How Global Partnerships Work
Visualize a bridge with two-way traffic. A bridge serves as precisely the right metaphor for the Seminary’s global partnerships. Each partnership involves a full two-way exchange between the two parties. For example,
- Teachers cross the bridge in both directions. Asbury Seminary faculty are being sent to teach courses in our partner institutions and, in turn, their faculty come to teach intensive classes or undertake research within our Asbury community.
- Students will also be invited to cross the bridge. From our side, this will mostly mean sending an entire study class to a partnership site with one of our professors to be taught right alongside the students in the host seminary. We will be offering these cross-cultural experience courses every year. We also welcome students from partner institutions/organizations to study at Asbury through mutual exchange.
- Resources will be exchanged across the bridge. For instance, we have sent our librarian to our partner schools to train their librarians and to find ways that we can, through digital technology, strengthen the libraries of these institutions. On their side, they are sharing valuable research with our us regarding the global Church along with theological insights gleaned from their own contexts.
- The bridge will allow us to gather leaders for training conferences. We will be hosting several global conferences that will allow us to mutually discuss global Christianity.
Christians are a covenant people, who believe in the power of relationships. For partnerships to be healthy, they must arise out of relationship. They must further be developed around a clear, shared vision. They must be reciprocal, with mutual giving and receiving of expertise, resources, and theological insights that will strengthen both parties. Finally, they must strategically participate in God’s mission around the world.