Wong Fook-kong Professor of Old Testament Natural Cathedral Over the years, many Christians have told me that they feel closer to God when they are in nature (such as camping, fishing, and hiking) than when they worship in church. I often wondered, were they busy taking photos while enjoying the cherry blossoms in Kyoto, or were they really singing praises to God? In any case, I imagine that the person who said that had a pretty good last year as church buildings were closed and worship was conducted online. Finally, we can worship via our smartphones while hiking or camping without feeling guilty! Seriously, though, it’s not without biblical basis that people feel closer to God in nature than in a church setting. Psalm 19:1-4 says: ...

Hong Kong Baptist Theological Seminary (HKBS) has been concerned about environmental conservation for many years and has been vigorously promoting it on campus in recent years. Therefore, this issue of "School News" invited several teachers to talk about environmental protection from the perspective of Christian faith, and also invited our Administrative Affairs Director, Mrs. Zhang Lin Xiaoya, to talk about how we promote and practice environmental conservation on campus. In addition, we interviewed several members of our School Environmental Protection Research Group to share their insights on HKBS’s promotion of environmental protection. ...

Wu Libin Th.D. Candidate Time flies for Libin and her husband. I entered the Hong Kong Baptist Theological Seminary in January 2016 to pursue a doctorate in theology. I have now completed the first draft of my doctoral thesis and am about to finish my studies. I have been studying at the Hong Kong Baptist Theological Seminary for more than five years. During this period, what I am most grateful for is that God has prepared for me a dedicated and loving mentor, Professor Huang Fuguang. It can be said that without Professor Huang’s dedicated help and guidance, the first draft of my thesis would not have been completed. ...

Yue Guangpu Th.D. Candidate Yue Guangpu and his wife In 2018, I came to Hong Kong to study at the Hong Kong Baptist Theological Seminary and studied systematic theology under Professor Deng Shaoguang. Professor Deng is rigorous in his academic research and tolerant in his personality, and his students have benefited greatly from his teaching. I studied at Nanjing Union Theological Seminary for seven years. Compared to Baptist Theological Seminary, the theological education at Jinling Theological Seminary focuses less on modern or contemporary theologians. Therefore, when I first came to Baptist Theological Seminary, I was very envious when I saw my classmates in the bachelor's program of theology reading the works of contemporary theologians. Baptist Theological Seminary has a strong faculty, which broadens the students’ knowledge and horizons. The teachers are impeccable in both academic quality and teaching skills, which is also the strength of Baptist Theological Seminary. ...

Zhou Zhizhi Th.D. Candidate In 1991, I started to study theology. At that time, I hoped that God would raise up another spiritual great like Song Shangjie in the Chinese church. So, what can I do? I imagine how wonderful it would be if I could use singing to pioneer such evangelists! However, when I graduated from the seminary and passed the professional examination of the Vocal Music Department of the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, I found that no one in the church cared about my ideas, so I gave up the path of music and devoted myself to serving in grassroots churches. ...

April Lam Th.D. Candidate Once I participated in a camp at an internship church, during which I tried night hiking for the first time. There was no electric lighting, so I had to walk carefully at every step. For me, the process of pursuing a doctorate in theology was a bit like taking a night hike. ...

Wong Fook Kong Professor of Old Testament Time flies. It seems like the Doctor of Theology programme at HKBS has only just started. Last year, we produced our first Doctor of Theology graduate. Of course, for doctoral students in theology, the study period must be like a year; however, the time spent is worth it because they can gain fruitful learning results. ...

Andres Tang Professor of Christian Thought (Theology and Culture) The Path to a Doctoral Degree in Theology at HKTS In the spring semester of 2013, HKTS launched a Doctoral Degree in Theology program, where students can major in Biblical Studies (Old Testament or New Testament) or Christian Thought (Theology or History). The following year, two alumni enrolled. They both completed their Master of Divinity and Master of Theology programmes at HKTS. Not only did the two know each other, but they also majored in systematic theology while studying for their master's degree in theology, but their research objects were different. Last summer (2020), one of them completed his studies, had his thesis approved, and became the first doctoral student in theology at Baptist Theological Seminary. ...

Responding to the needs of the kingdom of God, Hong Kong Baptist Theological Seminary ("Baptist"), as one of the founders of the Asian Baptist Theological Seminary (ABGTS), has been co-organizing doctoral programs in Hong Kong since the 1960s. and the training of theological talents in Southeast Asia. Later, "Baptism" officially established its own research institute in 1999 and offered a master's degree course in theology. ...

Since the launch of the Doctor of Theology programme at Hong Kong Baptist Theological Seminary (HKBS) in 2013, the programme has received a positive response and achieved fruitful results: five PhD students have been admitted so far, one of whom graduated last year, becoming HKBS’s first PhD theology student. His graduation thesis was also recognised by the Christian academic community. This issue of "School News" introduces the origin and development of this course, and invites relevant teachers and students to share their feelings so that readers can have a more comprehensive understanding of this course. ...