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2. I greet
you all in the name of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
3. It is
with great pleasure that I address you today on behalf of the board of governors
of ECWA Theological Seminary, Igbaja, on the occasion of our 2013 graduation
ceremony.
4. We give
honour and glory to God for giving us the grace to get to this stage of
releasing our graduands who have successfully gone through an approved
programme and are adjudged capable of being recognized and certified by ECWA
Theological Seminary, Igbaja.
THE
ESTABLISHMENT OF ECWA THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY, IGBAJA
The
Beginning
5. Evangelical
Church Winning All (ECWA) Theological Seminary, Igbaja, started as a Bible
College in 1941 with eighteen students as an institution of the Sudan Interior
Mission (now Society for International Ministries) for biblical and pastoral
training. According to Late Rev. Olatayo.
6. Rev. W. G.
Crouch started the only SIM Bible School taught in English with appropriate
subjects in 1941 at Igbaja. The institution was called “Seminary.” It had 14
male students in its first class ever.
7. They were
drawn from various professional backgrounds.
The Egbe and Agunjin
Connections
8. It should be noted that before the
opening of the Seminary in Igbaja, other Bible schools had been established at
Egbe and Agunjin. The first Yagba Bible School at Egbe (School of Prophets) was
established by Rev. Norman Davis (at about 1922) for the purpose of training
the native converts to be pastors, teachers and evangelists. It was purely a
Yoruba vernacular Bible School. When Rev. Davis moved to Agunjin in 1923, he
started another school called Agunjin Bible Training School. Initially,
teaching was done in vernacular (Yoruba) but English teaching was introduced
for the sake of those that were more advanced in education
Post Secondary Seminary
9. Post-secondary
theological training started in 1965 due to the increase in the number of
churches planted, especially in the urban areas and the need to meet the
challenges of a more progressive and better educated folks in the church. Since then, other programs which had been
added included:
1. Diploma in Theology;
2. Bachelor of Arts in Theology;
3. Bachelor of Arts in Pastoral Studies;
4. Bachelor of Arts in Christian Education;
5. Bachelor of Arts in Mission and
Evangelism;
6. Master of Arts in Theology;
7. Master of Arts in Christian Education;
8. Master of Arts in Mission and Evangelism;
9. Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies;
10 Master of Arts in Theological Studies;
11 Master of Arts in Divinity;
12. Master of Arts in Organisational Leadership
(in partnership with the Development Associates (USA 2008);
13. Doctor of Ministry in Pastoral,
Administration, and Counseling started in 2002;
14. Bachelor of Arts in Christian Religious
Studies (B.A. C.R.S.) (in affiliation with the University of Ibadan).
15. Diploma in Christian Religion Studies (in
affiliation with the University of Ibadan); and
16. Diploma in Religion Education (DRE) in
affiliation with the University of Ilorin.
10. The
Seminary has since received a direct accreditation by the National
University Commission (N.U.C.) for its affiliated
degrees in 2010.
The
purpose of the Establishment of the Seminary
11. The
main purpose of the ECWA Theological Seminary, Igbaja was and still to produce
committed Christian (men and women) who are adequately knowledgeable in
biblical studies, who demonstrate a Christ-like life-style and who are equipped
to serve as pastors, teachers, evangelists and church administrators, for the
church of Jesus Christ in the African Community and beyond.
The
Development of the Seminary
12. In
the past few years, the Seminary has gone through many facets of development.
All these developments came as a result of trying to meet the emerging
prevailing needs of the society.
Accordingly, the Seminary had repeatedly redefined its curriculum and it
methodologies since 1972 to achieve its objectives more cost effectively.
Accreditation
13. The
Seminary’s affiliation program started in 196 with the University of Ilorin but
was aborted for various reasons. The
second attempt was with the University of Ibadan in 1992 where the Seminary was
granted an affiliation statues in 1994.
In 2009, the National University
Commission granted the Seminary permission to admit students in the program
on Christian Religious Studies. The mandate gave graduates of the department
the opportunity to serve both within the secular and the church. The approval allowed graduates of the
department to pursue at the Seminary their first degrees and to proceed to
graduate levels if so desired, either in the Seminary or in University.
14. The
Seminary is in the process of mounting some NCE courses in the areas of
Christian Religious Studies so as to allow students who want to go into
teaching get their certification. We are
presently awaiting the result of the NCCE visitation panel report.
15. The
Seminary’s tradition of academic excellence is well known overseas and in other
foreign schools which give Igbaja graduates full credits towards their studies.
The
Evolution of Doctoral Programme
16 In
1987, the ETSI became the first, Theological Seminary, in the English Speaking
West African States, to offer Master Degree Pogramm.
17. Fifteen
years after operating the Masters Degreee Programme successfully and upon the
recommendation of the Board of Governors of the Seminary to the Management, the
Doctoral Programme commenced in August 2002.
Since then, the Seminary had graduated 24 Students in Doctor of Ministry
in Church Administration, Pastoral Counseling and Pulpit Ministry.
18. Offering
these postgraduate Programmes in Igbaja (i.e. within Nigeria) is cost-effective
and having other notable advantages, including the fact that:
i. It is considerably cheaper than going
abroad (e.g. to the USA);
ii. Logistical complications are
significantly less;
iii. Families are kept together or, at least,
relatively closer; and
iv. Theological
education is received in the Student’s own environment and cultural background.
Thus, trainings are made locally more relevant and the problems of
contextualization reduced drastically.
19. The
success of running these postgraduate programmes is an impetus to produce
graduates that are capable of analytical delivery of our mandate from God to a
world that is continuously advancing in learning and technology.
20. In
the past seven decades, the ECWA Theological Seminary, Igbaja, had played a
significant role producing Church leaders for services in different
denominations globally. Today, the alumni of the Seminary are found in
different parts of the World, serving as Pastors/Evangelists, Counselors,
Seasoned Administrators, Politicians, Lawyers, Permanent Secretaries,
Architects, University Professors, Business Men/Women, etc.
21. The
Seminary, having transformed from its
humble beginning as a vernacular Bible School to a full-fledged degrees
awarding Institution, has considerable potential of reaching greater heights in
the pursuit of academic and spiritual excellence for the services of mankind
and, ultimately, for the glory of Jesus Christ.
22. The
Seminary remains resolutely committed to the development of holistic theological
education, using Jesus Christ as the bed-rock and trusting in His grace and
promises that He shall go with us, leading the way!
The
Seminary Leadership – Principals/Provosts
23. Several
individuals had served the Lord in different capacities since the inception of
the Seminary in 1941. The names and some
contributions of those who had served either as Principals or Provosts are
presented as follows:
1. Rev.
William Crouch (1941 – 1957)
2. Al.
Classen (1957 – 1960)
3. Henry Budd (1960 1963)
4. Norman
Lohrenz (1963 – 1964)
5. Larry
Fehl (1964 – 1978)
6. Nathaniel
Olutimayin (1978 – 1982)
7. David
A. Buremoh (1982 – 1993)
8. Cornelius
Olowa (1993 – 1996)
9. Julius
B. Lawal (1997 – 2002)
10 Stephen
O. Asonibare (2003 – 2006)
11. Julius
B. Lawal (2007 – till date)
24. Gentlemen
of the Press, as we release these graduands into the society, our ardent hope
is that they are going to be agents of transformation in our country and
beyond. Most of these graduands are opinion moulders and people in whom
together with us the grave and purpose of God for this generation has been
thoroughly examined.
25. At
ETSI, we give them a life that not only reflects the core values of
Christianity, but assures of the conviction of eternal life through the
acceptance of Jesus Christ as personal Lord and Saviour.
THE
ROLE OF THE CHURCH IN PRESENT DAY NIGERIA
26. The
church today in Nigeria remains the only institution pointing our country in
the direction of sanity and propriety. The Bible says that the fear of the Lord
is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of God is understanding! Without
these two attributes, a nation is doomed. It is therefore imperative that
national leaders listen to the church and take corrections in order for
progress and transformation to take place.
WORK
IN THE SEMINARY AND NATION BUILDING
27. The
seminary is producing workers for the Lord’s vineyard. As this happens, more
citizens become useful to God, their society and themselves. The products of
the seminary are sent out as light to brighten our horizon. It is therefore
important that all and sundry support the seminary as a major structure in our
national rebirth.
28. Gentlemen
of the Press, in tomorrow’s graduation, ETSI is awarding the following degrees
and certificates. They are in this order; 3 each from the Women Bible School
and Certificate in Pastoral Studies Class; 12 will be awarded certificate in
Theology; 10 Diploma in Pastoral Studies while 17 are graduating with Diploma
in Theology. For the Bachelor of Arts Degrees, we have 32 in Christian
Education, 38 in Pastoral Studies, 24 in Theology, and 10 in Missions. At the
Master of Arts Level, we have 8 graduands in Divinity; 12 in Christian
Education, 6 in Missions and Evangelism, 2 in Theology (Old Testament), 1 in
Systematic Theology, and 14 in Theological Studies.
29. Twenty
eight students are lucky awardees of the prestigious Doctor of Ministry (D.Min)
Degrees. They are as follows: 14 in Church Administration, 1 in Pulpit
Ministry, and 13 in Pastoral Counseling.
30. Among
the graduands last year, none earned First Class Degree, but this year, I am
delighted to announce that we recorded one First Class – in B. A. Mission and
Evangelism.
31. Gentlemen of the press, you will agree with us
that God is gracious to us. He also has a plan to reach Nigeria and the world
through us. We therefore need committed partners and support in achieving these
design objectives.
32.This press conference is meant to let you the
press know what we are doing here and ask you to partner with us in letting the
world know what we are doing here and to support us in this divine mandate.
Your capacity to inform, educate, and mobilize is invaluable to us.
33.Our desire, our prayer, and our quest is that
through you and other children of God, we can reach the world and change it for
good.
34.Finally, distinguished members of the press, on
behalf of ECWA and on behalf of the board of governors of ETSI, I call upon all
children of God committed to a focused transformation of our society to team up
with us and let us together work towards achieving the purpose and will of
God concerning our country and mankind.
I thank you all and may God bless you.
Elder (Dr.) Samson Ameh Opaluwah
Chairman,
Board of Governors
ECWA Theological Seminary Igbaja
Kwara State
Nigeria.
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