European Adventist Theological Teachers Convention

European Adventist Theological Teachers Convention: European Theological Teachers Convention (ETTC) in Spain

The biennial congress of the European Adventist Society of Theology and Religious Studies (EASTRS) took place from 19 to 23 March 2025: the European Theological Teachers Convention (ETTC). This year's event was hosted by the partner university Sagunto Adventist College in Valencia (Spain), which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2024. The theme of the conference was: ‘Rethinking the church in the digital age: theological, missiological and pedagogical considerations’.

The main speakers at this year's conference were: Elias Brasil de Souza, Ph.D., Director of the Biblical Research Institute at the General Conference; Tihomir Lazic, Ph.D., Lecturer in Theology at Newbold College; Ken Shaw, Ph.D., President of Southern Adventist University (Tennessee, USA); Martin Klingbeil, D.Litt, Professor of Old Testament at Friedensau Adventist University (FAU); and László Szabó, Ph.D., Director of the Arthur Daniells Institute of Mission Studies (ADIMIS) and Lecturer of Mission and Intercultural Studies at the FAU. The Friedensau lecturers Prof. Igor Lorencin, Ph.D., and Dr phil. Bojan Godina also presented papers.

As digital and technological developments continue to change our world, the church faces both challenges and opportunities in coping with this change. In their conference contributions, the speakers addressed theological, missiological and pedagogical perspectives. They critically analysed the effects of digital technology on church identity, community dynamics, mission strategies and educational practices. The question to be answered was how the church can thrive in a digital age while remaining rooted in its core beliefs and values.

At the end of the conference, László Szabó, Ph.D., took office as President of EASTRS for the next two years. He took over the baton from Tihomir Lazic. Prof Stefan Höschele, Ph.D., from the ThHF, continues in the office of Secretary, which he has held since 2017.

Almost all the members of the School of Theology at Friedensau Adventist University were present at the congress. Rector Prof Dr Roland Fischer says: "The large turnout of around 80 participants from both divisions, the Inter-European Division (EUD) and the Trans-European Division (TED), was impressive; even a representative from Ukraine was present with his family. A big thank you for the overwhelming hospitality of our colleagues from Sagunto." Alexander Schulze, Ph.D., Dean of the School of Theology, praised the constructive cooperation between colleagues and their willingness to tackle this current issue. Sebastian Kuhle was also impressed: ‘There was a lively exchange at the conference on a digital church and what this means for theology and the study of theology.’ Dr. phil. Kerstin Maiwald, research assistant, stated: "The fact that some universities allow and even promote work with artificial intelligence (AI) in certain areas of study and research was a new perspective for me. It became important to me to take a holistic look at the benefits and limitations of AI." Martin Klingbeil, Professor of Old Testament, viewed the congress from a different perspective: "It was my first time at the ETTC and I enjoyed being part of the well-represented Friedensau delegation with a final group photo under the (almost biblical) fig tree. There were many new colleagues from EUD and TED to meet, and then there were also the familiar faces from my previous places of work ..." The next ETTC conference will take place in 2027, then in Maruševec, Croatia. ETTC programme: https://campusadventista.es/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/ETTC-2025-PROGRAM-Vers-030625-image.pdf (Andrea Cramer).