About APLA

The Asia-Pacific Leadership Academy is being established to train leadership for churches in Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, Guam and the Philippines.

PROGRAM VISION & PURPOSE

for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea – Isaiah 11:9

The steering committee for the development of an Asia-Pacific Leadership Academy (APLA) is excited to announce the genesis of what we believe God has called us to develop.

The need for leadership training in the Asia-Pacific Region, which includes the nations of Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, Guam, and the Philippines (with a total population of 310 million people), is both obvious and urgent. We are grateful for the Board of the Beam Missions Fund for approving a three year grant to fund a number of projects in this region of the world, including the Academy.

PROGRAM PHILOSOPHY

Many different approaches to ministry and leadership training have been used in our movement over the years. We appreciate all of these efforts and all who led in developing and teaching them. Much has been learned, including the need for developing more effective ways of providing such training. (Photo of original Manila Mission Team)

Perhaps the biggest weakness encountered from an educational perspective has been the retention rate of material covered. The Seminar approach, complete with advance reading assignments, has been our main approach. All of us who have been involved in this approach as teachers or students can attest to the results at each end of the spectrum. It has been amazing how much can be learned in a short span, and equally amazing how quickly it can be forgotten!

Our approach in the Academy is going to be a new approach that incorporates elements of several types of learning situations into one. First, the teaching approach used will be more akin to that of a ministry training school than a Seminary. Both cover much the same material, but the former focuses more on the practical application of material than on the academic aspects of it. (We want our students to keep both feet firmly planted on the solid ground of church building instead of on the clouds of Academia!)

Second, advance assignments will broken down into several sections, each of which will include: reading from a primary book on the subject (trying to read too broadly in a short time contributes to the lack of retention); short research papers written; formal reviews of assigned material; guided group discussions via the Internet; and tests taken on each section. All of this will be followed up by a three or four day Seminar setting (depending on the subject) and a final cumulative exam.

Gordon Ferguson, who has experienced both types of training mentioned (ministry training school – Preston School of Preaching, and Seminary – M.A. in New Testament Studies from Harding Graduate School of Religion) will serve as the Dean of the Academy and do much of the teaching, especially in the early stages. He will be coming off the ministry staff of the Phoenix church at mid-year of 2008 in order to assume these and other related training duties.

Other well qualified brothers will also be asked to teach in the Academy. Gordon’s main colleague in the development and administration of the Academy will be Rolan Monje, evangelist and teacher in the Manila church, who oversaw the AIM Program in the Philippines and is currently working on his Doctor of Ministry degree (Pastoral Theology) at American Bible College.