Christian Open Academy (COA) is an educational project aimed at spreading a holistic biblical worldview and forming leaders for the public sphere. An important part of the project is the networking of Christians for the purpose of implementing practical programs that bring biblical values in various aspects of life and contribute to the reconstruction of Ukraine.
Against the background of the full-scale invasion of Russia into Ukraine, COA became a part of the Open Space of Action “Christians for Ukraine”, a network of Christian leaders of various denominations, united for the purpose of joint activities to find and implement a biblical model of development and renaissance of Ukrainian society, in particular against the background of war!
PLANNED LAUNCH:
2nd of November 2022
PROJECT PRESENTATION:
THE NEED OF THE PROJECT
The HVA project is designed to provide ideological and practical answers to modern national and global challenges. And although the war in Ukraine challenges us to be more focused on internal issues, we still have to respond to the various problems of our society, taking into account the global spiritual and ideological context.
The main focus is on the formation of a Christian intelligentsia capable of spreading academic humanitarian knowledge, as well as implementing practical projects that influence culture and national processes from a Christian perspective. The project should help the young local Evangelical Church, which is just beginning to form its own institutions for dialogue with society and not to follow the left-liberal path, but to lay strong foundations on the biblical worldview and traditional Christian values.
GOAL OF THE PROJECT
The ultimate goal of the COA program is to create local networks for Christians across different denominations, who systematically execute projects of Christian influence in society.
The formation of these networks is underpinned by education and interaction between active Christians. A key factor in shaping such networks is the training of leaders able to combine a holistic Biblical worldview, professionalism, and a Christian character. Also, an important element of building such networks is interaction with other existing centers that carry out activities in the relevant directions. Such interaction is ensured through the operation of the Open Space of Action “Christians for Ukraine”, created as an inter-denominational initiative to combine efforts, resources and experience around service to Ukraine.
The purpose of COA can be highlighted in three points:
Raising the level of knowledge and formation of a holistic biblical worldview in the public sphere among the Christians, as well as encourage motivation to carry out Christian mission in society.
Formation of a new kind of Christian ministers who would consciously bring to life their calling to carry Evangelical truth into the various spheres of public life in their respective professional fields (education, media, politics, art, etc.).
Helping pastors and Christian leaders to work with intellectuals and people involved in public life. Providing educational paradigms of humanities for pastors and church ministers
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH UNIVERSITIES
A key factor to the functioning of COA is cooperation and close partnership with Ostroh Academy – the oldest University in Eastern Europe as well as other conservative universities interested in supporting external educational programs.
After completing a 7-month course, students will receive certificates signed by the National University Ostroh Academy and the Christian Open Academy.
ACADEMIC STAFF AND CERTIFICATE
A big advantage of the Christian Open Academy is the first-class level of the academic staff. Among the teachers of the HVA program are the best apologists and Christian thinkers in the world, authors of dozens of bestsellers. Among them are John Lennox, Os Guinness, Wayne Grudem, Robert George, Gabriele Kuby, Robert George and many other outstanding teachers from the West.
The Ukrainian wing of COA teachers also consists of professionals and experienced lecturers, in particular from the Ostroh Academy and many of the most influential Christian leaders of Eastern Europe. The part related to the implementation of practical projects will be taught by people who have achieved remarkable results in their field of activity and have rich experience.
Values of the COA. Our worldview paradigm
The project of the Christian Open Academy was initiated by the Eastern European Reformation ministry. The activity of the Eastern European Reformation Ministry, and hence of the Eastern European Leadership Forum, is based on a clear worldview paradigm, outlined in «10 Points of Biblical Worldview in the Public Square»:
1 — Theology
- We stand for the classic Biblical theology which is faithful to the Evangelical tradition approved through the ages and experienced by the mankind.
- We are against the liberal theology in its modernist or postmodern form that led the Church in Western Europe to the deep crisis.
2 - Morality
- We stand for the traditional Christian morality based on the Ten Commandments. It has shaped the understanding of what is good and evil in our civilization.
- We are against moral relativism, the effects of the sexual revolution and various secular ethical standards that are increasingly filling in the Ukrainian church.
3 - Church
- We focus on the importance of a local church that understands itself as a part of the larger body – the universal Church.
- We are against "the church egocentrism", as well as against "the church cosmopolitanism”.
4 - Faith and mind
- We support the integration of faith and mind since man is created in the image and likeness of the wise God.
- We are against anti-intellectualism which does not allow us to "love God with all our understanding".
5 - Society
- We stand for the openness to the public dimension of Church ministry, the definition of the Church's mission as salt and light to the community.
- We are against the isolation mentality that divides the world into "spiritual" and "non-spiritual".
6 - Government
- We believe that the institution of government on earth, including the state, is established by God and should be a fair reflection of the power of God. We must support the institution of government. We stand for the civil society of educated, active and responsible citizens able to control the state.
- We are against the heresies of caesaropapism which is idolatry and leads to the fatal consequences in the lives of people, when a secular government uses the Church in its manipulative purposes. We are also against anarchy, leading to chaos which is opposite to the nature of God.
7 - Patriotism
- We stand for patriotism based on the Biblical commandment: "Love your neighbor as yourself" and "Honor your father and your mother" that is a manifestation of a noble love for the homeland.
- We are against chauvinism, integral nationalism and racism as forms of idolatry. And also against cosmopolitanism that is contrary to the Biblical concept for nations.
8 - Europe
- We support European civilization vector. Ukraine and Belarus initially were part of the European civilization inspired by Christian values. We believe that in God's plan Ukrainians have a unique mission toward the European family of nations.
- We are against the unhealthy messianic complex of a special Slavic pure spirituality that puts itself in contrast to "the decaying West". At the same time we are against the ideology of secularism that captivated European culture and is leading it into a deep crisis of its identity.
9 - Communism
- We are against the utopian and inhuman ideology of Marxism-Leninism. We condemn communism and all its outcomes.
- We are for the repentance for the sins of Communism and cleansing the society of all its consequences.
10 - Postmodernism
- We are against the destructive ideology of postmodernism, which is the result of a serious illness of the modern civilization, although we are aware that we live in the postmodern era. We wish to communicate the Gospel in today’s world in a language which is understandable in the present time.
- We are for the eternal values of goodness, beauty, harmony and all that has its beginning in God who created the world and man in His own image. These eternal values built the Christian civilization for centuries.
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