Reimagining Theological Education Together (RTET)

What if theological education was more than a seminary? Maybe even more than a school? In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Stephen George, president of Asian Christian Academy (ACA) in India, to discuss how ACA is moving beyond a traditional theological education institution to effectively meet the needs of the community around them. In this episode, we discuss: • The origins of Asian Christian A...

Raised in Bethlehem, Dr. Grace Al-Zoughbi brings a perspective on theology that has been shaped by faith, suffering, hope, and the realities of life in the Middle East. In this episode, Grace shares her journey into theological education, her research on Arab women in theology, and her vision for the future of the church in the MENA region. Together, we explore contextual theology, migration, Chri...

What does it take to faithfully bring the gospel home — when "home" is half a world away from where you were trained? In this episode, I sit down with Wezi, a Zambian pastor-scholar pursuing a PhD in Bible Exposition at Dallas Theological Seminary. Together we explore what it means to leave everything for a calling, how Western theological education translates (and doesn't translate)...

What does it take to steward the explosive growth of the Church in Africa when most pastors leading it have never been trained? In this episode, I sit down with Richmond Wandera, pastor, scholar, and founder of Pastors Discipleship Network (PDN), an organization that has equipped over 15,000 pastoral leaders across Sub-Saharan Africa. Together we explore the quiet crisis behind Africa's church...

What does it take to form leaders, not just train them, for the global church? In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Anne Zaki, educator, counselor, and author serving at the Evangelical Theological Seminary in Cairo (the oldest and largest seminary in the Middle East and North Africa). Together we explore what faithful theological formation actually looks like, why companionship is the missing fra...

Polycentric theological education is on the rise. In this video, I explain what I mean by “polycentric,” why new centers of reflection and practice are expanding outside historic Western hubs, and how this shift strengthens the church’s mission worldwide. In this video, we will explore: • What I mean by a polycentric era of missions, and why it reshapes how we think about training • Why theologica...

Most leaders in theological education focus on authority, hierarchy, or strategic planning—yet the most impactful leaders often lead from below. In this episode, I sit down with William “Guillermo” Taylor to explore how humility, service, and the art of “leading from below” can transform your influence and reshape institutions. We challenge the conventional leadership paradigms and delve into how...

Theological education only makes sense when it serves the church and her mission. In this video, I reflect on a bold insight from Linda Cannell and I ask whether our TE programs are turning inward to protect and survive or turning outward to prepare and serve. In this video, we will explore: • What Linda Cannell’s statement reveals about mandate, mission, and why theological education exists • Why...

Theological education leaders are often running at full speed. In this video, I share two conference stories that helped me see why margin is not optional if we want to lead well, develop others, and finish our calling with endurance. In this video, I will explore: • What I learned from an intense conference in Africa• Why I believe personal margin fuels leadership capacity and long term reach • H...

Theological education often feels harder to define and measure than evangelism, Bible translation, or church planting, and I am hearing that uncertainty from leaders, younger ministry workers, and even donors across the world. In this video, I ask a core question: is theological education still relevant for the church and society today, and what needs to change if it is going to serve the church’s...

Tools to Equip & Empower (TEE) is quietly transforming how the global church equips leaders—by bringing training to people where they live and serve, not pulling them out of their context. In this episode of RTET I’m joined by Graham Aylett and Rosana Longgat to unpack what TEE is, why it began, and how it’s strengthening discipleship and pastoral formation across Asia and beyond. We begin wit...

Theological education in India is being reimagined under real pressure—and with surprising creativity. In this video, I share key lessons I gleaned from listening to 27 seminary leaders across India describe their challenges, pivots, and hopes. In this video, we will explore: • How seminaries stay rooted in historic mission while adapting for today • Leadership realities: focus, staff change, and...

Theological education is being reshaped by rapid change—especially across the Global South, where growing churches and shifting finances are straining traditional seminary models. In this video, I share what I learned in India after hearing seminary leaders’ challenges and hopes firsthand. In this video, we will explore: • Why India represents one of the most complex and diverse environments for t...

Church-based theological training is undergoing a global shift as TEE (Tools to Equip and Empower) and the Increase Association demonstrate how flexible, contextual, church-centered models can equip leaders more effectively than formal programs alone. Their bold vision: empower all Christ followers for mission, ministry, and leadership right where they live and serve. In this video, we will uncove...

Theological education is facing a global challenge—not because of lack of commitment, but because traditional models can’t keep pace with church growth. Formal seminaries alone cannot meet the overwhelming demand for trained pastors, especially in the Global South. So what’s the solution? In this video, we will uncover:• The history and vision behind TEE (Tools to Equip and Empower), a strategy bo...

True theological education goes beyond classrooms and seminaries—it’s a communal process that shapes people to know, love, and live faithfully before God in all of life. Around the world, believers are reclaiming theological education as shared learning for the church’s mission. In this video, we will uncover:• A fresh, biblical definition of theological education for today’s church• Why it must b...

Are seminaries and Bible colleges truly forming Christlike leaders—or just delivering content? Despite thousands of theological training programs worldwide, many remain overly Western, disconnected from local contexts, and weak in cultivating transformed character. In this episode, you'll discover:- Why more content isn’t the same as more transformation- How “polycentric” and indigenous models...

Most people still think of missions as something that flows from the West to the rest of the world. But that era is over. Today, the Global South, Latin America, Africa, and Asia, is not only receiving missionaries, it's sending them. From Ethiopia to Brazil, the church is growing, maturing, and leading global mission efforts in unprecedented ways. In this video, we will uncover:• Why “polycen...

Theological education is in crisis — not because of lack of passion, but because of deep fragmentation. Around the world, formal, non-formal, and informal training programs often operate in silos, unable to meet the overwhelming demand for equipped church leaders. Without collaboration, no single sector can keep up with the church’s explosive growth. In this video, we will uncover:• Why fragmented...

The global church is growing faster than leaders are being trained. How can theological education rise to meet this urgent need? In this episode, we unpack the ICETE Manifesto II and explore why theological education must be re-centered on God’s mission. Together we discuss:• What it means to integrate mission and theology• How COVID reshaped seminaries and training programs worldwide• Lausanne’s...

Most Christians in the U.S. don’t realize the crisis happening across the global church. Here, the ratio is about 1 trained pastor for every 230 people. But in much of the Global South, it’s closer to 1 trained pastor for every 450,000 people. The church is multiplying faster than leaders can be equipped — and the gap is only growing. In this video, we will uncover:- The data behind the global lea...

Welcome to Reimagining Theological Education Together! If you care about strengthening the Church through prepared leaders, this podcast is for you. As I engage with theological education around the world, I have become convinced that there are important global perspectives that help us rethink how we understand theological education. This podcast envisions a growing global community of theologica...