BACHELOR OF RELIGIOUS EDUCATION (B.R.E.)

a. PURPOSE OF THE DEGREE
The Bachelor of Religious Education degree is for people who have discovered the potential of the congregation as a place for children, youth, adults and families to develop faith foundations for a healthy and abundant Christian life. For this reason, such persons are willing to give up learning the Biblical languages and take extra Christian Religious Education courses instead. After graduation, a learner is well prepared
to lead a congregation, to nurture the holistic growth of congregation members, and to pursue further studies at the Master’s level.

b. PRIMARY GOALS OF THE PROGRAM
This program is aimed at nurturing servants and visionary leaders for the congregations. It tries to help the learner grow in spiritual depth and moral integrity; to give the student comprehensive knowledge in Biblical and theological studies and the ability to articulate faith to themselves and others; to train the student in developing the specific skills needed for effective ministry and public leadership and to develop a deep understanding of the cultural and social context.

c. REQUIREMENTS FOR ADMISSION
The B.R.E. is a baccalaureate degree. Admission requirements shall include: (1a) six years of secondary school studies or equivalent; (1b) applicants with only a F.5 background who are strongly recommended by their congregation may be accepted as nondegree students for one year before being accepted into a degree program. This arrangement is intended to enhance the academic abilities and spiritual growth of the
learners. Learners are required to complete 30 credits of courses with a grade-point average of 0.50 or above; (Learners cannot take more than 18 credits in each semester or more than 3 credits in each J Term.) (2) applicants must have been baptized at least three years prior to application for study; (3) evidence of the commitment and qualities desired for pastoral leadership; and (4) proof of the academic ability to engage in theological study. For more information see VI. Enrollment Procedures.

d. CONTENT
The B.R.E. program provides a breadth of exposure to the theological disciplines as well as a depth of understanding within those disciplines. It educates students for a comprehensive range of pastoral responsibilities and skills by providing opportunities for the appropriation of theological disciplines, for deepening understanding of the life of the church, for ongoing intellectual, spiritual and ministerial formation, and for exercising the arts of ministry.

i. Personal and Spiritual Formation:
(a) The program provides for spiritual, academic, and vocational counseling and careful reflection on the role of the minister as leader, guide, and “faithful servant of God's Word”. With the cooperation of the Tao Fung Shan Christian Center, every first year learner will be provided with a Spiritual Director besides his or
her academic advisor to accompany her or his pilgrimage to maturity.
(b) The program provides opportunities to assist learners in developing commitment to Christian faith and life in ways consistent with the overall goal and purpose of LTS. Together with the Tao Fung Shan Christian Center, we have established the Tao Fung Spiritual Formation Institute to offer various ways for learners to achieve this goal.

ii. The Bible and Christian Heritage:
(a) The purpose of the B.R.E. degree program is to assist all persons in the program to grow in a deeper understanding of and commitment to the Bible and know how to relate the liberating Gospel of Christ to the contemporary World.
(b) The program will provide the historical development and contemporary articulation of the doctrinal and theological tradition of the church, and in the social and institutional history of the community.
(c) Instruction in these areas is conducted so as to indicate their interdependence with each other and with other areas of the curriculum, and their significance for the exercise of pastoral leadership.

iii. Capacity for Mission, Ministerial and Public Leadership:
(a) The program nurtures a vision for World Mission as well as a commitment to become witnesses in the local society. Therefore, it is required for learners to use one summer to spend at least two months on either a Cultural Exploration and Mission Trip overseas or a CPE Training Course in Hong Kong.
(b) The program provides all the pastoral skills necessary to minister in a congregation through preaching, teaching, counseling, organizing and liturgical leadership.
(c) The program provides opportunities for education through supervised experiences in ministry. These experiences should be of sufficient duration and intensity to provide opportunities to gain expertise in the tasks of ministerial leadership within both the congregation and the broader public context, and to reflect
on interrelated theological, cultural, and experiential learning. The establishment of the Institute for Mission and Intercultural Studies with the Lutheran Churches is a way to help our learners to achieve this goal.

iv. Cultural and Social Context:
(a) The program provides for instruction in contemporary cultural and social issues and their significance for ministry. Such instruction draws on the insights of the arts and humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences.
(b) B.R.E. education addresses the global character of the church as well as the multicultural and cross-cultural nature of ministry in Asian society and in other contemporary settings. Attention is given to the wide diversity of religious traditions present in the social context. The establishment of the Institute for the Study of Luther in the Asian Context is a way to help learners to achieve this goal.

f. COURSES REQUIRED
Old Testament
OT101 Introduction to the Old Testament
OT102 History of Israel
OT103 Genesis or Deuteronomy and the Pentateuch
OT210 The Psalms, or
OT211 Wisdom Literature
OT201 Isaiah 1-39
___________________________________________________
Credits: 15
New Testament
NT101 Introduction to the New Testament
NT201 Matthew/Mark & the Synoptic Gospels, or
NT202 Luke-Acts
NT301 Romans or
NT203 Pauline Letters A, or
NT204 Pauline Letters B
NT302 John and the Johannine Letters
NT303 Revelation to John and Apocalyptic Literature
___________________________________________________
Credits: 15
Church History
CH101 Early and Medieval Church History
CH102 Reformation and Modern Church History
CH201 History of the Church in China, or
CH202 History of the Church in Asia
___________________________________________________
Credits: 9
Systematic Theology
ST101 Dogmatics I
ST102 Dogmatics II
ST103 Dogmatics III
ST202 Christian Ethics I
ST404 Lutheran Confessions, or
ST403 The Theology of Martin Luther, or
ST304 Comparative Symbolics
___________________________________________________
Credits: 15
Practical Theology
PT101 Introduction to Seminary Life and Ministry
PT103 Evangelism
PT104 Exploring Social Ministry in Hong Kong Context
PT102 Personal Growth and Spiritual Formation
PT201 Homiletics I

PT202 Homiletics II
PT301 Church Administration and Pastoral Leadership
PT303 Worship: Its Origins, Development and Practice
PT401 Counseling Skills
___________________________________________________
Credits: 27
Field Education
1st year 2 credits
2nd year 4 credits
3rd year 4 credits
4th year 4 credits
___________________________________________________
Credits: 14
Religious Education
RE101 Introduction to Christian Religious Education
RE102 Understanding the Learner
RE407 Christian Religious Education for Sacraments and Worship
RE202 Chinese Philosophy of Education, or
RE201 Theories of Western Education
RE301 History of Christian Religious Education
RE303 Curriculum for Christian Religious Education
___________________________________________________
Credits: 18
Religion and Culture
RC102 Introduction to Chinese Philosophy
RC101 Introduction to Western Philosophy
RC202 World Religions, or
RC203 Chinese Religions
RC402 Christ and Culture, or
RC401 Christianity and Chinese Culture
RC204 Introduction to Missiology
___________________________________________________
Credits: 15
Practical Training
LP204 Choir (1 credit per semester) (8)
LP301 Guidance to Theological Study and Writing (2)
LP601 Integrative Seminar (3)
___________________________________________________
Credits: 13
Total Core Credits 141
Additional Electives 19
___________________________________________________
Credits Required for Graduation 160

f. CREDIT HOURS
Learners in the B.R.E. program cannot take more than 21 credits in each semester or more than 3 credits in each J Term.

g. ASSESSMENT
At the end of each academic year, the advisor will discuss with the learners their progress in personal and spiritual growth; their willingness to serve; their commitment to the fellowship and their academic studies.
Before entering the last academic year, each learner should summit a comprehensive review of their theological understanding of ministry, academic record, field education experience, proficiencies in ministry and plan for improvement to the advisor and discuss the plan with him or her.

h. RESIDENCY REQUIREMENT
Since B.R.E. education has a complex goal: the personal, vocational, spiritual, and academic formation of the learner, and because of the importance of a comprehensive community of learning, the B.R.E. degree cannot be viewed simply as an accumulation of courses or of individual independent work. In order to ensure an appropriate community life and formation, at least one year of residency on the LTS campus is
required.

i. DURATION
In order to fulfill the broad educational and formational goals of the B.R.E., the program requires at least four academic years of full-time work or its equivalent. The time allowed for completion of the program on a part-time basis may not exceed three times that of the full-time program.

j. REQUIREMENTS FOR GRADUATION
In order to earn the B.R.E. degree, a learner must:
i. Complete the LTS required courses for B.R.E. with a grade-point average of 0.50 or above.
ii. Satisfactorily meet the assessment of the advisor.
k. FOLLOW-UP ADVISORY SERVICE AFTER GRADUATION
Theological education doesn’t end with graduation ceremonies at LTS. It is a process of lifelong learning that addresses ministry in our changing contexts. This requires faithful leaders with abundant gifts and special qualities: depth in the faith, practical congregational skills, competence in communicating across cultures, capacity to reach out to unchurched people, ability to make connections between faith and everyday life,
and a heart for seeking justice for society. Foundations for these competencies have been laid in seminary education. To a large extent, however, these ministry skills are finally realized only in the practice of ministry in the setting of a specific congregation and its larger social, economic and cultural context. In order to help our learners in formation and in building up their capacity as “faithful servants of God’s Word,” LTS provides follow-up advisory service to our graduates for one year. This program includes:

i. Sending ten letters to the graduates on various topics concerning the preparation
of heart and mind for embarking on a new ministry.
ii. Meeting with the chaplaincy department every month for the first semester
after graduation to discuss the problems that one faces and to nurture mutual
support.
iii. Meeting every two months with the chaplaincy department for the second semester
after graduation. The last meeting will be in the form of a retreat camp. Learners wishing to join phases (ii) and (iii) of the follow-up learning experience will be asked to pay $500 for the registration process. Learners wishing to register must do so on the Early Registration Day of the Spring Semester prior to their graduation. Howerer, whether a student joins the follow-up service or not, LTS always welcome
graduates to come back to share their joy or seek assistance. Following the first year after graduation, LTS works with the member churches and Alumni Association to form a Committee for Continuing Education to provide lifelong education opportunities for our graduates.

l. LOCATION
Courses are provided on the main campus and a few may be offered in our Theological Education by Extension site.