Why CTS Matters
This is our 30th anniversary. It was on 31st May 1994 that CTS opened its doors to theologically equip the leaders of the Sri Lankan Church. And, if I may say so, many find the story quite compelling. A single study centre in 1994 has become ten today; about 40 students at the beginning to over 800 in classes now; and, from a graduating class of 17 in 1997 to 824 alumni by 2023!
At anniversary events from May to July, we joyfully celebrated these wonderful indicators of the seminary’s steady growth. However, I found myself asking, ‘But why?’ What makes CTS so necessary? Why CTS for the next 30 years? Here are some reasons I believe CTS matters:
CTS matters because the GOSPEL matters
CTS is not an end in itself. Theological education exists to serve the Church to proclaim the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ to Sri Lanka and the nations. The founders of CTS were men and women who shared this passion. It is our desire to carry out the call to evangelise the world that makes excellent theological education so essential.
CTS matters because the CHURCH matters
We believe – as the Nicene Creed puts it – in one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church. The whole Sri Lankan Church is the body of Christ and the bride of Christ. This is why CTS is a space where all Christian traditions are honoured, and believers from all Christian denominations are welcomed. From the beginning, CTS has been setting aside our divisive differences so that we can embrace the richness of our diversity and demonstrate that in Christ we can all be one!
CTS matters because the BIBLE matters
Our commitment to Christian unity is ordered by our commitment to the authority of the Holy Scriptures. In other words, our vision of ecumenism (Christian unity) is a vision of an evangelical ecumenism: a unity around a shared conviction that the Bible is the final authority that can direct us to what we must believe and how we must live.
CTS was founded to teach the Scriptures because for many years the global Church had suffered a loss of confidence in the reliability and sufficiency of the Bible as the Word of God. Recovering and sustaining this confidence in the Bible is pivotal to enable the Sri Lankan Church to grow again.
CTS matters because CHRISTIAN FRIENDSHIPS matter
One of the often-neglected facts about Christian history is that the greatest advancements of the Kingdom of God on the earth were made possible through Christian friendships. Jesus once turned to his disciples and said to them: ‘You are my friends’. His mission to transform the world would depend on a handful of individuals that Jesus called ‘friends’.
Someone once said we must carefully guard our Christian friendships because one day they may change the world. We are convinced that the lifetime-friendships that students form at CTS will be powerful means in the hands of God.
CTS matters because LEGACY matters
In his very last epistle, Paul the apostle says to Timothy: ‘The things you have heard me say, entrust to reliable men who will be able to teach others also’ (2 Timothy 2:2). It shows us that while Paul looked for opportunities to advance the mission of Christ geographically, he made sure that the gospel message was also passed down generationally, to younger leaders like Timothy.
Celebrating this milestone was not only about looking back at 30 years of CTS history: it was also about looking forward to the next 30 years. Being intentional about our legacy demands that we invest in the future and trust the work of God into the hands of the next generation. Our alumni and our publications, therefore, are gifts to the next generation. They are our legacy.
As you can see, I am more than convinced that CTS does matter (not just for today but for decades to come), as she serves God’s concerns for the gospel, the Bible, the Church, Christian friendships, and a godly legacy.
Thank you for standing with CTS. Let us, together, discern His will for the next thirty years!
Ivor Poobalan, PhD
1st October 2024
