The ATS Mission May 2009

To glorify God by providing quality

theological education for Christian leaders
to effect Biblical transformation in the ASIAN THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY
Church and societies in Asia and beyond

years of equipping leaders

to reach the world

A Time for
Everything

 A Higher Call for a Noble Cause
 Esni Ferrida Naibaho: Inspired to Excel
 From ATS to DTC
 Osborne Comes to Manila in June
 5th ATS Theological Forum Focuses on
Stewardship
 ATS Offers New Degree in Biblical
Languages
The Bible
says there is a time for
everything…and may I
add, a time for transitions.
We praise God for
Rev. Dr. David Cheung who
faithfully served as ATS president
for two years. In recognition of his
leadership and valuable contribution in
fulfilling the ideals of ATS and his dedicated
efforts in partnership and network development,
the ATS Board of Trustees honored him with the
title President Emeritus. This means that he has the
privilege of continually promoting the cause for which
ATS stands for in his speaking engagements, thus bringing
in more partners for ATS. Let us continue to cover Dr.
Cheung in prayers especially as he and his family transition into
another ministry.
With the end of Rev. Cheung's term, I was designated the
role of Deputy Officer-in-Charge (OIC) to oversee the day-to-day
affairs in the seminary. I assumed office on April 1st. This new task
means assisting in leading ATS with our board chairman and part-time
OIC, Bishop Efraim Tendero. We ask for your prayers as we continue to
search for the next ATS president. Pray that God will lead us to the person of
His choice.
Please pray for this season of transition for the ATS
community. Any change, much less a change in
leadership, is not always easy and may at times be
daunting. But God is bigger than any of the challenges we
face.
Dr. Glicerio “Jojo” Manzano, Jr.
ATS Deputy OIC
DEAR FRIENDS AND SUPPORTERS,
My term as President ended in
March. To help and guide me in
this ministry the Lord sent board
members, faculty, staff, students,
alumni, churches, friends and
donors. At the ATS graduation last
th
20 March I read a long list of
individuals and groups whom I
acknowledged for their valuable
contributions. I wish to do that
now but space disallows. I thank all of you again.
st
From 1 April, Bishop Efraim Tendero is acting
Officer-in-Charge (OIC) even as we await the Lord's man
for this one-year (part-time) post. Overseeing daily
operations is Deputy OIC, Dr. Glicerio (Jojo) Manzano,
Jr. I covet your prayers and support for the new
transitional leadership.
A Higher Call for a Noble Cause:
The Challenge for ATS 2009 Graduates
“As the Lord's servants we seek one prize: neither
human praise nor material gain. Such things we forget for
we desire His approval: our one prize!”
ATS out-going president Rev. Dr. David Cheung, this
year's commencement speaker, challenged the 52
graduates of the Asian Theological Seminary to go full
speed in the ministry aiming only to please God. For sure
the high call of servant leadership for the sake of the
Gospel has been engraved in every ATS graduate.
Held at Greenhills Christian Fellowship in Pasig City,
th
the graduation on the 20 of March was well attended by
family, friends and ministry partners not only of the
graduating class but also of the ATS community.
Dr. Madeline Vega, Academic Dean and Dr. Cheung
conferred Graduate Diploma and Master of Arts degrees
(Christian Education, Pastoral Counseling, Theology and
Intercultural Ministries), Master of Business
Administration in Biblical Stewardship and Christian
Management and Master of Divinity (Biblical Studies,
Christian Education, Intercultural and Urban Studies,
Pastoral Studies and Theology) to the ATS students. In
the same occasion, Dr. Theresa Lua, Asia Graduate
On my part I spent all April doing turn-over work
related to the Office of the President. From May, I plan to
work on a major book project in collaboration with an
editor in North America. There are also some smaller
writing projects to consider for local or foreign
publication. I hope to go back to full-time church
ministry with part-time theological education work.
Please pray for His leading.
May the Lord bless you for your love and care,
prayers and support!
Rev. David CHEUNG, Ph.D.
President Emeritus
“As the Lord’s servants...
desire His approval:
our one prize!”
School of Theology Dean together with Dr. Larry
Caldwell, AGST Director for the Missiology Program led
the hooding of four AGST doctoral candidates.
For these graduates, the message of the Apostle Paul
in Philippians 3:12-14 was an apt reminder of what lies
ahead for them. Dr. Cheung urged the graduates to
remain focused and to press on, forgetting what lies
behind and that which may hinder them from winning the
prize: the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Pray for the 52 new ATS graduates that they will
remain faithful to the higher call which they have
received from God. Pray that they will be steadfast
servants of the Lord and be effective witnesses to all the
world.
Esni Ferrida Naibaho: Inspired to Excel
and Trained to Reach Indonesia for Christ
It was a tearful moment. The most prestigious award given contextually.”
to students, the Faculty Award, was announced and all eyes
Esni shared with In Touch three
were fixed on Esni Ferrida Naibaho, an Indonesian. She was
things that inspired her while she was at
obviously surprised and overjoyed. Studying in a foreign land
ATS: the relationship between professors
was not easy for an international student like her. This meant
and their students, the participatory teaching method and the
adjusting to a new culture, language, food and ways of relating
inspiring lives of the ATS faculty. She narrated her
with people on top of meeting the academic demands of a full-
observations, “ATS professors are approachable, helpful, and
time ATS student. But it was all worth it. Esni had finally
prayerful. They love their students and enhance discipline in
reached the end and had finished well.
doing requirements as well. Classes in ATS stimulated active
As she ushered her elderly parents who flew to Manila participation of students. The professors also give time for
especially for this occasion, to the stage, those who were dialogue and further discussion outside the classroom.” But
watching felt that it was much her parents’ success as it was what greatly caused an impact in her life were the exemplary
hers. Esni received the Faculty Award commemorated by a lives of her professors. She exclaims, “They passionately give
plaque and a cash gift for portraying the ideals of Asian their best to God through their teaching! While teaching they
Theological Seminary in terms of character, ministry, continue to study. They show maturity in what they do inside
scholarship and spiritual life. Esni and her parents were also and outside their classes. They inspire me to follow their
joined on stage by the Indonesian Ambassador Irzan Tandjung examples.”
and his wife. Esni hopes that ATS will continue to be a place where
Now back in Indonesia, Esni continues to serve as a staff students learn about different cultures and experience spiritual
worker of PERKANTAS, the Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship growth. She commits to pray for ATS to be effective in building
of Indonesia. Responding to the upward call of God, Esni character and theological knowledge of Christian leaders. “I
finished M.Div. in Christian Education. She said, “I am will pray that ATS will be an instrument in bringing world
thankful to ATS for improving my ministerial skills and peace, particularly in Asia and that ATS graduates will apply
molding me to be a better educator and disciple. I am now more what they had learned in their respective ministries and
confident in teaching God’s Word and in designing curriculum countries.”
that is relevant to my context in Indonesia. ATS helped me Eight other special awards were given to several graduating
understand theology and challenged me to do theology students:

DR. ELYSER M. ANGELES PHIL RICHARD C. BERCERO ROY B. MACARAIG PHILIP E. MARAÑON ELSA A. OALANG
Academic Excellence Award Expository Preaching Award Counseling Award Biblical/Exegetical Studies Award Theological Education Award
Community Service Award Christian Education Award
Pastoral Studies Award-
David Jennings Memorial
Award (PETRA )

From ATS to DTC

It has been 14 years since Dr. George Capaque came to be
with ATS. Dr. Capaque has ably served in various capacities in
the ATS community. He was professor of Theology and
Spirituality for several years. He was the academic dean from
2001-2003 and became the first director of the ATS Center for
Continuing Studies (CCS). He also chaired the 5th Annual
Theological Forum in February, which successfully opened the
eyes of the Christian community of its role in becoming good
stewards of creation. Now, Dr. Capaque (a.k.a. Kuya George)
will respond to another call from God to be the dean of the
Discipleship Training Centre in Singapore.
One of his recent achievements is the formation of the ATS
Center for Continuing Studies (CCS). Dr. Capaque labored
from its inception to its birth in 2007 to what it is today.
Through his hard work and perseverance the CCS has trained
many pastors and lay people from various local churches in
Pampanga, Laguna, Pangasinan, Bulacan
and Cainta. CCS seeks to equip church
leaders who may not have the time and
opportunity to study in a regular seminary
setting by holding off-campus seminars.
Dr. Capaque is a learner at heart. Perhaps coming from his
roots as staff worker and General Secretary (1984-1992) of
Intervarsity Christian Fellowship Philippines, he has not grown
weary of studies. He obtained his Th.M. from Regent College,
Canada in 1996 and his Ph.D. in Applied Theology from De La
Salle University in 2005.
We will surely miss Kuya George at ATS. But we send him
off with joy and prayers, knowing that God will mightily use
him to minister to our brothers and sisters in Asia and beyond.
Osborne Comes to Manila in June
The Evangelism Explosion Philippines in
partnership with Evangelical Free Church of China-
International Church (Hong Kong), Capitol City Baptist
Church and Asian Theological Seminary will bring to
Manila Dr. Grant R. Osborne.
On 27th June, Dr. Osborne will speak at ATS on the
topic: “The Book of Revelation: Hermeneutics for
Homiletics” at the ATS chapel. Before this, he will
speak at the Capitol City Baptist Church on 24-25 June
2009 on the topics: “What It Means to be a Disciple of
Jesus Christ” and “Biblical Preaching”.
5th ATS Theological Forum Focuses on Stewardship
To promote ecological awareness, the 5th ATS
Theological Forum centered on the theme The Earth is the
Lord's and Everything in It. Held at the Union Church of
Manila on February 12 and13, the forum was attended by
772 participants from all over the Philippines and a few
other countries.
Four plenary sessions set the tone and the mood of the
forum. Dr. Gordon T. Smith of reSource Leadership
International of Canada spoke on spirituality that is
Christian and that takes creation seriously. Dr. Katsuomi
Shimasaki of Japan Bible Society pointed to the Biblical
teaching on the new heavens and new earth as our hope and
motive for stewardship. Rev. Peter Harris of A Rocha
International, a Christian conservation network, shared on
why theology matters to mangroves. Marikina City Mayor
Marides C. Fernando, who has led her city to the ranks of
“Best Managed Cities in the Philippines,” inspired the
group with her stories of transformation.
Creation stewardship (ranging from personal financial
stewardship to environmental conservation) was the main
focus of the plenary talks and parallel sessions. Here are
some snippets shared by various speakers:
presented will be published in a book expected to come
·
Most of the remaining biodiversity hot spots on out later this year. Watch for it.
Earth are in areas where there are the most number
of Christians. But sadly, most Christians in these
For the 6th Annual Theological Forum in 2010, the theme is “Faith, power and politics.” Interested individuals are invited to submit paper proposals. Each
paper should be read in 25 minutes (2,500 to 3,000 words). You can send your proposals to theoforum@ats.ph on or before October 15, 2009.
The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it
Dr. Osborne has a Ph.D. in the
New Testament from the
University of Aberdeen, Scotland.
He has been teaching at the
Trinity Evangelical Divinity
School, Illinois since 1977. He has published numerous
books including The Resurrection Narratives, The
Hermeneutical Spiral: A Comprehensive Introduction to
Biblical Interpretation, and Three Crucial Questions
about the Bible. Dr. Osborne is one of the editors of the
New Living Translations (1996) of the Bible.
areas (which include the Philippines!) don't
care!
·
In the recent World Conservation Forum, there
were 4,000 NGOs working towards
environmental preservation. Only one was a
Christian NGO!
·
There is no Evangelical NGO engaged in
ecological conservation in the Philippines.
·
In a survey conducted by A Rocha International
among Evangelicals very few cared about the
environment, and pastors are the most apathetic
about it!
·
Many Christians focus on going to heaven that
they don't see the need to care for the earth.
·
We are living on a borrowed planet. We are
borrowing it from our children and our
grandchildren. But at the rate that we are using
the natural resources, we would eventually need
three Earths to sustain our generation alone!
·
We have a 50/50 chance at redeeming the
planet!
For those who missed the forum, selected papers
ATS Offers New Degree in Biblical Languages

Surveying the available trainings in the Philippines on
handling and interpreting Scriptures, ATS saw a gap it
can fill. Starting June, ATS offers its newest degree
program: Graduate Diploma in Biblical Languages.
ATS is committed to the Bible as the Word of God
and aims to study it diligently, handle it responsibly,
communicate it effectively, and obey it wholeheartedly.
ATS does not want to stop short of ensuring that there are
sufficient opportunities for the members of the Body of
Christ to be equipped with skills in properly interpreting
Scriptures. This new course is yet another effort towards
effectively equipping leaders to reach the world in a
manner that emphasizes classical evangelical faith,
holistic transformation and cultural sensitivity.
Graduate Diploma in Biblical Languages is a 1 ½
years program intended for pastors, church workers,
educators in Bible schools or seminaries, and lay people
who simply want to interpret the Bible responsibly. The
course will be taught in a way that would give students
the capacity and the confidence to accurately interpret the
Word of God. Designed as a ladderized program, this is
also a good way for assessing whether one has the
aptitude for a 3-year M.Div. Biblical Studies program
(should the student want to pursue further training).
This new program is ideal for students who neither
have the time nor the finances to go for a three-year
masteral program. It is also suitable for seminary
graduates who may want to augment their past degree
with the knowledge of Bible languages.
To finish the Graduate Diploma in Biblical Studies
degree, students are required to complete 30 units of
course work, Research and Writing and participate in at
least one Care Group. Registration is on June 4-6, 2009
and classes will begin on June 8. For more details, call
the ATS Registrar's Office at (632) 928-6717; (632) 923-
0669 or email registrar@ats.ph.

ASIAN THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY

equipping leaders to reach the world

Graduate Diploma in
Biblical Languages
 nurtures integrated spirituality: cultivating respect for the Word of God, interpreting it in
light of biblical and present day contexts, and appropriating it for personal and corporate
life
 a ladderized degree towards the Master of Divinity program
 five tracks: General, Biblical Hebrew, Biblical Greek, (Mixed) Major in Biblical Hebrew,
Minor in Biblical Greek, (Mixed) Major in Biblical Greek, Minor in Biblical Hebrew

Who may benefit? What is the schedule? Contact us for more

information:
pastors, church workers, Registration:
translators, educators in Bible June 4-6, 2009 Tel.: (632) 928-6717;
schools or seminaries, and lay Class starts (632) 923-0669
people who want to learn the week of June 8 Fax: (632) 928-5114
responsible interpretation of registrar@ats.ph
Scripture www.ats.ph
How to send your Academic Programs
financial gift to Graduate Diploma Master of Arts Master of Divinity
Asian Theological (1-year program) (2-year program) (3-year program)
Seminary For gifts in checks Biblical Languages Christian Education Biblical Studies
Christian Education Intercultural Ministries Christian Education
Please issue your check to Counseling Pastoral Counseling Counseling
Asian Theological Seminary Intercultural & Urban Studies Theology Intercultural & Urban Studies
Please mail to ATS (see address below) Pastoral Studies Pastoral Studies
Theology Theology
Note: Donors within Metro Manila
may request gift pick-up service by calling the Special Programs
Communications and Development Department Graduate Diploma in Transformational Urban Leadership
(9286717 local 132, and 4116104)
Graduate Diploma in Biblical Stewardship and Christian Management
Certificate in Pastoral Ministry (Center for Continuing Studies)
For direct bank deposit
Pay through: Banco de Oro Universal Bank ENROLLMENT FOR 1st SEMESTER SCHOOL YEAR 2009-2010
Manila, Philippines IS ON JUNE 4 - 6, 2009.
Swift Code: BNORPHMM
Bank Name: Banco de Oro CLASSES BEGIN ON JUNE 8, 2009
Timog Rotonda Branch
In favor of: Asian Theological Seminary, Inc.
US Dollar Account No.: 1620-0373-17 (Savings Account) Scholarships
Peso Account No.: 1620-0252-97 (Savings Account) What is ATS scholarship? · Endorsed by his/her home church or
Through the generous donations of churches, organization
Pay through: BPI Family Bank Christian organizations and individuals here in the · Willing to comply with the requirements of
Timog Avenue Branch Philippines and overseas, ATS offers a variety of ATS and its scholarship donors.
No. 34 Timog Avenue scholarship schemes to eligible seminary students.
Quezon City Scholarships are based on the academic Scholarships are reviewed and renewed annually.
Swift Code: BOPIPHMM performance (grade point average) and/or financial Scholars need to apply for renewal every year.
In favor of: Asian Theological Seminary, Inc. need of the student.
US Dollar Account No.: 6854-0011-81 (Savings Account) What is required of an ATS scholar?
Peso Account No.: 6851-0007-37 (Current Account) Depending on the type of the scholarship program, · Comply to ATS academic and
sponsor’s designation and the student’s eligibility, administrative requirements
the scholarship provision may include tuition fee, · Comply to specific requirement of the
For Canadian donors book allowance and living allowance. donors
(needing tax-deductible receipts)
· Maintain Christian integrity and character
Please issue check to OMF Canada and ATS also offers Work Scholarship. This program · Report monthly income and expenses for
designate donations to: allows students to work on-campus for extra accountability
265057 PH Field (ATS General Fund) income. · Work as a student assistant or under bond
as required
Then mail your check to: What does ATS scholarship provide? · Attend scholars’ orientation session and
OMF Canada c/o Ron Adams. · Scholarship Aid Program: Tuition fee meetings with Scholarship Committee or
Building 21, 5155 Spectrum Way, · Scholarship Grant: Tuition fee and other Chair when required or necessary.
Mississauga, Ontario, L4W 5A1, Canada. allowances depending on the sponsor · Write acknowledgment/thank you letters
· Work Scholarship: Stipend and accomplishment reports to the
For inquiries you may reach OMF Canada at · Academic Scholarship: Tuition fee and sponsors at the end of the semester
Telephone: +1 888 657 8010; +1 905 568 9971 other allowances · In the event that the scholarship recipient
Facsimile: +1 905 568 9974 Email: omfcanada@omf.ca N.B. Each type of scholarship has corresponding can no longer continue studying at ATS, to
terms and conditions pay back the total amount spent for tuition
For USA Donors (including dropping fee).
(needing tax-deductible receipts) Who may apply for ATS scholarship?
New applicants must be: When to apply for ATS scholarship?
Please make check payable to: · In the first semester: From the second
· An undergraduate degree holder
MEANS Monday of January until the first Friday of
· Enrolled in Master of Arts (MA) or Master of
Important: Please indicate the donation is for March
Divinity (MDiv) program with at least nine-
Asian Theological Seminary · In the second semester: From the second
hour or units course load per semester.
(Graduate Diploma holder may also be Monday of June until the last Friday of
Then mail your check to: August
eligible in some scholarship programs)
MEANS (Mission East Asian National Support)
· Intending to finish their academic program at
c/o Ms. Carmena Cruz Application forms are available at the Student
ATS
PO Box 8434, Barlett, IL 60103, USA Affairs Office
· Committed to the ministry

The official newsletter of Asian Theological Seminary is published

by the Communications and Development Department.
54 Scout Madriñan St., South Triangle, Quezon City 1103, Philippines
Trunklines: 9286709, 9286717, 9285105 Fax: (632) 9285114
Email: info@ats.ph Website: www.ats.ph
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