Sekolah Tinggi Theologia (STT) Abdi Sabda
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Full Contact Details
STT Abdi Sabda Jl. Binjai Km.10,8 Medan-Sunggal SUMUT INDONESIA 20352 Phone/Fax: +62 61 8451 701 Please ask for the College's bank details if you would like to contribute by direct bank transfer. Thank you. |
You can help the College to achieve this development by making a donation through this page, provided courtesy of the UK Christian Bookshops Directory using Paypal's secure online payment processing system. All donations received through this page will be used to purchase and send books to the College Library. Postal donations may be sent directly to the College at the address shown above.
The name of the College means "Servant of the Word Theological College" and this encapsulates the vision of the six denominations which form its Board. It has two departments:
- Christian Education — preparing teachers for schools
- Theology — preparing potential pastors for churches
A postgraduate programme has been added recently and there are also lay training programmes for local churches, available on request.
Background and Origins
As members of the Body of Christ, church members should grow and become mature in their knowledge of the Word of God. For this to happen, the churches need to give attention to the education of those who are to serve the churches. So in 1967 four denominations based in North Sumatra came together to found a college. Then, in 1988, two more denominations joined the Board. The College is thus very much an ecumenical and multi-ethnic foundation.
The six denominations have different backgrounds: four are Lutheran and two are Reformed. Five have strong ethnic group links, one does not. Local ethnic groups represented in the student body include Angkola Batak, Karo Batak, Pakpak Dairi Batak, Simalungun Batak, Toba Batak, Javanese and Nias. Teaching is in the national language of Indonesian, but among staff and students, ethnic group links can be very strong.
Mission
The College's mission is to produce high quality church workers who are:
- Strong in faith
- Strong in knowledge
- Strong in serving.
The College aims to produce better prepared and qualified Christian teachers for schools and Pastors for churches, in order to increase the ability, skills and quality of faith of church members.
Staff
The teaching staff includes full-time and part-time staff as well as visiting lecturers. The full-time staff, normally seven in number, are all ordained members of the supporting denominations, seconded by their denominations and educated to at least a Masters level. The part-time staff, numbering about twenty, includes ordained and lay lecturers. Overseas lecturers, of whom there are two working full-time at present, have at least a Masters degree and are sponsored by one of the supporting denominations.
Ms Ralin Sinulingga, one of the two full-time librarians, on duty. |
The Indonesian government encourages the development of undergraduate teaching by requiring lecturers in undergraduate departments to have at least a Masters degree. In the past, this has meant students finding the funds to study in postgraduate departments overseas. Now, the aim is to develop local postgraduate departments. Accreditation of such departments depends to some extent on the library facilities available.
STT Abdi Sabda is therefore working hard to develop its library. As well as increasing the general range of academic theological books available, a major need is for academic journal subscriptions. In rupiah terms, these are extremely expensive: donations in overseas currency are therefore a great help.
As the library grows, so does its need for more qualified staff; there are only two at present, with no other help. So funding – probably about £500pa – for the salary of at least one more librarian is needed.
Please Pray
Irrespective of whether or not you can help financially, please pray for the College, for the staff, students, the local community and all others involved in or influenced by the College's work. Thank you for your support.
