Global Theological Education and the Biblical Foundations of Finance

In this episode of Christ the Center, Camden Bucey welcomes Randy Lee and Adam York from Hope Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Grayslake, Illinois, to discuss recent teaching trips connected with OPC foreign missions in Uganda and Ethiopia. Lee, a ruling elder, reflects on teaching personal finance at Knox School of Theology in Uganda, while York, pastor of Hope OPC, describes his work teaching and training pastors in Ethiopia.

The conversation explores the global need for theological education, Reformed Academy’s role in serving the church worldwide, and the biblical doctrine of stewardship. The discussion turns especially to Biblical principles of finance: why money must be brought under the lordship of Christ, how Scripture and the Reformed confessions shape our view of possessions, how prosperity theology distorts Christian hope, and why work, generosity, contentment, and vocation all belong to faithful stewardship before God.

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Chapters

• 0:00 Introduction from the Reformed Academy classroom
• 0:39 Global theological education, Uganda, and Ethiopia
• 1:21 Prayer for Peter Stafford and missionary medical work
• 3:21 Reformed Academy and the global need for theological education
• 5:09 Randy Lee’s call to teach personal finance in Uganda
• 6:24 Adam York’s trip to Ethiopia
• 7:28 OPC foreign missions and theological training
• 10:58 Preparing to teach faith-centered finance
• 13:25 Randy’s business background
• 15:26 Biblical and practical resources for finance
• 18:21 Teaching finance and stewardship in the church
• 21:42 Stewardship beyond money
• 26:13 Reformed confessions and finance
• 29:11 Manifesting, prosperity theology, and biblical worldview
• 36:45 Five uses of money
• 40:14 Cultural differences and family obligations in Uganda
• 44:16 Need, want, generosity, and work
• 49:37 Lessons learned in Uganda
• 52:24 Opportunities to serve in foreign missions
• 53:47 Closing resources and Reformed Forum updates

Resources mentioned

• Reformed Academy
• OPC Foreign Missions
• OPC Short-Term Missions
• Ron Blue Institute

Participants: Adam York, Camden Bucey, Randy Lee