At a time when many wonder how theology can truly serve the church, Dr. Leonard Sidharta (Dai Yongfu) invites us to visualize something beyond imagination: a living bridge between seminaries, scholars, and congregations.
Speaking at CrossPoint church in Chino as part of Lead the Way project on behalf of the Biola Chinese Initiative’s gathering of theologians from around the world, he offered both a diagnosis and a vision—a way to mend the widening gap between theological study and church practice through what he calls a “three-in-one model” of collaboration.
His proposal—rooted in the ancient Chinese ideal of he (和, harmony)—resonates deeply with ChinaSource’s mission to foster informed dialogue and partnership so that the Chinese and global church may learn and grow together.
When Two Worlds Disconnect
Dr. Sidharta began by asking hard questions: Which faiths will shape China’s future? Can the Chinese church integrate the legacy of global Christianity with the richness of its own culture? And can it truly mediate God’s mission in the world?
These questions, he suggests, cannot be answered without addressing a growing divide. Theological research often operates in one sphere, while local churches labor in another—with little meaningful exchange between them. Pastors rarely have access to continuing theological formation, and scholars may lack firsthand experience of pastoral realities.
This disconnection, he warns, results in a subtle but serious theological illiteracy. Churches may face the effects of secularization and anti-intellectualism on one hand, and spiritual stagnation on the other. The result is a crisis of knowing, being, and doing—a loss of integration between truth, character, and practice.
At ChinaSource, we have observed similar tensions in our conversations and publications. Younger believers express a hunger for spiritual depth; pastors long for renewal; seminaries seek relevance. Beneath these diverse concerns lies the same question: How can theology once again become the heartbeat of the church?
A Harmonious Vision
Dr. Sidharta turns to the Chinese wisdom tradition for guidance. Quoting the Spring and Autumn period statesman Yan Ying (晏嬰)1, he describes harmony as “cooking soup”— bringing together water, fire, and flavor to balance and enrich the whole.2 True harmony, he explains, is not uniformity but organic unity.
This ancient metaphor becomes a theological blueprint. The church and academy, he argues, should not operate as parallel worlds but as complementary parts of one body. His proposed “three-in-one” model seeks to shorten the “supply chain” between research centers, seminaries, and churches so that resources and renewal may flow more freely among them.
The goal is not to impose a single structure but to cultivate a living ecosystem of mutual learning—one that allows theology to breathe through the life of the church and the church to shape theological imagination.
From Input to Renewal: The Threefold Process
Dr. Sidharta outlines a dynamic cycle of Input, CPU, and Output—a process as organic as it is practical.
1: Input: Gathering and Processing Ideas
Establish collaborative platforms where pastors and scholars can meet, learn, and create together. This includes biannual conferences, spiritual retreats, and theologian-in-residence programs—spaces where spiritual refreshment and intellectual exploration go hand in hand.
2: CPU: Church-Based Learning Projects
Implement initiatives that integrate theological reflection with ministry practice—learning cohorts, reading groups, and mentoring for lay leaders. Churches, in this vision, become learning hubs where theology is not abstract but embodied.
3: Output: Renewing Resources and Leadership
As seminaries and churches collaborate, they co-produce new curricula, digital resources, and cultural apologetics—equipping believers to engage their faith in everyday life and society.
In this rhythm, theology stops being a subject to master and becomes a shared life of learning.
This process, he believes, can ignite a movement of renewal—where theological formation no longer ends in the classroom but continues through the pulpit, the workplace, and the public square.
Theology as Catalyst, Not Ornament
“Theology,” Dr. Sidharta concludes, “is not only knowledge, but a catalyst.” When scholars and pastors engage one another, something more than academic exchange occurs—it becomes spiritual formation.
At ChinaSource, we share this conviction. Our content ministry seeks not merely to inform but to transform—to connect theology with lived experience and amplify voices that bring biblical reflection into daily faith and service. Whether through journal essays, interviews, or translated testimonies, we aim to embody the same integrative vision: theology that listens, learns, and leads toward faithful action.
Creating Movement Dynamics
Dr. Sidharta’s vision extends beyond individual projects. He dreams of regional centers where ideas circulate freely between churches and seminaries, cultivating a culture of theological literacy and lifelong learning. In such spaces, laypeople grow alongside pastors, and academic resources are renewed by pastoral realities.
This dynamic interplay mirrors ChinaSource’s own calling to bridge global and Chinese contexts. Through partnerships with the Institute for Advanced Studies of Chinese Christianity (IASCC), the Chinese Public Theology Conference, and other networks, we continue to witness how collaboration between scholarship and ministry can spark new vitality within the body of Christ.
Connection, Integration, and Renewal
In the end, Dr. Sidharta’s “three-in-one” model embodies a truth both ancient and timely: renewal comes through connection. Theologians and pastors, seminaries and churches, East and West—all are invited to rediscover harmony through shared pursuit of truth.
“The seminary is not merely a place,” Dr. Sidharta reminds us, “but a living network.”
As the Chinese church navigates a new era, this vision offers not only structural reform but spiritual renewal—a call to unity that is intellectual, practical, and profoundly Christ-centered.
At ChinaSource, we are honored to walk alongside this movement—to serve as a bridge where ideas become dialogue, and dialogue becomes transformation. For theology, rightly understood, is not an ivory tower pursuit but a sacred partnership in the ongoing mission of God.
