Job placements of CPBC scholars of the College of Theology, Central Philippine University

Abstract

This is a study regarding the job placements of Convention of Philippine Baptist Churches (CPBC) scholars who graduated from the College of Theology, Central Philippine University, Iloilo City. The study aimed at determining the number and percentage of CPBC scholars who are currently serving CPBC churches or related institutions; the number and percentage of CPBC scholars who have served CPBC churches and institutions after graduation but not consistently, the number and percentage of CPBC scholars who have not served CPBC churches/institutions after graduation; the present/current job placements of CPBC scholars who are not serving CPBC churches or related institutions; and the reasons of CPBC scholars who are not serving CPBC churches/related institutions for choosing to stay in their current job. The research is a one shot survey with a target population of 395 CPBC scholars from 1950 to 1998. The number of actual respondents who filled out and returned tracer questionnaires were 237 or 60 percent of the target population. Data gathering was through personal delivery, mailing and e-mailing of tracer questionnaires. The data provided by the respondents were encoded in the computer and were processed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) for Windows version 6.0. Major findings show that 163 out of 237 respondents (68.8 percent) are currently serving CPBC churches and other related institutions; 69 or 29.1 percent have served CPBC churches up to the present but not consistently. Two or 0.80 percent have not served CPBC churches or other related institutions. CPBC scholars who were not serving CPBC churches and other churches were found to be working as: private school teachers (12.7 percent); administrators/presidents/supervisors (7.2 percent); non-CPBC pastors (3.8 percent); public school teachers (3.8 percent); government employees (2.5 percent); farmers (2.1 percent); homemakers (1.3 percent); NGO staff (0.4 percent); businessman/woman (0.8 percent); military personnel (0.8 percent); and 5.5 percent did not provide information on their job placements. The reasons given by the CPBC scholars for not serving CPBC churches/related institutions included the following: “personal reasons” (13.5 percent); no call from CPBC churches/related institutions (10.1 percent); low financial assistance (3.5 percent); male/ordained minister preferred (1.3 percent); and conflicts in interpersonal relationships (0.8 percent). The results of this job placement study show that majority (68.8 percent) of the CPBC scholars of the CPU College of Theology are currently serving CPBC churches and other related institutions. Since only 2 (0.8 percent) have not served any CPBC churches or institutions, this result shows that the CPU College of Theology graduates who were recipient of scholarships as students have given their services to CPBC churches and related institutions. However, since only a little more than a quarter of the respondent-graduates (26.6 percent) are full-time CPBC pastors, the current problem of pastorless churches has not yet been fully addressed. There is therefore, a great challenge for all the institutions concerned to increase the number of graduates who can be encouraged to serve as full-time pastors of CPBC local churches. The researchers recommend that in order to have easy access and communication with graduates, the College of Theology needs to have a directory of graduates and have it updated every 5 years. The College of Theology also needs to consistently monitor graduates who have received scholarships and regularly encourage them to serve the years they are required to serve on the basis of their scholarships. In addition to this, the CPBC scholars and graduates will be encouraged to serve CPBC churches after their graduation if the College of Theology has a placement program to assist them in having immediate jobs in CPBC local churches and institutions. There is a need for the College of Theology, the Convention of Philippine Baptist Churches, Inc. and the Theology Alumni Association to strengthen their networking so that graduates will not only find job placements in CPBC churches or institutions but will be able to receive assistance in terms of spiritual and professional development as well as financial support if needed. Furthermore, the College of Theology and the CPBC should develop more ways by which they could provide incentives and benefits for pastors and workers who are consistently serving CPBC churches and institutions. Finally, the College of Theology and the CPBC should give more encouragement and assistance to pastorless churches in order that they could call CPU College of Theology graduates to serve as pastors in their churches. This can be done through the continuing program of church-seminary conferences where feedback and dialogue between the churches and the seminary can enrich and improve seminary training that will help seminary students in their pastoral and other related ministries