“Grounded in the Bible and true to our mandate, we equip leaders to bear witness for Christ.”

To equip outstanding leaders for this mission, LTS takes the following as our main points of emphasis:

1. Spiritual Formation
   Built upon the foundations of Biblical and church tradition, utilizing a framework of academic study and practical skills development, we define spiritual formation as a process of being conformed to the image of Christ for the sake of others. As a seminary, we aspire to nurture our students holistically, helping them to discover and strengthen their gifts in lives that are lived in dependence upon the Grace of God in service to God’s renewal of the Church and the world.
2. Academic Excellence
   LTS values academic excellence and pioneering ways of pastoral practice. Our education philosophy actively promotes a “faith-seeking understanding” stance and seeks to honor the highest tradition of Christian scholarship within the Biblical, historical, pastoral and theological disciplines. We believe that such an education, done in service for Christ’s church, ought to be carried out with integrity, compassion and rigor. In all of its activities, the seminary encourages a creative excellence which is appropriate and reflective of the Asian context.
3. Proclamation of the Gospel
   In the midst of a pluralistic society, we emphasize mutual respect and understanding of other religions and cultural traditions. We firmly believe that only Christ, as witnessed to in the Scriptures, can lead us to a full relationship with the true God. Therefore, we emphasize training our students to proclaim the Gospel, in order to lead all people to Christ.
4. Pursuit of Unity
   The Seminary was founded by Lutheran churches and we contribute to the larger Church universal and to theological education with our rich theological heritage. Students learn to respect other traditions and denominations, to encourage mutual support, and to promote Christian unity as a witness to the Glory of God. In the face of great disunity and turmoil in the world, we seek to embody God’s Work of justice, reconciliation and peacemaking within the world and in all of creation.
5. Nurture of Believers
   We believe in the priesthood of all believers, those who bear witness to Christ, both within the Church and within the many spheres of influence in the world. In all of our activities, our Seminary strives to strengthen and equip women and men for excellence in service to Jesus Christ, in their families and workplaces, as well as in the Church and the society at large.