Anglican Communion News Service - Digest News

Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, 17 October (ENInews)--Timithy Jerry, a master's student in theology at Sabah Theological Seminary (STS) in eastern Malaysia, relishes his weekends -- but not for time off.

Jerry, who belongs to the Iban tribe from eastern Malaysia, is one of a number of students who are sent on weekends to churches of different denominations, some in remote villages, for Sunday services. "It is great opportunity to interact with people of different ethnic traditions," Jerry told ENInews.

The school, located at the city of Kota Kinabalu, has 336 students including over three dozen from a dozen countries in southeast Asia.

"The diversity of denominations and ethnic traditions here is really enriching," said Van Eng Thangi, a Presbyterian masters student from Myanmar. "This experience will certainly help me when I go back to my church," he said.

"Besides international students, we have students from almost all the 20 major denominations in Malaysia," said the Rev Chung Song Mee, dean of studies at STS.

The seminary is located in the Sabah province in eastern Malaysia, which is a Christian stronghold in Muslim-majority Malaysia. Christians number more than one third of the more than two million people who are mostly ethnic Malaya tribes and Chinese.

The Rev. Thu En Yu, founding principal of STS, said it was started in 1980 as a center for elementary training to prepare lay leaders for evangelization and pastoral work in remote areas. In 1985, the center expanded into a Bible Training Centre with half a dozen local churches as partners. Formal theological courses started in 1988 and Thu noted that STS has worked with 13 international partners including the Baptist, Methodist and Lutheran denominations. Some Protestant missions in Europe and the U.S. send lecturers to the school, he said.

STS now conducts diploma, graduate, post graduate and doctoral programs in theology, pastoral work and communication in Malay, Mandarin Chinese and English.

While each of the three language groups have separate prayers, on Thursdays they gather in the century-old church in the STS compound for common prayer, blending their denominational differences.

"We have even part-time Roman Catholic students on our rolls," added Chung who gave up her secular teaching job to join STS in 1980 after graduating from Singapore Bible College.

"Ours is a unique theological college. We have centers outside the campus and instead of students coming to the college, the teachers will go to them," noted Wilfred John Samuel, STS vice principal. Diploma courses at the eight centers include theology, Bible studies and pastoral training.

Although the STS campus is nearly empty of students and teachers on weekends, the campus is not quiet. Dozens of senior citizens take classes that prepare them for church service when they retire.

Article By: Anto Akkara