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WLI Northeast Mission
Statement
WLI Northeast trains and equips men and
women for leadership positions in local churches, in translocal
church ministries, and in the workplace. It provides an earned
training credential for church, parachurch, and workplace ministers
who desire ordination, licensing, or other forms of public
recognition. Its goal is to equip leaders in the
necessary skills for effective ministry.
It is designed especially, although not exclusively, to meet the
needs of leaders who have become part of the New Apostolic
Reformation. For literally thousands of these leaders, and
others as well, the present traditional educational system designed
for Christian ministers is virtually
inaccessible.
The Need
In a privately-circulated document describing
current research initiatives of The Barna Institute, George Barna,
President, reports these significant findings from his research:
"Most pastors agree that they were inadequately trained for the
job of leading the local church. Yet, seminaries continue to forge
ahead, providing much of the same irrelevant (and in some cases,
misleading and harmful) education that has been their forte for the
past century. One response has been churches creating their own
ministry education centers to raise up leaders and teachers from
within their congregations. Another response has been for churches
to hire believers who have secular training and experience in
professional fields and allow them to learn the content of ministry
realities while they are on the job. There is little doubt that
churches are in desperate need of effective leadership as the
challenges confronting the Church become more complex, more numerous
and more daunting.
"But how will those leaders be identified,
developed, and nurtured for effective ministry leadership? Is there
a role for the seminary in the future of the church? If so, what
should that seminary look like and what would its ideal role be? If
churches continue to rely on seminaries—or some alternative
developmental structure—to provide them with leaders, it is
imperative that the leader training grounds be reshaped. Mere
tinkering with a broken system won’t provide the answer; creating a
holistic, strategic and intelligently-crafted process is
needed."
Educational Paradigm
The
educational paradigm of WLI Northeast differs
considerably from traditional academic models of ministerial or
ordination-track education. The new methodology of training,
following patterns of contemporary adult education, is not based
exclusively or even primarily on a classroom format, programmed to
meet predetermined academic standards. Rather, it incorporates a
variety of learning events and experiences which are offered as a
basis for earning training units. Training units (TUs) accumulate as
each student moves toward ministry diplomas on various levels. The
focus on training in WLI Northeast is more on impartation than
on information. This is not to deny the importance of information,
but rather it is to affirm that relevant information will be
provided in a context of imparting skills and anointing for
practical ministry. Furthermore, ministry in the Spirit receives
equal emphasis to ministry in the Word and truth.
Benefits
There are many benefits
to the educational paradigm described above. The design of WLI
Northeast to free the institution from some of the more burdensome
characteristics of traditional academia such as: required courses,
theological party lines, denominational control, bureaucratic
entanglement, faculty tenure, costly library facilities, residential
requirements, influence of large donors, academic restrictions,
institutional self-centeredness, financial endowments, competition
with other institutions, accreditation straight-jackets, and
geographical limitations.
Student Body
The student body
consists of men and women from all cultures and walks of life. To
apply, the individual must be at least 24 years of age and be able
to show the equivalent of at least two years of full-time Christian
ministry. WLI Northeast is designed to provide in-service, as
over against pre-service, training for ministry. Those who have been
involved in lay or volunteer ministry, both men and women, should
inquire whether their accumulated experience in active volunteer lay
ministry over a significant period of time might apply to their
ministry admission requirements. Service such as deacon, elder,
Sunday School teacher, prayer leader, small group or cell leader,
worship leader, etc. may qualify. No previous academic credentials
are required for entrance into any of the diploma programs, except
the ability to read and write.
Statement of
Faith
The WLI Northeast positions itself in
the evangelical theological stream of Protestant Christianity. It
adheres to the Apostles’ Creed and to the core doctrines of the
Protestant Reformation, namely the ultimate and essential authority
of the Scriptures for Christian faith and practice, justification by
faith, and the priesthood of all believers. It believes that God is
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, that Jesus was born of a virgin, that
He was physically raised from the dead, and that an individual’s
personal relationship to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior determines
that individual’s eternal destiny in heaven or in hell. The
fulfillment of Jesus’ Great Commission to make disciples of all
nations is central to the focus of WLI.
WLI Northeast Code of
Conduct
WLI Northeast upholds biblical standards of
ethics and morality in every area of life. Enrollment in,
employment by, or voluntary service to WLI Northeast includes a
commitment by each individual to adhere to Godly standards of
conduct and lifestyle. While this applies to all areas of
thought and life, it should be explicitly understood that
WLI Northeast believes that
heterosexual union must be reserved for marriage and insists on
sexual abstinence for the unmarried. WLI
holds that premarital, and homosexual relationships are
inconsistent with the teaching of Scripture and will not be
tolerated in the WLI Northeast community.
For Further Information:
Avonne Askins, Registrar
Tel: (585) 265 23
WLI
Northeast
201 Judson St
Webster, NY 14580
E-Mail:
wli@wli-northeast.org
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