Our Vision / Mission: To Proclaim Christ

A narrative expansion of the vision and mission statement:

Our vision is rooted in the mission of God's creational and redemptional purposes for the world (Missio Dei). God’s mission is revealed through God’s actions (Actio Dei) in the world. God’s actions are recorded in the whole Bible which reveals the whole gospel to be proclaimed by the whole church for the whole person to the whole world. Though the gospel is communicated with sensitivity to diverse cultural contexts, the gospel is not to be accommodated to values or principles in conflict with biblical truth.



God’s creational actions are shown most fully in the creational commissions bestowed in Eden upon humanity made in God’s image (Imago Dei) to serve, work, steward and guard the garden, to be fruitful and multiply, to subdue and have dominion, and to name the creation. These prophetic, priestly, and kingly tasks all continued after Adam and Eve’s failure and fall into sin and coming under God’s curse on the ground and their body. Yet, in response to their sin, God’s gracious promise of redemption began a long history of anticipation that a Prophet, Priest, and King Redeemer would come to perfectly fulfill God’s creational and redemptional mission summarized by “I will be your God, and you will be my people.”

God’s redemptive actions are shown fully through the life, death, resurrection, ascension, and glorification of God’s Son and the outpouring of his Holy Spirit upon his elect, redeemed people from all nations who are sent on mission to represent God's image (Imago Dei) in the world. God’s people also represent God's glorious presence (Coram Deo) in the world through their creational commissions and by proclaiming and demonstrating God’s active righteousness (Coram mundo) in Christ to all the world until he returns to fulfill the ancient promises of a final, purifying judgment of justice followed by a new creation, wherein the creational commission will continue for time without end when “the whole earth will be filled with his glory” (Num 14:21; Hab 2:14; Ps 85:9; 72:19; Rev 19, 21).

Therefore,

Our mission is to serve God’s creational and redemptional mission through biblical, theological education by growing and equipping followers of Christ as disciples, a royal priesthood who represent God’s glorious image, presence, and gospel in the workplace and on the foreign field by proclaiming Christ to all the world through word and action “so that we may present everyone mature in Christ” (Col 1:28).

“You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” 1 Pet 2:9

Universal Learning Objectives (ULO)

The institution seeks to . . .

A.. To build and sustain an integral theological institution of four divisions with shared governance and responsibility: Board, Administration, Staff, and Academic.

B.  To provide biblically integrated and competitive theological education at the Undergraduate, Graduate, and Postgraduate levels that offers flexibility in course delivery modality options.

C.  To build and sustain comprehensive, cross-disciplinary, and contemporarily appropriate curricula that is rooted in the essentials of orthodoxy while being informed by a broad spectrum of viewpoints.

D.  To equip followers of Christ for service in all vocational callings, whether in pastoral ministry or public service.

E.  To nurture genuine love for God and neighbor in all aspects of institutional structure, functions, and relationships as a paradigm for gospel witness to the world and thus fulfill our Vision and Mission.

Institutional Learning Outcomes (ILO)

Graduates of FTS . . .

A.  Will have a thoroughgoing knowledge and comprehension of Scripture and of the full scope of theological subjects with increased motivation to grow beyond simple information-gathering to transformation-seeking.

B.  Will have a reasoned and well-informed historical understanding of theological issues of the past and those facing the church today with increased zeal to speak the truth in love and with gentleness.

C.  Will have advanced skills in competent academic research, biblical interpretation, exposition, exegesis, and presentation with increased love for the knowledge of God. 

D.  Will have adequate preparation to serve in ecclesiastic, educational, and community service vocations with increased skill in wisdom-living.

E.  Will have ability to clearly communicate the claims of Scripture and the gospel of Christ to the diverse contexts of the contemporary world.

F.  Will have grown in character and integrity as a faithful, truthful, wise, and compassionate ambassador of Christ and his gospel to the world, having matured in genuine love for God and care for others.