Background of ATEA 

 ① Foundation Background: AETA was originally established as ATEA (Alliance of Training and Education in All-nations) in June 2004. Senior missionaries, led by missionary HwalYoung Kim, convened the first theological education forum and assembly, focusing on training leaders in mission fields. 

 

 ② Consortium Formation and Graduate School Establish- ment: Recognizing the need for efficient leadership devel- opment and cooperation among educational institutions in mission fields, ATEA agreed to develop joint programs through a consortium. There was also a felt need for the development of Korean missiology to support local leaders, leading to the decision to establish a graduate school. 

 

 ③ Establishment of the Graduate School and AIIS: Following this resolution, the AIIS (ATEA Institute for International Studies), led by Dr. EuiWon Kim as the dean, was esta- blished during the 11th ATEA Theological Education Forum and Assembly held in Athens, Greece, in February 2014. AIIS initiated a union movement to support the development and growth of local theological schools in mission fields. 

 

 ④ Integration of ATEA and Renaming to AETA: In May 2019, during a temporary assembly in Bangkok, the previously separate ATEA accrediting body and ATEA graduate school were merged into a new single entity, ATEA. In 2020, the organization was renamed AETA(Association of Educators and Trainers in All-tribes), expanding its mission to include not only theological seminaries but also general schools, thereby intensifying its focus on training local leaders across all fields