Thailand - Payap University

The Church of Christ in Thailand traces its history to the arrival of the first Protestant missionaries in 1828. The church became autonomous in 1934 while uniting with those organized by Presbyterians, British Disciples of Christ, and Baptists. Today, the church includes 350 congregations and more than 100 other worshiping groups, with membership of around 50,000. A priority of the Church of Christ in Thailand is evangelism and Christian education.

The Thailand Theology Seminary was established by the Reverend Dr. Daniel McGilvary in 1889 in preparation of leaders for His church. In 1974, the Thailand Theological Seminary and the McCormick School of Nursing combined to establish Payap University and the name of the Thailand Theological Seminary was changed to The McGilvary Faculty of Theology.

The McGilvary Faculty of Theology agrees with the Mission Statement of Payap University, which emphasizes "truth and service”. The "truth" which is Jesus Christ, is acted out through love and justice to the church and the whole community. Those studying in the McGilvary Faculty of Theology grow in body, mind, and spirit in order to serve Jesus Christ in his church.

The McGilvary Faculty of Theology is associated with the Church of Christ in Thailand, a member of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches, and a member of the World Council of Churches.

Most students are from poor, rural congregations and 30 percent are from tribal minorities in the hills of Northern Thailand. Scholarship aid is a main concern.

The Master of Divinity degree is a comprehensive program of study, designed to strengthen and support the life and ministry of the church by seeking to prepare students for the parish ministry and equip them for other forms of Christian vocation. This biblically rooted program is founded in the traditions of mainline Protestant Christianity, ecumenical in its outlook and sensitive to the cultural and religious heritage of Asia. The program also addresses the issues that arise out of the rapidly growing trends in science and technology while teaching patterns of faith that nurture justice and peace.

Besides its scholarship support of Thai students in its regular degree programs, the McGilvary Faculty of Theology has established a scholarship program for the newly developed International Master of Divinity of Theology. This program provides opportunities for committed Christians in the region, especially from Burma, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, East Timor, and Southern China to study theology in Thailand without having to learn the Thai language. The goals of this program include:

• Train students from the region for the parish ministry and other forms of church work.
• Provide a biblically and ecumenically based theological education that will help students to be effective in the ministry of the church in the rapidly changing context of Asia.
• Help theological students to acquire a strong moral and theological foundation that will allow them to articulate the Christian faith within the Asian/Thai economic, social, cultural, and religious milieu.
• Help students acquire understanding and know-how in administration and planning that they can work in church as well as in community development, especially in the Thai and Asian context.
• Provide students an opportunity to study theology and prepare for the church ministry in English, in response to a growing trend in Thailand toward international education. English will be the medium of instruction.

Students are recruited from deserving and committed Thai students who desire to do their Master of Divinity in English, and from neighboring countries, especially Burma, Laos, Vietnam, East Timor, and Southern China. Applicants from other countries will also be considered, if the need arises. Students will complete 90 credit hours of course work to be completed in six semesters or three years.