A new ATS generation started the journey!

As we mentioned before, this year a new generation graduated from our Pastoral Theology program, based on the Advanced Training Studies curriculum. In June we started the registration for a new class of students. Mihai Dumitrascu, the national coordinator of the training program will share with us the most relevant details of this process.

The Pastoral Theology program is designed to provide a high level of training and equipping for those qualified and involved in ministry, missionaries and church planters. The emphasis is on developing a godly character and, at the same time, the development of serving skills and academic competence. We are also trying to make the participants aware of the importance of spirituality and personal godliness, humbleness, honor and good student-professor relationships throughout the learning process.

The admittance exam for the new class had 38 candidates for the 28 available new student positions, and was held in several stages, in different locations.

Following this exam, we now have a new generation of 28 students, from all the evangelical denominations in Romania, people actively involved in discipleship, ministry and leadership.

This will be the first generation experiencing the online learning process, using the support offered by the e-learning platform made available free of charge, graciously, by a businessman called Adrian Buhai. The main advantage is represented by the ongoing online community that is, thus, created, interacting on the homework of each module, both among peers, and with the professor.

We are confident the graduates of this program will increase the number of well qualified and dedicated ministers, providing quality ministry and impact.

The program extends over a period of 3 years (13 modules), and is coordinated by:

Andy Seidel – president of Entrust, M.S., University of Illinois, Th.M. , Dallas Theological Seminary, Adjunct Professor in Mathematics (1968-1972), Lecturer on Managerial and Administrative Sciences, Dallas Texas University (1972-1976), Pastor of Grace Bible Church, College Station, Texas (1976-1990), ATS Pastoral Theology Coordinator (1990-1996), Executive Director, Center for Christian Leadership, Dallas Theological Seminary, since 1997.

Assistants:

Gelu Paul – trainer – Pastoral Theology, Pastor, Vox Domini Church, Timisoara, Strategic Coordinator, BIG-Impact Foundation.

Petrica Ursache – manager – Pastoral Theology, Elder, Brethren Church, Botosani.

Ovidiu Ghita – trainer – Pastoral Theology, Pastor, Holy Trinity Baptist Church, Galati.

Adrian Totan – trainer – Pastoral Theology, Pastor, Vox Domini Church, Timisoara.

Adrian Lauran – trainer – Pastoral Theology, Pastor, Pro Deo church, Craiova.

Brian Eby – trainer – Pastoral Theology, Entrust Representative, licensed in Job Counseling, Family and Couple Therapy and Social Welfare.

Nelu Muresan – trainer – Pastoral Theology, Pastor, Pentecostal Church, Turda.

We are waiting for God’s blessing on this new generation of students and on the faculty. Through the commitment of all those involved and through adopting modern means of learning, we hope to be able to raise the bar of the training process higher and higher, fulfilling in this way, among others, our dream of seeing more and more Global Impact Churches.

In the above picture you can see the team that coordinated the admittance process: Petrica Ursache, Mihai Dumitrascu, Adrian Lauran and Ovidiu Ghita.

A few insights from those enlisted for the new class:

The need to better serve the Lord and be more useful and effective for the church is what made me apply for this training program. I expect these needs to be met. Stroe Dan Lucian.

I came into this program for developing church leaders, hoping for a spiritual refreshing of my region and, then, of our country. I hope we will form a class of excellent relationships, being open and offering each other help, having as much quality interaction as possible, benefiting from a practical and applicative training. Emi Moisa

Aware of the relativism that affected the present day generation, which formatted both the brain and the heart, even the soul sometimes, creating a new ethics and values system, even a new form of spirituality, which lacks absolutes, specially the Absolute God, I can’t remain a permanent programs consumer, or a “canned food dealer”. I need training; I need a fresh anointment, to be able to speak the language of this generation. It is true some like to live close to where they can hear the church bells, but I prefer building salvation stations at the gates of hell, that’s why I need your help. Help me succeed, oh Lord! Marcel Opris

I was motivated to apply for the ATS program, in part, by the need to refresh my theological training, the program looking challenging in this respect, and, also, because of the interactive profile of the courses, as they expose those scriptural values that stimulate our ongoing development as ministers. I believe though, that another major reason was that I was already aware of the values promoted at BIG conferences, with a major influence in my pastoral ministry! Daniel Costut

I applied for this program because I long for a better personal knowing of God, who called me to be responsible for people’s souls, and because I feel the need to have a balanced and effective ministry, for the strengthening of the Body of Christ. Ruben Stoicu