Faculty Development at ABTS
By Elie Haddad, ABTS President
In a recent ABTS blog post, I highlighted our approach to succession planning, which extends beyond senior leadership to critical roles throughout the seminary. Effective faculty succession and development are vital for ABTS’s long-term sustainability and growth.
Globally, institutions typically fill faculty roles by advertising positions and hiring from a large pool of qualified candidates, focusing their faculty development strategy mainly on retention through ongoing academic growth.
Our context in Lebanon is distinctly different. The pool of qualified faculty in theology or education is very limited and often already connected to us. Therefore, recruiting faculty involves proactively mentoring individuals over many years, from vocational degrees through master's and doctoral studies.
Given this unique situation, ABTS’s faculty development strategy emphasizes anticipating future needs and strategically identifying promising young leaders to invest in long-term.
This strategy addresses three key challenges:
First, anticipating faculty gaps years in advance, particularly considering ABTS’s continuous growth and evolving program offerings under God’s leading. Second, identifying individuals with the necessary potential, including spiritual maturity, commitment to God’s mission in the region, academic excellence, and alignment with ABTS’s ethos and ministry approach. Third, ensuring the success and longevity of these investments.
Our primary approach, as always, is collective discernment. Rather than rigid planning, ABTS leadership prioritizes discerning God's activity in the region and preparing to respond faithfully. Recognizing we cannot fully predict the future; our focus remains on adaptability and readiness to follow God’s guidance.
Practically, we implement a funnel approach. Initially, we broaden the training through our foundational vocational programs, encouraging key church and ministry leaders to start their training journey with us. These programs instill love for God, Scripture, the Church, and God’s mission, alongside essential skills in research, critical thinking, and language proficiency in Arabic and theological English.
Students excelling in vocational programs and demonstrating strong academic potential are encouraged to pursue a research-based master's degree in Bible and theology. At this stage, we begin aligning ABTS’s anticipated needs with individual interests and strengths.
Those who excel at the master's level receive further encouragement and support in doctoral studies. During their doctoral journey, these individuals actively engage in ABTS faculty responsibilities, immersing themselves in our educational culture, contributing to curriculum development, and shaping the seminary’s academic environment. Pursuing part-time, non-residential doctoral studies ensures their sustained alignment with ABTS’s identity and mission.
Finally, formal faculty appointments are made by the ABTS Board of Trustees, ensuring strategic alignment with the seminary’s ongoing mission.
Through proactive mentorship, strategic discernment, and careful planning, ABTS effectively nurtures future faculty leaders, safeguarding the seminary’s mission and strengthening our impact for generations to come.
