SU Divinity School gets featured at virtual pilgrimage
Silliman University Divinity School (SUDS) was featured at a virtual pilgrimage organized by the Global Ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and United Church of Christ (UCC) last February 4, 2022 via ZOOM. The event focused on distinctive theology and mission shaped by Filipino history and culture.
Titled “The Fruit of Justice is Rooted in Faith,” the said virtual pilgrimage to the Philippines involved participants from the congregations under the UCC – United States of America.
During the allotted time, SUDS showed a video presentation containing its rich history that can be traced from the Presbyterian and Congregationalist missionaries who pioneered the Protestant faith in the island regions of Visayas and Mindanao. The said material also included the degrees offered, program thrusts of SUDS, and its continued ministry of nurturing and empowering church workers for the ministry of Jesus Christ, especially for the United Church of Christ in the Philippines.
Rev. Dr. Jeaneth Harris-Faller
Rev. Dr. Jeaneth Harris-Faller, SUDS dean, shared briefly on how the theological institution adapted to the pandemic with online distance learning, virtual worship via Zoom and Facebook Live, the series of webinars for church workers, and online celebration of SUDS centenary.
Ministerial students Sheryl R. Martinez (SUDS Student Assembly president) and RonVan Catucod also shared their learning experiences and life at SUDS, including during the pandemic.
Dr. Victor R. Aguilan
The SUDS presentation was followed by an articulation on the Filipino “Theology of Struggle” by Dr. Victor R. Aguilan, a full-time faculty in Christian Ethics, Church and Society, Philippine Church History, and Philosophy of Religion at SUDS.
In his talk, Aguilan explained how the colonization and later, the resistance of the natives, shaped a faith perspective that is deeply rooted in the struggles of the Filipino basic masses.
Rev. Derek Duncan
Spearheading the virtual pilgrimage was Rev. Derek Duncan, area executive for East Asia and the Pacific of the Global Ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and UCC.
The virtual pilgrimage was done in cooperation with the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines, the East Asia and the Pacific Office, and the People-to-People Pilgrimage Program.
Throughout its hundred-year journey, the SUDS continues to engage and collaborate with global cross-education and international partnerships as these are integral aspects in the life and ministry of the theological education institution.
