After being baptised as an Anglican in 2013, Karen Cheung was keen to learn more about her faith. In particular, she wanted to understand the Old Testament so that she could ‘know’ God better and understand how to serve Him.
“As a new believer, I had a view that the Jesus of the New Testament was full of love and kindness, and united all the good qualities, while the God of the Old Testament seemed cruel and inaccessible. However, I thought this view might not be correct,” she explains.
At the time, her daughter was in kindergarten, and Karen felt she was too young for her to be able to attend evening classes. Instead, she signed up for an online distance education programme offered by Hong Kong Baptist Theological Seminary.
After completing a Certificate in Old Testament Studies, she went on to do a Diploma in Biblical Studies. Both courses took nearly seven years to complete, but she still wanted to learn more.
Karen compared the different programmes available in Hong Kong, and decided to sign up for the Bachelor of Theology (BTh) programme offered by Ming Hua in partnership with Charles Sturt University.
“One of the reasons I liked this programme was that I was a member of the Anglican Church, and the other reason was that I could study liturgy and Anglicanism through the BTh, which allowed me know more about the Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui (HKSKH) and Anglicanism,” she says.
After completing her BTh and with encouragement from her husband, Karen decided to study for a Master of Theology (MTh) degree. “I wanted to study the Bible more deeply and be able to put it into practice in my life and share it with others,” she explains.
Gaining new perspectives
Ming Hua’s MTh, which like the BTh is offered in partnership with Charles Sturt University, provides students with advanced critical knowledge and skills in the key theological disciplines, and how to apply this knowledge and skills to contemporary society and the Church.
Karen is currently studying Contemporary Approaches to Biblical Studies through the MTh, which she says has helped her gain an in-depth understanding of the major methodologies used in contemporary Biblical Studies.
“One of my assignments was to look at the Lord’s Prayer from an ecological perspective. I gained a better understanding of the Lord’s Prayer and explored the deeper meaning from different perspectives.”
She is also looking forward to studying Christian Ethics. “It will help me to identify and discuss critically the diverse positions and views in contemporary Christian ethics,” she says.
Karen has been impressed by the calibre of the Faculty at Ming Hua. “The professors are of an international level. Many of them are foreign scholars, pastors and bishops. Their vision is relatively broad, which means our vision is not limited to Hong Kong.” She adds that the students are also very supportive and encouraging of each other, creating a lovely atmosphere in which to study.
Karen also likes the fact that the programme is not assessed through exams but through essays. “I think theological studies should not be assessed in a rigid way. At Ming Hua, I can interact with teachers in class and throughout the assessment. There is no pressure from exams, and there is more focus on discussion.”
In addition, she values the support she has received at Ming Hua. “English is not my mother tongue and because the classes are taught in English, I appreciate that the teachers are very happy to spend time talking to us out of class. Dr Matthew Jones often emphasises that we are welcome to ask him anything at any time. This is very helpful for people like me who are shy to ask questions.”
Even so, Karen admits it took her a bit of time to adapt to the higher demands of the MTh compared with the BTh. “My biggest challenge was building up my critical thinking. In comparison with the BTh, not only are the assignments longer, but most importantly, the standard of learning is higher.”
She remembers that Stephen Lim was very kind and encouraged her to think more. “After several lessons, I no longer felt nervous and I believed that God had placed me here to study, and He would help me be capable to complete the Master’s programme, as it is ‘not by might nor by power, but by God’s Spirit.’”
Despite juggling the demands of studying for the MTh with her busy life, which is filled with volunteer work, including being a religious teacher at a HKSKH kindergarten and leading a fellowship at a HKSKH school, Karen is thankful that she undertook the programme. “It has strengthened my faith and helped me to rely on God, step by step,” she says.
If you are interested in studying in our MTh programme, you can find out more here.
HKSKH Ming Hua Theological College eNews 