Wati Longchar appointed Consultant for Theology Education

Benjamin Chan

Aug 30, 2019

Please join me to welcome Rev. Dr. Wati Longchar to become the International Associate Missionary and Consultant of International Ministries (IM) for Theological Education Ministry of East and South Asia. This appointment is made possible with the support and partnership of the Ao Baptist Arogo Mungdang (ABAM, aka the Ao Baptist Church Association.)

Wati comes from Ao-Naga tribe, the first Naga tribe with whom American Baptist missionaries started the mission work in 1872. Wati is an ordained minister of ABAM, northeast India.  He taught 15 years at Eastern Theological College, Jorhat, Assam. From 2001-2007, he served as Consultant of Ecumenical Theological Education for Asia and Pacific – a joint program of World Council of Churches and Christian Conference of Asia. From 2008-2015 (March), he served as Dean of Extension and D. Min program of the Senate of Serampore College (University) during which time he also served as Director-in-charge of South Asia Theological Research Institute (SATHRI) for two years. From 2015-2019 (June), he was invited to serve as Professor and Director Asia-Pacific Indigenous Research Institute of Yushan Theological College & Seminary, Taiwan. Currently, Wati is the Dean (honorary position) of Programme for Theology and Cultures in Asia (PTCA) – a theological movement in doing theology with Asian resources. Wati has authored six books in English which include, Returning to Mother Earth,  and Transforming Cultures and Praxis. He has also edited and co-edited 40 books in English.

In the coming two years, Wati plans to accompany theological institutions in four areas: (1) strengthening theological education among emerging churches like in  Nepal, Mongolia and Cambodian. Also help in those colleges in India who are seeking accreditation/affiliation from Asia Theological Association (ATA) and Senate of Serampore College (University) (2) Accompany theological networks like Association for Theological Education in South East Asia (ATESEA), Association for Theological Education in Myanmar (ATEM), Serampore, ATA in their effort to strengthen advanced and relevant theological research in Asia (3) Involve in study process towards contextualization of education in Asia – program initiated by partners like FTESEA, ETE-WCC and CCA,  WARC, etc.  (4) Initiate seminar, symposium/workshop on Peace & Justice issues and facilitate in introducing emerging theologies from margins  like Disability theology, Indigenous theology and Transformative theological education.

WCC Faith and Order Study Group theological foundations for the Pilgrimage of Justice and Peace in the Philippines.
(2nd from left in the first row).

Teachers who are committed to promote transformative skill oriented theological transformative skill oriented theological Education.