Theological Seminary of the Church of God in Haiti Celebrates 60 Years
The need for the training of the ministry was part of the heart-cry of the Church of God in Haiti from the very beginning of its existence in 1933. The first overseer had been an Episcopal minister, before being baptized in the Holy Spirit and later making contact with the Church of God. So he knew the value of a prepared ministry. While he still had only fifteen members, he started planning to train ministers and wrote to our General Overseer, “In order to make the work grow, I must have workers.”
From 1933 to the time that “Biblical Seminary” was opened in 1956, the various references to the “Bible School” are the short-term sessions of teaching and training that were held from time to time in various locations across Haiti, like Cayes, Petit Goâve and Port-au-Prince. There was no institution that functioned year-round, with its own campus and teaching staff. Under J. Herbert Walker, the property to the left of the entrance of the Central Street Church was acquired and a building was built that was called the Bible School. But it was still the same short-term sessions and served principally as the Sunday school plant for the local church.
In 1956 the Seminary was opened on two levels: Seminary, requiring “bachelier” (fifth year of lycée), and the student received a “diploma” and the Bible School, requiring “certificat” (this was graduation from elementary and was the required minimum for teaching in country schools) and the student received a “certificate”. Both programs were of three years duration.
Sixty years later, the seminary has 400 students, with two programs: one leading to the license (B.A. in Bible and Pastoral Studies) and one to a diploma. The seminary has two extensions: one in the north at Gonaïves and one in the south at Cayes. And on campus at Port-au-Prince there are three tracks for the two programs: (1) the Day Program, (2) the Night program, and (3) the Week-end program.
Since 2016 is the sixtieth birthday of the Seminary, the closing ceremonies of the Theological Seminary of the Church of God in Haiti carried a common theme, “Celebrating 60 Years of Service.” The Seminary, although within the city limits of Port-au-Prince, is located on the outer-reaches in the foot-hills and overlooks the city. The three original classrooms have been redesigned so that they can be used as one large meeting place. This is where the first two days of ceremonies were held. The Closing Ceremony of the Academic Year (2015-16), on Tuesday, June 7, 2016, at 4:00 PM, and The Banquet on Wednesday, June 8, at 4:00 PM. The third day was the actual graduation ceremony. It was led at the Central Street Church of God in downtown Port-au-Prince, also at 4:00 PM, on Thursday, June 9, 2016. There were 61 graduates this year: 29 with the License (B.A. in Bible and Pastoral Studies) and 32 with a diploma in pastoral studies.
(The author of this article, Dr. James M. Beaty, participated in and was honored at the 60th celebration. He is founder of the Haiti seminary and served as its first leader from 1956-1959.)
