An Historical Event in Theological Education in Nepal
An Historical Event in Theological Education in Nepal

An Integral Mission Curriculum, designed for the theological
institutions by Nepali theologians, was launched jointly by Mr Steve
Collins, Tearfund Nepal, Dr Mahendra Bhattarai, chairman of Micah
Network Nepal (MNN), Bishop Narayan Sharma, Believers Church Nepal, and
Hon. Lokmani Dhakal, member of Constituent Assembly, at Embers Café,
Kathmandu on 5 July 2015.

Over the years, UMN and MNN have
organised a series of workshops for the theological educators working in
Kathmandu-based Bible Colleges. These have built their capacity in
various aspects of integral mission, including peacebuilding, HIV and
AIDS, the causes and impacts of poverty and the church’s
responsibility, disaster preparedness and response, the church and
advocacy etc.

The participants of those workshops expressed the
need for an integral mission curriculum for their theological
institutions. As a result, a collaborative approach was adopted and a
theological team was formed – the Integral Mission Curriculum
Development Team (IMCDT). The team, along with UMN and MNN, has worked
for a year and come up with this first draft.

Dr Mahendra
Bhattarai said: “This was the task of the church, and we always wanted
to bring all the theological institutions together to do it. But we were
not sure how. UMN and MNN have showed us the way and proved that Nepali
theological educators can do a lot if they work together. We don’t
need to always copy and paste materials developed by others in other
contexts. The work done by IMCDT is the first of its kind in Nepal, and
maybe for many Asian nations.”

In closing the programme, Bishop
Narayan Sharma prayed that the curriculum would be a blessing to the
church in Nepal, and an example for other nations.

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