The Asia Pacific Region has an amazing 12 schools (with many more extensions) that offer the Course of Study to develop and educate students for Ordination in the Church of the Nazarene. The cultural and economic differences between these schools is breathtaking. The educational level of students entering the Course of study ranges from doctoral degrees to some who cannot read or write in their own language. The requirements for students to graduate from the COS range from a basic certificate to a master’s of divinity in some countries. The educational quality also varies greatly from non-accredited certificate programs to world recognized Bachelor and Master’s degrees.
Can we make a course of study that will bridge all these schools? Are the needs of pastors or ordained ministers similar enough that a single course of study could really meet their needs and the needs of the congregation they will minister to?