WEST dedication service

A good crowd met on 15 September for the WEST dedication service, held in the SaRang Thomas Centre, and afterwards for tea in Bryntirion House.
   Jonathan Stephen led the service and former student, Steve Levy, of Mount Pleasant Baptist Church, Swansea, preached about true Christian service in the church, from Colossians 1:24- 25. New students, mostly starting BA, BD and binary courses, were introduced.
   The partnership with SaRang Church is bearing fruit, founded on mutual trust. This Korean church has a vision for re-equipping the churches of Wales, particularly in the Valleys.
   The Porterbrook Network in Wales — focused on church-planting — is now based at WEST and 40 of its students had already met that morning. UCCF (Wales) also use the school’s conference facilities for training.
   WEST is working with Highfields Church, Cardiff, to deliver a placement degree. Plans to develop training for ministry in Welsh are progressing well.
   A church theologian is to be appointed to support churches and their leaderships. On Thursdays, well-known church leaders preach at noon and lead a seminar after lunch at 2.10pm. These meetings are open to the public.
   A new international foundation course has just started, with an initial intake of more than 20 students on six-month visas, mainly from Korea. The course covers English language for theology, Bible overview, discipleship and visits to UK Christian heritage sites.
   A few of these students could progress to degree programmes. Former WEST students lead this course and teach English.

Kerry Orchard