A new class of students joined
the seminary in the same month. The student population swelled
to 160 by the end of the year, which is amazing growth considering
that in 1999 there were only 45 students. We also gained three
new full-time faculty members, bringing the total of full-timers
to 16. This addition is much needed, as several of our full-timers
are abroad working on their PhDs.
In January 2006, things really picked up with a very busy mid-term.
A group of 10 students from Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota,
came to study with our graduate students in an intensive exploration
of the Christian history of Egypt. The student groups enriched
one another’s understanding and challenged each other as
well. We also enjoyed the presence of two visiting faculty to
provide lectures for the undergraduate students.
In February a new program has begun to help the Egyptian Presbyterian
Church confront its shortage of pastors. An initial group of 14
lay pastor candidates has begun to receive training that will
prepare them to serve as pastors in specific locations in the
small towns and villages of Egypt. The Synod of the Nile of the
Egyptian Church has worked with the seminary to address the needs
of the nearly 150 churches that lack pastors. These churches are
in danger of closing, which means that a lot of red tape would
need to be navigated to open them again, possibly taking years
of extra effort. |
