By Danjuma Auta
Jos ECWA Theological Seminary (JETS), has matriculated over 600 students for the 2023/2024 academic session with a call on them to stand for the Christian faith in these challenging times.
Guest speaker at the event held at the JETS chapel, Rev. Prof. Bitrus Sarma, said that the world is losing its identity due to distortions of the word of God by many self-acclaimed ministers of the gospel, hence the need for the church to return to its original values to make things right.
He called on the church to do everything within its powers to reposition theological education which according to him, remained the only way to correct the current ills in society.
The cleric said it was unfortunate that the church had limited itself and has been suffering from an inferiority complex, adding that, it had become obvious that the church cannot correct those in power.
He posited that if only Christians would know that the Bible is the source of all truth, the world would be changed for the better and called on the matriculating students to focus on their studies with determination to effect the needed change in the world.
He further called on the church to as a matter of urgency, return to God and practice the Christianity of grace, love, truth, faith and power.
According to him, if the church must make a difference it must purge itself from all the accusations of ungodliness and return to moral excellence.
He explained that it was time for genuine theologians to rescue the church from wolves in sheep’s clothing who have continued to fill and destroy believers in the world today.
Earlier in his welcome speech, Acting Provost of JETS, Dr Solomon Amao, thanked God and ECWA for sustaining the institution over the years saying that, the school is growing from strength to strength recording an increase in student enrolment due to the high standards employed by management and staff of the institution.
According to him, JETS is a pace-setting centre of African Initiative that has continued to produce manpower for the church in Nigeria with a prime mission of producing well-grounded pastors, teachers, missionaries and other Christian leaders through sound Biblical and theological training.
He assured that the institution would continue to do its best in transforming Nigerian society as according to him, the institution is a legacy from God.
The Acting Provost disclosed that the institution since inception has successfully trained pastors from within and outside ECWA churches in Nigeria and other parts of the world, pledging that the institution would continue to work in partnership with other churches for the Great Commission work.
He announced that JETS has introduced courses for major specialization and minor Degrees to be run concurrently by students.
Dr Amao emphasized the need for the church to rise and be the voice that would speak to the situations in the land as according to him, there are several ills in high and low places of leadership hence, the church must recognize its place before it can right the wrong.
While admonishing the new students to shun all vices that could lead them into danger, Dr Amao reminded them that the school has zero tolerance for cultism, corruption and any form of hooliganism and warned anyone found liable would have himself to blame as according to him, the school would not hesitate to hand over such person to the security for appropriate discipline.
The event’s high point was the oath taken administered by the ECWA Legal Officer, Barr. Victoria Olaniyan.