Draft:Holy Light Theological Seminary: Difference between revisions

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==Academic Exchange==

==Academic Exchange==

External Alliance

External Alliance

*[[Asia Theological Association]],[16]<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.ataasia.com/ |title=存档副本 |access-date=2015-11-06 |archive-date=2021-04-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210422191645/https://www.ataasia.com/ }}</ref> Full Member

*[[Asia Theological Association]],<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.ataasia.com/ |title=存档副本 |access-date=2015-11-06 |archive-date=2021-04-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210422191645/https://www.ataasia.com/ }}</ref> Full Member

*Taiwan Theological Schools Association

*Taiwan Theological Schools Association

*Taiwan Theological Library Association<ref>{{cite web |title=Holy Light Theological Seminary Library |publisher=Holy Light Theological Seminary Library |access-date=2025-09-26 |url=http://lib.webits.com.tw/eng/html/index.asp}}</ref>

*Taiwan Theological Library Association<ref>{{cite web |title=Holy Light Theological Seminary Library |publisher=Holy Light Theological Seminary Library |access-date=2025-09-26 |url=http://lib.webits.com.tw/eng/html/index.asp}}</ref>

Holy Light Theological Seminary
(聖光神學院)
Motto If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work. — 2 Timothy 2:21[1]
Type Private, seminary
Established Founded in Kaohsiung in 1955
President Chen Jisong (陳吉松)
Location

No. 2, Henan 2nd Road, Xinxing District, Kaohsiung City, Republic of China

Campus Urban area (Main campus)
Suburban area (Shanlin campus, application pending)
Nickname Holy Light

Holy Light Theological Seminary (Chinese: 聖光神學院) is a private theological institution located in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Its theological education originates from the Kaifeng Bible School, established by the Methodist Church in Kaifeng, Henan, China in 1910. Due to the Sino-Japanese War, the school was closed, and re-established in Fengxiang, Shaanxi, in February 1941, under the name of “Northwest Bible Institute”. Following the war, a group of foreign missionaries and some Methodist brothers arrived in Taiwan, establishing Holy Light Bible Seminary in Kaohsiung, Taiwan on September 5, 1955. The name was officially changed to “Holy Light Theological Seminary” in 1969.

School History

Late Qing Dynasty and Early Republican Period

In 1904, the General Synod of the Free Methodist Church of North America officially sent missionaries Rev. C. Floyd Appleton and Rev. Edwin P. Ashcroft to China to preach the gospel.[2]

In 1910, the Kaifeng Holy Book College was established in Kaifeng by the Methodist Church. In addition to Methodist youth, it also welcomed all students called by God to be equipped, and the college became increasingly prosperous. [3][2]

In 1926, Hudson Taylor II (grandson of Hudson Taylor, the founder of the China Inland Mission) joined the service. The college experienced wars such as the Central Plains War (1930) and the Japanese occupation of Kaifeng (1938).[4]

In March 1940, due to the expulsion of foreign missionaries by the Japanese army,[5] Rev. Hudson Taylor II left with the school’s books and supplies and went to Fengxiang, Shaanxi Province in the northwest.[6] In February 1941, Northwest Bible College was established.[7]
In October of that year, the China Inland Mission joined the co-sponsorship and the number of students increased to 58 from 14 provinces in China.

In 1942, Vice President Mark Ma established the “Back to Jerusalem” evangelistic team at the college. [8] With the financial and human resources of the churches in the northwest, the ministry reached the southwest of Xinjiang and the border between Kashmir and Afghanistan. [9]

In 1948, due to the war, the college moved to Sichuan.

In 1951, the college was suspended and all foreign missionaries retreated to Hong Kong.

Kaohsiung Period

In 1954, the Chinese Methodist Church was established at No. 1, Heping Lane, in front of the Kaohsiung Train Station (now No. 1, Henan 2nd Road, Kaohsiung City). Pastors Hudson Taylor II, Wang Yangwu, and Brother Shi Shengsan convened the first Taiwan Annual Conference.[10]

In 1955, Holy Light Bible College was established at the same address, with Hudson Taylor II as president.

In 1969, with the approval of the United States General Mission and the vote of the Board of Directors, the school was officially renamed “Holy Light Seminary”.[11][12]

In 1989, the school joined the Asia Theological Association and passed its accreditation.

In 1999, the three degree programs, Bachelor of Divinity, Master of Divinity, and Master of Ministry, passed accreditation by the Asia Theological Association and became a full member.[13]

In 2010, the school was registered as the “Holy Light Theological Foundation of the Chinese Methodist Church”.

School Motto

If a man makes himself clean from these, he will be a vessel for honour, made holy, ready for the master’s use, ready for every good work. (2 Timothy 2:21)[1]

Campus

Kaohsiung Campus (Xinxing District, Kaohsiung City)

In 1953, missionary Mary Geneva Sayre[14] began purchasing land and dormitories near the Kaohsiung Railway and Bus Stations.[15]

In 1965, the school was expanded into a three-story, concave-shaped building.[15]

In 1988, the school was renovated into an eight-story modern building.[15]

Presidents

The president of the school history are as follows[16]

Late Qing Dynasty and Early Republic of China

Name Term of Office Remarks
Rev. C. F. Appleton[2] 1910-1927 Kaifeng Bible College
Taylor II 1927-1940
Taylor II 1941-1945 Northwest Bible College

Kaohsiung Period

Term Name Term of Office Remarks
1 Taylor II 1955-1960
2 Taylor III 1961-1968
3 William H.Bicksler 1968-1970 Acting President
4 Harry Winslow 1970-1976
5 Tian Yangwu (田養吾) 1976-1980
6 Peng Chao (彭超) 1980-1992
7 Lv Ronghui (呂榮輝) 1992-2000
8 Chen Jisong (陳吉松) 2000-2008
9 Zhou Xuexin (周學信) 2008-2011 Seconded
10 Chen Jisong (陳吉松) 2011-2019
11 Gu Kezhong (谷克中) 2019-2021
12 Chen Jisong (陳吉松) 2021-

Academic programs

Holy Light offers the following programs.[13]

Post-graduate programs

  • Doctoral Program in Ministry
  • Master of Theology
  • Master of Divinity
  • Master of Divinity – Happy Discipleship Group
  • Master of Divinity – Cross-Cultural Mission and Church Planting Group
  • Master of Biblical Literature
  • Master of Christian Studies (including Continuing Education)
  • Master of Bi-Vocational Ministry (Continuing Education)

Certificate of Completion

  • Certificate of Believers’ Theological Education (informal system)

Academic Exchange

External Alliance

See also

References

  1. ^ a b “2 Timothy”. O-bible. Retrieved 2025-09-26.
  2. ^ a b c Greg Burton (November 28, 2002). “C. Floyd APPLETON from Bracebridge, Ontario to China”. Genealogy. Archived from the original on 2015-11-19. Retrieved 2015-11-07.
  3. ^ The Kaifeng Bible School: Men’s and Women’s Departments, Kaifeng, Honan, China, 1936, published by Free Methodist Church of North America
  4. ^ Zhang Qizhi (ed.). 晚清民國史,五南文化事業 (History of the Late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China, Wunan Cultural Affairs). p. 473. ISBN 957-11-2898-8.
  5. ^ Li Yewen (2000). 中國教會歷史講義 (Lecture Notes on Chinese Church History). 世界華文聖經學院 (World Chinese Bible College). p. 42.
  6. ^ Chen Dingliang (2011-11-03). “荒原上的葡萄园——西北圣经学院 (A Vineyard in the Wasteland – Northwest Bible Institute)” (in Chinese). Qingdao Christianity Website.
  7. ^ Mary Geneva Sayre, Missionary triumphs in occupied China, published by Woman’s Missionary Society of the Free Methodist Church (1945)
  8. ^ P. Hattaway, Back to Jerusalem: Three Chinese House Church Leaders Share Their Vision to Complete the Great Commission. Waynesboro, GA: Authentic Media, 2003, p. xii.
  9. ^ Zhen Fengling. “我對「傳回耶路撒冷運動」的一點反思 (My Reflections on the “Back to Jerusalem Movement,”)”. 浸傳網期刊 (Baptist Journal) (36, 2004).
  10. ^ Mary Geneva Sayre, History of the Free Methodist church in Taiwan, 1974
  11. ^ 聖光神學院五十週年紀念特刊 (Holy Light Seminary 50th Anniversary Special Issue),p.125
  12. ^ Yeh Yu-ting,循理會華人宣教在台60年傳「復興聖潔」 (The Chinese Methodist Mission in Taiwan: 60 Years of “Reviving Holiness”),基督教今日報 (Christianity Today),http://www.cdn.org.tw/News.aspx?cate=01&key=3489 Archived 2015-11-18 at the Wayback Machine
  13. ^ a b “Holy Light Theological Seminary”. Asia Theological Association. Retrieved 2025-09-26.
  14. ^ Williamson, Glen, Geneva: The Fascinating story of Geneva Sayre, Missionary to the Chinese, 1974
  15. ^ a b c 口述歷史 (Oral History) “The miracle of Holy Light Theological Seminary’s new eight story Building”, written by Dr. Dorothy Raber in 聖光六十週年感恩特刊 (Holy Light’s 60th Anniversary Thanksgiving Special), p.18
  16. ^ “存档副本” (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2015-11-08.
  17. ^ “存档副本”. Archived from the original on 2021-04-22. Retrieved 2015-11-06.
  18. ^ “Holy Light Theological Seminary Library”. Holy Light Theological Seminary Library. Retrieved 2025-09-26.

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