2025 Joint Meeting of the Academy for Evangelism in Theological Education (AETE) and the Association of Professors of Mission (APM)
Despite the history of missiological attention to concerns such as contextualization and inculturation, the mode of doing the work of education in mission and evangelism has often assumed a middle or upper-class student population with the financial resources and community capital to survive and thrive in traditional, North Atlantic academia. This model doesn’t reflect Jesus’ invitation into the redemptive reign of God. It is both unethical, as it places barriers to education to multiple populations, and unsustainable in an increasingly diverse world.
At the same time, the need for interculturally astute Christian ministers, evangelists, and mission leaders has only increased, and will continue to increase in a world of globalization and migration, political and social polarization, and profound global economic disparities. Scholars, practitioners, and educators have a unique set of perspectives and skills to bring to the adaptive developments of the future of Christian higher education for evangelism and mission practice.
In this joint meeting of AETE and APM, we envision facilitating conversations along several potential tracks:
Economics and Evangelism: How does the redemptive reign of God speak to the economic implications for living out and proclaiming the good news?
Majority World Models: The development of higher education in the Majority World is designed to serve the distinctive needs of populations in which Christianity is increasingly centered. While global education still tends to be influenced by Euro-American models of higher education, new strategies are being developed to fit the socio-economic realities, evangelism needs, and ministry priorities of different populations. What are these models and how do they serve the distinctive needs of Christian communities around the world? What can educators in the United States, Canada, and Europe, with a spirit of curiosity and humility, learn from these global models?
International Student Concerns: International students make up a relatively small percentage of higher education students in the US overall yet are an important population in many Christian institutions, particularly on the doctoral level. What are the distinctive needs of this population? How might institutions grapple with the habit of essentializing “Western” thought and practice? What are strategies for addressing international student needs in a way that equips these graduates for work and ministry in their communities of origin?
Technology and Education: The availability of Internet connectivity ostensibly offers global accessibility to higher education. In reality, stable electrical power and strong Internet connection is not accessible to everyone. Additionally, distance education can create a “caste” system among students: those at a distance who struggle to connect and access resources (e.g. electronic books from institutional libraries) and those with a wealth of infrastructure experiencing little structural limitation to their learning. How might educational strategies address these (and other) inequities?
Looking Back / Looking Forward: Education is ripe for disruptive innovation. In a season of adaptive challenges in higher education and in light of global trends toward diverse communities and ministries, what are biblical, missional, and educational principles that may guide scholars and practitioners of mission and evangelism in this season of change and adaptation? What educational experiments and new initiatives are being imagined and/or tried at this time? Conference participants might consider offering a case study from a course or program or proposing a model for consideration.
The 2025 annual joint meeting of AETE and APM invites proposals for presentations from practitioners and scholars with experience or interest related to this year’s theme.
Presentation proposals should include the following:
• Working title
• Presentation type: solo presenter, multiple co-presenters
• Potential track (if applicable)
• Abstract that provides the thesis, context, and general overview of the presentation (500 word maximum)
• Sample bibliography of primary resources or conversation partners
• Name and a brief bio of each presenter
Proposals should be formatted as Word documents and emailed as an attachment to Susan Maros ([email protected]) and Marilyn Draper ([email protected]) with the subject
“AETE/APM Proposal.”
Deadline for proposals is February 1, 2025.
Decisions will be made by March 1, 2025.