May 26, 2003
by Nancy Rodman

DENVER - Presbyterian Christian educators enthusiastically received former Moderator Fahed Abu-Akel and Prof. Grace Yuell when they jointly addressed the annual General Assembly luncheon of the Association of Presbyterian Church Educators (APCE) on Monday.

Yuell, a professor of Christian education at Presbyterian College and author of this years Assembly Bible study, introduced the theme, The Connection between Mission and Education, with the image of two women, many years ago, riding horseback through Appalachia with Bibles attached to their belts, taking the gospel to children as mission extension workers.

Education has always had an integral role in bringing the churchs mission to life, she said. The challenge for educators for the future, she continued, is to get back into the Great Commission.

Yuell related a revelation she had while rereading Matthew recently. Go, therefore, and make disciples means to make students, she said. And to make students, she continued, means introducing them to their teacher, Jesus Christ, initiating them into the practices of a student so that they are students all their lives, and providing resources that will help keep their encounter going with Jesus Christ.

Educators must inform themselves about the mission of the church so that they can bring it to life in their congregations, she said. They must inform themselves about what is going on in world Christianity. There are amazing things going on out there, she said.

Continuing the theme, Abu-Akel said: The Christian educators role is more important now than ever before. Education is crucial for a better America, a healthy America. We need to understand languages, cultures, and the religions of the world.

Indonesia, he said, is the world's largest Muslim country, yet there are more Presbyterian and Reformed Christians there than in the United States.

Every mission trip, he said, should include some Christian educators.

We need to get out of our box, he said, and understand conditions in the world.

If mission around the world is going to be successful, we need Christian educators to educate the children.

PCUSA News Service