Odessa Theological Seminary Receives Basic DE Training

In October 2001, MAF-D.E. team members, Richard Morris and Ron Banks, provided an introductory training workshop for twelve participants. They included the Academic Dean and selected faculty with selected senior students from Armenia, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.

Seminar topics included an introduction to DE, course analysis and design, and practice with a real course idea. In four days the three teams produced an initial design for courses in apologetics, evangelism, and church history.

At the end of an early morning presentation for top Seminary leadership, Richard asked the question, "How might DE be used to further your school's ministry?" After a period of untranslated conversation, the President responded by saying, "Our school already has many more students taking part-time and extension programs than residential programs. DE is a natural extension for us. DE will support our teaching in Armenia and Central Asia, as well as in several places in the Ukraine."

We suggested that the first step would be to appoint a DE Coordinator with whom we could continue to work to realize this dream. Plans are being made to install a learning center in Odessa in early 2002.