ICAATS came into existance in the ninteen fifties. It was the work of non Indian missionaries who realized that the Indian Church needs to look after the quality of its education as soon as India became free from England.
Almost all major theological education in pre-independence India was controlled by non Indian academic institutions and goverments. There was Portugese control of theological education in some part of India, while in other portions there was Dutch, Danish, or British control. With Independence all of it would be gone and the Indians needed to take over.
Missionaries who worked with the Evangelical Alliance Mission were the first to think of standardizing Indian theological education to bring it to International levels. After much talk and delibertion they founded many educational programs between 1950 to 54, of which ICAATS was on in a nescent form.
Initially the purpose of ICAATS was to develop and standardize curriculum and this was done in an informal manner by many of these missionaries. They also offered informal consultation to not only their own institutions but also to any institution of any denomination that would seek their help.
From around 1950 to 1970 the work remained mostly in the hands of non Indians, but from 1970s ownards an increasing number of Indians came into this spehere. With that came the second stage in the expansion and consolidation of ICAATS, and we will have a look at it in the next post.
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