The Chinese Bi-Cultural and Pastoral Ministries Program of the Alliance Theological Seminary is committed to train men and women called to serve the North American Chinese Church.

The program is designed to train and equip mono-cultural, or bi-cultural students, to successfully serve in a Chinese church in North America. The program consists of formal classroom instruction that will build into the student a spiritual and godly character, cultural sensitivity and understanding, and a theological foundation. The student will also experience classes in practical ministry, a one-to-one mentoring relationship, as well as many hands-on-ministry opportunities through serving a church in an internship program.

Students entering this program will find that they will be spiritually enriched, intellectually challenged, and psychologically prepared for what God has for them in their future ministry.Upon completion of this program, students should have gained a stronger proficiency in the following areas:

There is a great need for pastors in the Chinese churches of North America --- a growing need in view of an influx of Chinese immigrants from different parts of Asia. Our seminary shares the responsibility to meet this great need by establishing the Chinese Bi-cultural and Pastoral Ministries Program. It provides the M.Div level of training pastors for serving the Chinese Churches. This program has the following characteristics:

1. For 3/4 of the entire curriculum, the Chinese students attend the same classes with Anglo (or Caucasian) students, as well as with international students from Africa, Middle East, Latin America and South East Asia. This background provides ample opportunities for the Chinese students to absorb the good points of Western theological education and become internationally minded.

2. For the rest of the curriculum, the Chinese students attend classes by themselves or with other students who prefer to join them. These courses are designed for ministry to the Chinese churches in North America. Thus the Chinese students are prepared for ministries in Chinese churches.

3. The American born Chinese (ABC) and the Overseas born Chinese (OBC) study together with plentiful opportunities for interaction and mutual understanding. That enables a good foundation to be established for ABC and OBC cooperation in the Chinese churches of North America.

4. There is a strong spirit of missions permeating the whole Seminary which is the outstanding characteristic of the Christian and Missionary Alliance. Hundreds of missionaries have gone out from this Seminary to many parts of the world. Furthermore, we have also begun a renewed emphasis on missions in the Chinese Program, hoping to produce missionaries along with pastors.

5. Our program lays a very special emphasis on training in preaching. The Chinese students have many opportunities to practice preaching in Chinese as well as in English.

6. We have always put emphasis on cultivating the spiritual lives of our students alongside biblical and theological studies so that our graduates can meet the spiritual needs of their future flocks. Students can get spiritual guidance from an experienced pastor through a one to one mentoring relationship. Moreover, the Chinese students have their own Bible study and prayer time every week for the benefit of their spiritual lives.

7. The Chinese students have their own Gospel Team to conduct evangelistic and deeper life meetings in Chinese and Anglo churches as part of their practical training, creating an emphasis on evangelism in their ministry.

8. Mandarin and Cantonese speaking students live together with many opportunities to improve their linguistic abilities which will be a help for their future ministry.

9. The variety of the denominational background of the Chinese students is conducive to developing unity in the midst of diversity.

10. There are 80-100 Chinese churches in our surrounding areas which provide ample opportunities for practical training for our students as well as sources of financial subsidy. Moreover, these churches will provide outlets for their future ministries.