Evangelicals recently came together for a major global consultation on how to improve collaboration around theological education.

Over 500 people from 80 countries took part in the C-22 consultation hosted by the International Council for Evangelical Theological Education (ICETE).

The consultation was held recently in Izmir, Turkey, with the aim of strengthening collaboration across all forms of theological education worldwide.

A particular area of focus was pastoral training and leadership development, and bridging the gap between formal and non-formal training.

Other tracks considered practical issues like quality assurance for non-formal training, the use of technology in theological education, spiritual formation and educating the next generation.

Dr Michael A Ortiz, International Director of ICETE, said it was about "leaving our logos and egos behind, serving one another, and moving from inward postures to outward postures".

"Participants embraced the vision to begin to write a future story for theological education: a story marked by collaborative moves from talking to doing across all sectors, with the ultimate aim to strengthen the Church," he said.

Thomas Schirrmacher, Secretary General of the World Evangelical Alliance, a partner of the ICETE, said that "the future of the Church is the future of its leaders, what we invest today into the education, training and maturing of emerging leaders will shape the Church in ten or twenty years from now. Therefore, this ICETE consultation represents our own future."