APNTS Foundation Day 2009 Greetings
from Floyd Cunningham,
November 27, 2009s
Greetings on the 26th anniversary of APNTS,
I so wish that I were there with you celebrating this great event of our twenty-sixth anniversary.
I am tremendously proud of each of the students and faculty members that have assembled at APNTS across the years – so thankful that Dr. Donald Owens invited me to become a part of this institution in its beginning years.
The spirit of APNTS has always been “bridging cultures for Christ,” and creating a “Christ culture” that transcends the barriers of nationality and ethnicity.
Those who have come to APNTS have had the opportunity of building lifelong friendships with those from cultures. About 50 graduates of APNTS are themselves today involved in cross-cultural ministries.
In the last years we have been “building new bridges” to those who are both near and far, drawing others into the community of Christ, and finding ways of partnering with other like-minded believers.
We are fulfilling and developing programs and ministries based upon the vision of APNTS, to be a center of academic excellence and to prepare men and women for ministries in Asia, the Pacific and the world.
As we prepare men and women for other times and places, we are also striving to be right now a holiness-aspiring people of God in the particular time and place that God has put us.
God’s blessings upon you as you participate in this great event,
Floyd T. Cunningham
from LeBron Fairbanks,
November 20, 2009
Dear friends and members of the APNTS community, grace and peace to you.
I greet you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
I celebrate with you on Heritage Day, and wish I could join you in the chapel service. You will be blessed and challenged by Rev. Larnie Sam Tabuena’s message. I am in Argentina this weekend, preparing to speak at the graduation ceremony of the Nazarene Seminary of the Southern Cone, in Pilar, Argentina.
My wife, son, and I have great memories of our years on the APNTS campus. We learned so much from the students, faculty, staff and Christian community. Just two weeks ago, I spoke in the chapel of the Nazarene Seminary of the Americas In Costa Rica, from the APNTS scripture verse, “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and man, the person, Christ Jesus” I Timothy 2:15.
Students on the APNTS campus and the Christians with whom we worshipped in the Philippines taught us by word and by deed that the simplicity of holiness is wrapped up in the chorus I heard them sing often,
I’ll say yes, Lord, yes, to Your will and to Your way.
I’ll say yes, Lord, yes, I will trust You and obey.
When Your Spirit speaks to me,
With my whole heart I’ll agree,
And my answer will be yes, Lord, yes.
May God’s grace and abundant blessings be yours on this special day in the life of Asia Pacific Nazarene Theological Seminary.
Gratefully,
E. LeBron Fairbanks
Education Commissioner, Church of the Nazarene,
APNTS president, 1984-1989.
from Hitoshi (Paul) and Mitsuko Fukue,
November 17, 2009
To our beloved APNTS family:
We send a warm greeting from Japan to you all in the name of our gracious and compassionate God! We rejoice with you as you celebrate this special Foundation Day of APNTS. We wish we could be there among you to praise the goodness of our Lord together with you.
We have heard of the recent typhoon that hit the Philippines and caused much calamity. We also learned that many neighborhood people in Kaytikling took refuge under your wing and you immediately responded to the needs of these victims of the typhoon. You have shown that you are the light of the world and the salt of the earth through this compassionate ministry. And that is what the seminary education is all about. Our compassionate God is creating men and women of compassion for those in need. But as you all know, we need to be equipped to be of meaningful use for God rather than simply feeling compassionate toward needy people. And the equipping takes time and energy and hard discipline of mind, heart and body. This makes the raison d’etre of APNTS ever more clear. God is preparing you all for the ministry of compassion in all dimensions of life. And we are extremely glad that APNTS is there to help you in such well rounded theological and ministerial concerns. Let us praise the Lord for His gracious hand upon APNTS from the beginning of its history up to the present. Our prayers and love are with you as you continue to move forward with its great mission in Asia-Pacific and beyond. May His blessings and care be upon you especially on this special day of celebration. We miss you very much.
Yours in Christ,
Hitoshi (Paul) and Mitsuko Fukue
from John & Janice Nielson,
It took great faith, for the founders of Asia-Pacific Nazarene Theological Seminary to believe that it was possible to bring people from many cultures and languages to one place and that they could live, study, and worship together in community. But they had that faith, knowing that it was possible through the working of God’s Spirit.
It took prayerful innovation for them to build such a community, for there were no books to guide them and few models for their task. But they knew that such a place could be built if it’s foundation was God’s Word.
It took faithful commitment for many through the years to maintain and strengthen what was begun . . . to celebrate differences, and live together on the basis of the faith we share . . . to be spiritually alive and educationally strong and ministerially relevant. But they were able to do so by relying on God’s Power.
Now new generations must exercise that same faith and implement that same innovation and demonstrate that same commitment. The task will still be totally dependent on God’s Spirit, God’s Word, and God’s Power. “May all who come behind us find us faithful.”
We send our warm greetings, our deep gratitude, and our heartfelt prayers as you celebrate Heritage Day and Foundation day together.
Grace and Peace,
John & Janice Nielson
from Don Owens,
November 15, 2009
Dear Colleagues and Friends of APNTS:
It is my honor and pleasure to send greetings to you at this important juncture in the life and ministry of Asia-Pacific Nazarene Seminary. Thank you for choosing this moment for reflection on what we are about in a theological enterprise that seeks to “Bridge Cultures for Christ.” I am deeply grateful for the impact that this institution is having in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond.
My admiration for your administration and faculty knows no bounds. I sense personal fulfillment and joy in knowing that the initial vision for such a theological center continues with increasing effectiveness.
May I present you with two of my favorite quotations in the context of the “full-service” mission of the Church and its work. “A person may travel seven thousand miles to communicate Christ, but it is the last thirty inches that makes the difference.” Another one, “In presenting the Gospel in its full-orbed nature, we do well to remind ourselves that a hungry person has no ears.” To build bridges, we must begin where people are. To learn…to serve…to be…that is what we are about at APNTS. The learning environment is wonderful, opportunities to serve are everywhere near at hand, and in the process we become the people of God that He desires that we be.
Recently, my heart was stirred as I learned of the devastation and suffering of our beautiful Filipino people due to the horrendous floods in the greater Manila area. But, I am also moved at the outpouring of compassion and love that the faculty, staff, and student body demonstrated in their response to the mounting needs in the area. That is Christ-likeness in its fullest expression, and in the process of learning and serving, you are discovering that building bridges must begin at home. I am proud of you…..but even more important, our Lord Jesus Christ of the “Good Samaritan” story must be very pleased indeed. May God bless your gathering with a strong sense of His presence. You are in our daily prayers.
Sincerely yours in the Mission,
Don Owens
