MTS Newsletter Dec 2020
A Note from the Principal
Just before the term ends, the students have the grapevine in front of Charles Wesley Hall pruned. The plant has not been fruitful ever since it was planted some years ago. The students did a good job and the whole plant was almost barren. It looked rather miserable!
2020 is a year of “pruning” for our community too. Since the movement control order started in mid-March, our take-for-granted face-to-face learning and Christian conferencing and fellowship were forced to sudden halt from time to time. Uncertainties has taken its toll on us but by God’s grace, we were able to move forwards. As we recalled these past months, we celebrate God’s goodness:
1. For years, the faculty has been talking about the possibilities of digital classes. The pandemic has forced us implement a long overdue new mode of teaching within weeks! We have discovered many potential resources for our use. Both faculty and students (including TEE students) were able to adapt to online classes and subsequently a hybrid of online-virtual classes.
2. We have lots of concern for not meeting each other virtually. Both faculty and students have encouraged each other and keep watch of our character building and spiritual formation by sharing our daily devotion reflection through our family WhatsApp groups. Believe it or not, we meet daily in our own family groups for chapel time via Live Streaming. Our relationship with each other has grown more intimately than we would before.
3. Planning and meetings to cope with changes could be exhausting. But we were made more focus on our vision and mission of theological education. We seek to be innovative and walk in-step with the Spirit’s guidance to fulfill that which God has for us in MTS — to train those who are called to proclaim Christ as they serve as pastors, missionaries, music directors and leaders in different local churches and agencies.
4. It’s a lean year for us and yet we have experienced Jehovah Jireh. God has supplied sufficiently for all the students who are under scholarships. We managed to pay our all our bills and our lecturers and staff lack nothing.
Just a few days ago, I took a closer look at the grapevine at the entrance of Charles Wesley Hall again. To my delight, new shoots sprouted the from those barren miserable branches and fruits are hanging all over! The pruning process might not looks good for a while but it brough fruitfulness in due season. The pandemic, for a while, might “meant evil against us” but the Lord “meant it for good” for those who put their trust in Him (cf. Gen. 50:20, Rom. 8:28).
May you also experience God’s “pruning to be fruitful” process this Advent and Christmas season, and in due season, a fruitful life! (Jn.15:2) Praise Him evermore!