The intensive lecture "Biblical foundation For Intercultural Ministry," taught by Dr. J. Ray Tallman, Director of Middle East Missions, took place on the first week on April. Olivet Theological College & Seminary M. Div students from around the world took part.

The course used the Kingdom of God as the central motif and surveyed the development of mission theology and practice from Genesis to Revelation, giving special attention to the mission of Israel, the mission of Jesus and the mission of the church. The main course objects were to provide a Biblical understanding of divine purpose and unfolding of His plan for His glory among the nations, and to explore the place of human culture as it intersects with Kingdom culture in the unfolding of His plan.

The lecture covered topics including "The World in A Breath," "God in Pursuit," "Culture Transformed," "The Bible as A Missionary Book," and "The Pentateuch and Missions."

"The course taught me the skills for intercultural understanding and ministry…that both reflects the Kingdom of God culture and leads to mission fulfillment of the Great Commission," a student commented.

The students learned to indentify the unique role of Israel and the Church in His plan for the ages, culminating in recognition of Jesus as Lord. The course also assisted the students in developing an integrated approach to spiritual gifting, spiritual formation, and spiritual involvement in the Great Commission given by our Lord to His Church.

Dr. Tallman will teach "Evangelizing and Planting Churches in An Intercultural Context" starting April 15. Any M. Div students who are interested in taking his class may register for the course online at MyOlivet.