To secure a brighter future for the next generation of church workers in Taiwan’s indigenous community, Yu-Shan Theological College and Seminary is currently making advances in the following areas: 


Strengthening relations with local churches and seminaries

     Theological understanding and development is the responsibility of every Christian.  It is our hope that seminaries work together with local churches in promoting theological reflection, creating a stronger foundation on which future mission work can be established.  

 

Emphasizing related and integrated theological education methods

     We believe that theological education should not be just imparting knowledge, but understanding the true meaning of sharing, inspiration and faith.  As a result, our education philosophy stresses the following points:
     1) the integration of universal ideas within local contexts and their influence on each other,
     2) the integration of witness-based Gospel practice and open-dialogue religious rhetoric,
     3) the integration of Bible interpretation with Aboriginal society, culture, and theology,
     4) the integration of mission work with social ethics and structure.

 

Centripetal and centrifugal theological education methods

     Yu-Shan concurrently promotes both a centripetal and centrifugal theological education; a concept which places the Yu-Shan campus as a central point, simultaneously attracting (centripetal) those in search of education and empowerment, and radiating (centrifugal) that same education and empowerment to the surrounding community and institutions. In addition to commitment to pastoral training and research, Yu-Shan firmly believes in the active dissemination of its personnel and resources to the outside world; creating a self-renewing system of interaction and cooperation that enhances the spread of the Gospel.

 

Elevating the status of theological education

     In spite of the influence of Yu-Shan’s theological education has had on the indigenous community in the past, modern society is continually changing, and, along with it, the values of the people and their practical concerns; specifically, in regards to official national education certification.  After a long and arduous process, the Ministry of Education has completed the necessary legislation to formally accept Yu-Shan as an accredited institution of theological education; an important step in changing social perceptions of seminaries in predominantly non-Christian Taiwanese society, and recognition of the contributions and positive impact Yu-Shan has had on the indigenous community for over 70 years.

 

The establishment of the Aboriginal Culture
  & Social Development Foundation

     At Yu-Shan, theology and indigenous society are inseparable; a premise which is the driving force behind the establishment of the Indigenous Culture and Social Development Foundation which promotes not only indigenous cultural and social issues, but also increases awareness regarding environmental protection, land management, music, arts, and indigenous identity.  The ICSDF also hopes to oversee government projects involving the indigenous community, allowing for greater representation, understanding, and input from the people themselves.

 

Establishing the "Asia Pacific Indigenous Theology
  & Culture Research and Promotion Centre"

     Given the importance of Taiwan’s indigenous culture and society, Yu-Shan is currently setting up the Asia Pacific Indigenous Theology and Culture Research and Promotion Centre in order to share the unique characteristics of Taiwan’s indigenous people with the rest of the Asia Pacific region.  Inspired by initiatives such as the World Church Council’s “Ethnic Equality” and the United Nations “Self-Deciding Nations” movements, Taiwan’s indigenous people have experienced as revival of self awareness and pride, as many of the world’s indigenous peoples have as well.  In addition, 1993 was declared by the United Nations as “The International Year of the Indigenous People” and every year holds the “United Nations International Conference on Indigenous Peoples” to discuss how world governments need to allocate greater resources towards the education, culture, traditions, land, economy, government, language, and politics of indigenous people.  By establishing the Asia Pacific Indigenous Theology and Culture Research and Promotion Centre, Yu-Shan hopes to encourage faculty and students to participate in the international movement of the indigenous community and thus expand international perspective of theological education.

Personality developed “Theological Education” of the highest caliber

    Yu-Shan Seminary believes that the pursuit of an education based on the purest theological ideals will yield church workers of impeccable character and integrity.  To this end, Yu-Shan from its very beginning has instilled a “fear no wind or rain” philosophy; requiring each student to take personal responsibility for the development and maintenance of the campus through physical labor as a means of developing an intimate relationship with the environment God created for us and, thus, with God Himself.  Of course, the goal is not to dominate nature, but yet another way to develop humility and dedication through hardship, sacrifice and service; an idea preached by the apostle Paul to Timothy, “Let no one despise your youth, but be and example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity. (I Timothy IV:12)  As future important community figures within the indigenous community, only those of such integrity and character can be witness to God’s power and have the ability to influence change in many of the social problems plaguing the indigenous people such as substance abuse, low education, unemployment, violence, and domestic dysfunction.  By being a living example of one with complete faith in God, Yu-Shan believes that then, and only then, can one truly possess the spirit of a church worker of the indigenous community and able to fulfill his or her mission for God’s kingdom.