years.
One of his special gifts is the ability to encourage short- and
long-term strategizing, establish clear and attainable goals, spell
out the necessary steps to be taken, and find the requisite means to
implement these goals in concrete ways. Evidence of this ability you
will find in his reports elsewhere in this issue of Contact that are related to our extensive consultations this
past summer and a major strategy session last September.
The executive committee is deeply grateful for Hulsts's explicit wish
not to be financially remunerated (except for travel expenses) for
his services as executive secretary. It is also very grateful to
Dordt College, in particular its new president, Dr. Carl E. Zylstra,
for providing IAPCHE with free office-space and the use of related
amenities. This reduction in the association's office expenses,
amounting to approximately $9,000 per year, will increase the
association's ability to provide more seed-money for the promotion of
Christian higher education in strategically selected areas of the
world.
The recent move of the association's office from Grand Rapids to
Sioux Center will greatly facilitate Hulst's work. He will be
assisted by a new office manager, Mrs. Susan De Young (whose husband
was the association's interim executive secretary from
1987-1990).
As Dr. Hulst and Mrs. De Young begin their new ministry and as the
executive committee continues to explore creative ways to promote
Christian higher education in efficient and practical ways, we ask
for you prayers. May our heavenly Father grant that:
"May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us---yes, establish the work of our hand." (Ps. 90:17)
John C. Vanderstelt,
chairman
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Expanded
Executive Committee meeting
IAPCHE offices,
Grand Rapids, Michigan, September 6, 7, and 9, 1996
Attendance:
The meeting was attended by the regular members of the Executive
Committee: Dr. John C. Vanderstelt (chair), Dr. Sidney Rooy, and Dr.
Theodorus Setiawan. In addition, the following were present: Dr.
Bennie van der Walt, board member from South Africa; Dr. Sander
Griffioen, representing Dr. Egbert Boeker and Dr. Pieter Holtrop of
the Netherlands; Mr. Cornelius Korhorn, Office Manager; Mrs. Susan De
Young, Office Manager Elect; and Dr. John B. Hulst, Executive
Secretary Elect.
Consultation,
Planning:
The meeting was preceded by three informal consultations. Rev. Dirk
Hart, Minister of Evangelism of the Christian Reformed Church, joined
the meeting to facilitate the formal consultation. Having listened
the discussion, Hart observed:
Subsequent discussion indicated:
IAPCHE's mission statement was
revised to read: "The IAPCHE is a world-wide community of scholars
and institutions and their supporters, which seeks to develop a
network that facilitates contact and mutual assistance, acts as a
catalyst for research and training, and encourages biblical and
contextual responses to the critical issues in contemporary society
so as to help people serve the Lord Jesus Christ in an integral
way."
With the mission statement in mind, Hart led the meeting in a
planning exercise that produced a list of goals for the next three
years: one regional conference each year; one international
consultation; increase the issues of CONTACT, investigate the
possibility of translation; double the regular membership and
increase the associate membership by five; initiate a program of fund
raising; foster student and faculty exchange; take inventory of
regional needs, resources, and opportunities; promote inter- and
intra-regional publication and translation; and develop a home
page/data base that would include a list of members with postal
addresses, e-mail addresses, FAX numbers, dissertation topics,
disciplines, current research projects, etc. Of these goals, regional
conferences, membership increase, regional inventory, and home
page/data base appeared to be the most important.
The planning process resulted in giving the Executive Secretary five
special assignments for 1997:
Reports:
Two reports were present to the meeting, both of which are described
elsewhere in this issue of CONTACT.
Dr. Sidney Rooy reported on the first consultation on Evangelical
Universities in Latin America, which he attended as a representative
of IAPCHE.
Dr. John Hulst reported on two conferences in Australia -- the Sixth
Annual Scholarly Conference for Post-Graduate Students and Academics
and the International Christian Education Conference -- at which he
spoke and represented IAPCHE.
Publications:
It was announced that the Proceedings of the Regional Conference in
Debrecen, Hungary will be published by the Dordt College Press at the
beginning of 1997.
It was decided to investigate the possibility of increasing the
issues of CONTACT and providing translations of each issue.
Conferences:
The schedule for regional conferences was revised as follows:
Secretariat:
The Executive Committee accepted the resignations of Dr. Paul
Schrotenboer, Executive Secretary, and Mr. Cornelius Korhorn, Office
Manager. Dr. Schrotenboer was not able to attend the meeting, because
he was recovering from surgery. On Sunday afternoon, September 8, the
entire meeting joined Dr. and Mrs. Schrotenboer in a time of
Bible-reading and prayer, and expressed appreciation for the seven
years of service to the Association.
At the same time, the Executive Committee appointed Dr. John B. Hulst
to the position of Executive Secretary and Mrs. Susan De Young as
Office Manager. It was also decided that the office should be moved
from Grand Rapids, Michigan to Dordt College, Sioux Center, Iowa.
Dordt has graciously agreed to provide the Association with office
space and needed facilities free of charge. The new office address
will be:
Finances:
There was an audit of
the financial records for the period January 1, 1995 - December 31,
1995. The audit indicated that "the accounting journal and the
related balances in the accounts are reasonable and accurate and
without material error."
The financial report for the period January 1, 1996 - August 31, 1996
indicated a balance of $12, 261.06, with the following bills
outstanding: office rental for the remainder of the year; travel and
lodging expenses for those attending the Executive Committee meeting;
printing and mailing of the fall issue of CONTACT; moving the office
to Dordt College; and other miscellaneous expenses.
The budget for 1997 projects the following:
Organization:
The Board continues to
consider the possible establishment of an African Chapter of IAPCHE.
At this meeting a number of constitutional revisions were suggested.
It was decided that an ad hoc committee "will use these suggestions
in its re-evaluation process and in making future plans" for the
African Chapter.
Given the strategic planning process and the need for intensive and
extensive consultation with the membership, it was agreed that IAPCHE
is now in period of transition. Periods of transition call for a
measure of continuity. Therefore, it was decided to maintain the
current board membership for the next three years, i.e., until
December 1999 -- assuming that each member agrees to this
arrangement.
The next meeting of the Executive Committee is scheduled for July 1
and 2, 1997, at Dordt College, Sioux Center, Iowa, USA.
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Promising
contacts made in South Korea
While in Korea for the 50th
anniversary celebration of Kosin University, Dr. and Mrs. Hulst --
accompanied by Mr. Wesley Wentworth of the Intervarsity Press --
visited several other Christian institutions of higher learning,
including Han Nam University in Taejon; Chongshin University, the
Asian Center for Theological Studies, Seoul Women's University, Hap
Dong Seminary, and Soong Sil University in or near Seoul.
Most of these institutions are comparatively young, but they are
growing rapidly and attracting thousands of students. There seemed to
be much interest in the work of IAPCHE and the assistance it can
provide in the development of a reformational perspective on
learning. Kosin and Han Nam Universities are already listed as
associate members and it is hoped that others, including members of
their faculties, will soon become part of the Association.
The Hulst's also had the opportunity and privilege to meet with Dr.
Wonsul Lee, Chairman of the Association of Christian Schools and
Colleges and the N.E. Asia Association of University Presidents; Dr.
Joseph Kim, Suwon Central Christian Academy; Dr. Bong Ho Son,
National University of Korea; and Dr. Lee Young Duk, Chairman of the
Board, Han Dong University.
Exciting
conferences take place in Australia
In July 1996 two
significant international conferences were held in or near Sydney,
Australia.
The first, July 17-20, was the Sixth Annual Scholarly Conference for
Post-Graduates and Academics, sponsored by the National Institute for
Christian Education. Held at the Merroo Conference Center, Kurrajong,
NSW, the conference was attended by approximately 100 persons. Its
theme, "Shaping the Christian Mind," was developed by four "keynote
speakers."
Dr. Brian Walsh, Chaplain at the University of Toronto, Canada,
opened the conference with an address on "Shaping the Christian Mind
in a Postmodern World." Using the lyrics of some contemporary songs,
he showed that our culture has no fixed reference points and,
therefore, is filled with despair and hopelessness. Walsh found the
answer in the Suffering Servant passage, Isaiah 42:1-9, which reveals
that God's covenant faithfulness always leads to liberation.
The second keynote speaker was Dr. Nicholas Wolterstorff, of the Yale
Divinity School, the USA. Working from an Augustinian perspective,
Wolterstorff gave a clear and positive answer to the question,
"Christian Scholarship: Can It and Should It Continue in a Postmodern
World?" "Christianity and Economics" was the title of the third
keynote, presented by Dr. Bob Goudzwaard, of the Free University of
Amsterdam, The Netherlands. He noted that "shaping the Christian
mind" on economic life begins with the confession of the fullness of
the earth as the Lord's. This implies that economic life has to be
seen and dealt with as the domain of "oikonomia," the careful
administration of all that the Lord has entrusted to us. Therefore,
said Goudzwaard, a Christian reflection on economics is not an
idealistic luxury, but a matter of real urgency.
The concluding presentation was offered by Dr. Stuart Fowler, of the
Institute for Christian Education, Australia, under the title
"Pathways to the Future: The Challenge of Christian Education at the
End of the Century."
Several other papers were presented, including a paper on "The Idea
of a Christian College/University," by Dr. John B. Hulst, Executive
Secretary of IAPCHE.
The second, July 22-25, was the International Conference for
Christian Education at the Sydney Convention Center, organized by
Christian Parent Controlled Schools Ltd. Attended by approximately
1200 delegates from 36 countries, the conference offered
approximately 200 presentations and workshops from persons such as
Dr. Jack Fennema, Dordt College, USA; Dr. Harry Fernhout, Institute
for Christian Studies, Canada; Robert Koole, Society of Christian
Schools in BC, Canada; Australia; Dr. Wim Westerman, Educa Transfer
International, The Netherlands; President Marek Kniewski, Polish
Association of Christian Teachers, Poland; Harry Burggraaf, Donvale
Christian College, VIC, Australia; Dr. Bennie van der Walt,
Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education, South
Africa; as well as Dr. John B. Hulst of IAPCHE.
The theme was "Reclaiming the Future" and the keynote addresses (
given by some of the same people who spoke at the conference on
"Shaping the Christian Mind") in particular developed the theme.
Dr. Bob Goudzwaard and Dr. Nicholas Wolterstorff shared two of the
plenary sessions. They began by considering some of the trends in
modern society and observed that we can reclaim the future only by
discerning and engaging those trends with a Christian mind and heart.
Dr. Goudzwaard warned that we need to work toward a sustainable
society and environment. Dr. Wolterstorff stressed that Christian
education is not only teaching a Christian world-view, but also the
formation of a Christian self in our students that involves love for
God, living in the Scriptures, participating in the life of the
church, and incorporating the riches of the Christian tradition.
Ruth Deakin, chair of the European Educators' Christian Association,
saddened and challenged her listeners as she described developments
in Christian education in the United Kingdom and other parts of
Western and Eastern Europe.
Dr. Brian Walsh, by means of contemporary music, illustrated the
hopelessness and lostness of the "postmodern generation." Reflecting
on the conference theme, he observed that we can reclaim the future
only because God has given it to us as an inheritance. We must accept
this inheritance -- along with the entirety of creation -- and care
for it as the precious gift that it is.
Those in attendance agreed that both conferences made an impact on
them personally and on the way in which they, as Christians, will
approach their educational task.
A second International Conference has been scheduled for the year
2000 in The Netherlands.
Anyone wishing to obtain the proceedings of either conference should
contact Dr. Ian Lambert, PO Box 78, Doonside, NSW 2767, Australia.
(Telephone: 02 671 3311, Facsimile: 02 671 5968)
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Christian
scholars gather for colloquium
Leeds, England,
June 18-21, 1996
Michael Goheen of Redeemer
College, Ancaster, Ontario, Canada submitted the following
report:
On 18-21 June 1996 approximately 25 scholars form five different
countries who stand in the reformational or neo-Calvinist tradition
met in Leeds, England, with Lesslie Newbigin. The colloquium was
entitled "A Christian Society: Witnessing to the Gospel of the
Kingdom in The Public Life of Western Culture."
It was designed to be a dialogue between the reformational tradition
and the missiological/ecumenical tradition as it is represented and
interpreted by Lesslie Newbigin.
The colloquium was divided into three sections. The first dealt with
foundational issues -- historical, (Harry Van Dyke, Redeemer College,
Ancaster, ON, Canada), epistemological (Roy Clouser, Trenton State
College, New Jersey, USA), cultural (Sander Griffioen, Free
University, Amsterdam, Netherlands), revelational (Michael Goheen,
Redeemer College), scriptural (Al Wolters, Redeemer College) -- that
are fundamental for the church's mission in the public square. The
second section dealt with three areas of public life in the west --
politics and public policy (Jim Skillen, Center for Public Justice,
Washington, D.C.; Jonathan Chaplin, Plater College, Oxford, England;
Elaine Storkey, Christian Impact, London, England), economics (Bob
Goudzwaard, Free University; Danie Strauss, Dooyeweerd Centre,
Redeemer College), and education (Harry Fernhout, Institute for
Christian Studies, Toronto, ON, Canada). The final section addressed
the ecclesiological issue (George Vandervelde, Institute for
Christian Studies). If the church is to engage in the public life of
western culture what must it be?
Following a brief opening address by Michael Goheen entitled "Mutual
Enrichment: A Dialogue Between the Lesslie Newbigin and the
Reformational Tradition," the colloquium was devoted to vigorous
discussion of the issues of the gospel and western culture.
A number of questions and issues continually arose during the three
days. Creation order and normativity -- what is it and is this
important for mission in the public square? Sphere sovereignty --
what is the task of the various societal institutions? How does the
church indwell the biblical story faithfully and relevantly in a
culture dominated by economic idolatry? Do we need to put more stress
on the church as an alternative community with as "against culture"
position? What is Christian pluralism? How can the gospel both
critique and renew?
The colloquium ended with a summary statement by Elaine Botha,
academic vice-president of Redeemer College, and a closing
exhortation by Lesslie Newbigin. His last words perhaps summarized
what many hoped the colloquium would yield. He said: "I just hope and
pray that perhaps out of this colloquium there may come writings and
thinkings and speakings which will bring the very precious heritage
of the Kuyperian tradition into our British situation and give [our
mission in public culture] the kind of teeth that up to now our
Gospel and Culture movement has lacked."
A follow-up conference has been planned for June 1997. The West
Yorkshire School of Christian Studies has invited a number of the
participants to give a popularized version of their paper to a group
of pastors and church leaders in the York-Leeds area. Public lectures
at Leeds University and the University of York are planned for the
weekend following the pastors' conference.
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Letter from
Dr. John Bernbaum
Russian-American
Christian University
Our readers should find
this letter from Dr. John A. Bernbaum to be of great interest:
I just returned form a month-long visit to Russia and the Ukraine --
one of the most exciting times in the history of the Russian-American
Christian University (RACU)! After three years of prayer and
planning, we have launched the first year of our four-year
undergraduate program. For the last eighteen months, RACU has offered
evening courses and a summer English Language Institute, but the
opening of the full-time day program is an exciting new step in
RACU's development.
Shortly after I arrived in Moscow in late August, I had he privilege
of participating in interviews with the sixty applicants for RACU's
first freshmen class. Following a three-hour Russian-style entrance
examination, which was graded for content and grammar by two Russian
language specialists, the student were invited to a personal
interview by the Admissions Committee, comprised of two Russians and
two Americans. What an intimidating panel!
It was a difficult task to choose forty students out of this
impressive group of young people. Much to our surprise, the students
represented a broad spectrum of denominations; the largest number
were Evangelical Christian-Baptist (a Russian category!) as we
expected, but there were also traditional Pentecostals, new
Charismatics, Jewish Christians, and Orthodox believers, as well as
some "seeker."
Of the forty students chosen, twenty-five enrolled in RACU as
business majors and fifteen enrolled in the social work program,
which, by the way, is a new academic discipline in Russia. Under the
Soviet regime, there was no need for social work, because there were
no problems in this ideal socialist state!
We now face the challenge of educating these young Russians to be the
future leaders of their nation.
Boris Yeltsin's pending operation is dominating the headlines both
here and in Russian, but most Russians merely shrug their shoulders
at all this fuss and continue their daily struggle for survival.
Meanwhile good things are happening on the grassroots level. RACU has
become one sign of hope to many Christian who are sending their young
people to us for quality Christian education.
We appreciate your interest and partnership. Shalom!
John A. Bernbaum, Founder
The first consultation of evangelical universities in
Latin America is a positive movement
Santa Cruz,
Bolivia, July 8-12, 1996
In November of 1995 the
leaders of the Bolivian Evangelical University in Santa Cruz, Bolivia
and Semilla, Inc. decided to call a consultation of Latin American
evangelical universities. The organizers invited the Coalition of
Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU) and the Association of
Christian Schools International (ACSI) to cooperate with them. The
consultation was held July 8-12, 1996 in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, and was
attended by Dr. Sidney Rooy, San Jose', Costa Rica, who represented
not only IAPCHE but also the Missiological Institute of the Americas
(IMDELA).
86 persons from 17 countries were present. They represented nine
established evangelical universities and 15 in the process of
formation -- five of which were lacking only the required official
recognition.
The objectives for the consultation were as follows:
The program itself was broad
and varied with a tendency to accentuate the devotional aspect, even
in the most academic lectures. The consultation did, however, open
the panorama of considerations involved in the establishment and
functioning of a university, with special care that it be Christian
and evangelical in character.
At the end of the consultation a working team of three persons was
appointed to draw up a document that will serve as the basis for the
founding of the Consortium of Christian Evangelical Universities
(CONDUCE), the results to be communicated to the evangelical
universities of Latin America.
Dr. Rooy judged that CONDUCE is a positive movement and that we
should offer support and, if possible, gifts to this cause. In
conclusion, he recommended that "we channel our efforts through and
in collaboration with this new organization of universities in Latin
America, though our action be not limited to this channel."
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Christian
university in the Netherlands is given a new name
Ede, the
Netherlands, January 1, 1997
For more than 40 years
there has been an institution for Christian higher education in Ede,
a city of 100,000 inhabitants in the center of the Netherlands, The
school began as a teacher-training college, called Felua. Later, in
the '70s, De Vijverberg was established, offering programs in social
work and health care studies (nursing). In 1994 the two institutions
merged and became the Christian College of Higher Education De
Vijverberg-Felua.
According to plans that will be completed in April, 1997, the campus
is being enlarged. On January 1, 1997 the college will have a new
name: Christelijke Hogeschool Ede (Christian University for
Professional Education, Ede). The address for the new campus: Oude
Kerkweg 100, Ede. Mailing address: Postbox 80, NL-6710 BB Ede, The
Netherlands. Phone numbers: +31-318-696300 (Tel.) and +31-318-696396
(FAX).
The rector of the college is Dr. M. Burggraaf. The faculty numbers
160 members, and there are about 2100 students enrolled. The academic
program lists six departments: education (teacher training for
elementary schools), nursing, social work (residential and
non-residential), journalism and communication studies, human
resource management, religious studies (pastoral work).
International contacts have been made with institutions in the United
States, including Calvin College, Dordt College, and Messiah College.
A master's program in communication studies is offered in cooperation
with Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education.
According to Dr. Albert P. Schol, Coordinator of
Internationalization, it is hoped that eventually there will be
cooperation with Christian universities in other countries as
well.
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Dordt College
sends team to the Ukraine, plans Summer English Language and Culture
Institute (SELCI)
For the last four summers
Dordt has sent a faculty-student team to Kharkov Pedagogical
University, Kharkov, Ukraine. The teams have worked closely with
Ukrainian students and faculty in developing English language skills,
a better understanding of American life and culture, and the meaning
of God's Kingdom and Christ's love for them as individuals. During
the four-year period ten faculty and nine students have participated
in the outreach program. It has been a very meaningful cross-cultural
and personal growth experience for faculty and students. The outreach
program with the Ukrainian students and faculty culminates during the
summer of 1997 with a month-long American-English language trial
program at Dordt. If the trial program for Ukrainians is successful,
SELCI could in the future serve foreign students from other countries
and international students already residing in the U.S. The summer
trial program is being initiated because of the college's desire
to
SELCI will enrich not only
Dordt faulty and students but also each of the area families who host
a Ukrainian student.
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What can
IAPCHE do in Africa?
In Christian Education in the African
Context, Dr. Bennie van
der Walt describes "The Task of the IAPCHE in the African
Context:"
Africa is not rich in money. But it does have one asset which will
enable us to make a unique contribution to the world, namely, its
young and growing Christendom. For that reason we could apply to us
the word of the apostle Paul: ". . . we seem poor, but we make may
people rich" (2 Cor. 6:10).
In what ways can we buckle down and begin to work towards the ideal
of Christian higher education? I would like to mention only some
areas and strategies which can be discussed, worked out more fully,
and made more concrete.
We should never disregard small
beginnings. The great mustard tree grows from a tiny seed, to a size
and strength never dreamt of (Matthew 13:31,32). With the blessing of
the Almighty God, this is also possible in the case of Christian
higher education in Africa!
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