On February 2-5, in Vulcan, Brasov, the ATS Pastoral Theology program held the 3rd module seminars.
Pastors Ioan Muresan and Ovidiu Ghita led the study on the two major topics – The Pastor as Student and The Pastor as Guide in Tackling Difficult Topics.
The students who were admitted into the new generation for study, through the exams that took place last summer attended the seminars. It was a blessed time, when we tackled extremely difficult topics related to pastoral activity, with the purpose of equipping those present for a more effective ministry.
Following are some insights from the participants:
Ruben Schipor: My heart rejoiced greatly at this meeting, in these days of interacting with the Word! Although the topics (The Pastor as Student and The Pastor as Guide in Tackling Difficult Topics) were announcing an endless polemic, still, I was surprised by the solutions and strategies we came to, through dialogue. We better understood what happens when the pastor is partnering with God: the divine inspiration and the pastor’s work in biblical exegesis produce an un-altered and relevant divine message that we have to deliver to the people!
Cristian S?l?jan: First of all, for me, as a lay person, it was a real step forward, to really understand, for the first time, the inductive Bible study method. Second, I had the privilege to debate, using the Bible, together with my more experienced colleagues of ministry, topics of maximum interest for the church life, like divorce and remarrying, church discipline, the woman’s role in the church, etc. In conclusion, both the environment and the topics that we covered challenged me to study the Bible deeper in my ministry and I can hardly wait for the next module. I thank the professors, the course coordinators and the sponsors for making this course available through their commitment and serving.
Ghi?? Ovidiu (instructor): Together in an environment that was appropriate for debate, 22 students full of curiosity and passion for a better training plus experienced pastors and servant leaders employed in the church leadership – we approached with enthusiasm, but also with prudence, many difficult problems in the lives of the local churches. I was impressed by the serious and careful way all those present approached the difficult issues brought to discussion, by the critical thinking with which they were examining the alternatives and approaches of the others and by the fact that each one of them tried to develop a solid, biblical basis for their convictions and values, and, also, by a pastoral, balanced attitude in the process of resolving difficult situations.
