TEE History:
TEE began in Guatemala, Central America in 1963 during a time of revival. It made possible the training of large numbers of pastors and lay church leaders needed for a rapidly expanding church. From those beginnings TEE spread rapidly to every continent of the world. By 1982, there were 55,000 students in 360 programs around the world. Today the ministry of TEE continues to spread and bear fruit in many parts of the world
CLTC TEE History:
In 1970 the then Dean of Studies at CLTC, was deeply impressed by reading of the impact of the Theological Education by Extension movement in Central America. He prepared a Staff Study paper on the nature of TEE and how it could supplement the College’s residential ministries. Two years later, 1972 the college presented the challenge of extension theological education as a topic for consideration at the annual meetings of the Evangelical Alliance. Until 1975, when the first TEE pilot course in English was conducted in the first half of the year in Mt Hagen and then repeated in Port Moresby and other centres in the second half, with a second pilot of new course continuing in Mt Hagen. New Staff member, Ian Malins conducted that second pilot and from that point took responsibility for the development of a TEE program to extend the ministry of the college around the country.
Reasons of its Existence:
CLTC’s TEE first and foremost aim is the spiritual formation of the student. It is designed to integrate Biblical knowledge to equip and enable a student to become a true disciple of Christ and become more and more like Him; due to the tendency to drift towards false teachings, syncretism, nominalism, apostasy, cults and the prosperity gospel is gaining momentum, local pastors, elders and lay workers need sound biblical teaching to combat these heresies, those who have been in the ministry after graduating from bible schools for over ten, fifteen years needs professional training, while the need for local bible school students to receive sound biblical teaching is also an urgent issue. There is great need in churches in the isolated, rural, remote and urban centres for the true gospel to be taught.
CLTC TEE is one of several hundred TEE programs around the world. In the South Pacific it is known mainly in Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and Fiji. TEE is a form of theological education that seeks to “extend” a good theological education to those who find it difficult to spend time away at a BibleSchool. By doing TEE, students are not removed or “extracted” from their home places. This allows students to stay active in ministry while they study. Since 1975, thousands of Christians in PNG and the South Pacific have benefited from CLTC TEE courses. Indeed CLTC TEE has had impacted a lot of students lives that reflects their true identity with Christ. It is now being accepted as an alternative or complementary to residential institutional training, and begins to evaluate its potential