On Tuesday, September 17th, the Faculty of Theology at UKDW held a public lecture, which was also attended by 21 pastors from the Kupang Classis of the GMIT. The lecture was opened with a welcome address and prayer by a fellow faculty member, Rev. Prof. Robert Setio, Ph.D. The keynote speaker for this lecture was David W. Boshart, Ph.D., who presented on the topic of “Missional Church Leadership & Management Amidst New Challenges.”
This public lecture emphasized the centrality of Christ’s peace in the life of the church. It discussed what to look out for when the church begins to move in a direction that is inconsistent with the teachings of Jesus. Rather than leaving the church, the congregation, as a united body, needs to think critically about how Jesus’ teachings can help address the problems they face in church life. The teachings of Jesus need to be the foundation for answering contextual problems.
The congregation, as the body of Christ, has a responsibility to voice their concerns and work together to find ways for the church to function as it should in the mission of proclaiming the Kingdom of God in the world. The church needs to be a place of peacemaking and a center of reconciliation.
In conclusion, the death and resurrection of Jesus should be a new spirit for the congregation to realize peace in the life of the congregation. (LR)