As reported by Emily
Enders Odom, associate for communications with Mission Initiative:
Joining Hearts and Hands, Asad Iqbal, a first-year student in
the new evening program at Forman Christian College in Lahore,
Pakistan, dreams of a career in banking. “I thank God
for Forman Christian College,” Iqbal said. “I like
it very much.” To keep up with Forman’s academic
demands, Iqbal attends tutorial sessions on campus for several
hours each day. Then he studies at home for an additional two
to three hours daily.
Forman Christian College was officially returned to the management
of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in 2003 after thirty-one
years of government control. From its founding by Presbyterian
missionaries in 1864 until it was nationalized in 1972, it was
widely regarded as the best college on the Indian subcontinent.
Under the leadership of Peter Armacost, who became principal
of the college following denationalization, there has been a
dramatic increase in the number of Christian students like Iqbal.
“For the most part, Christian students are at a disadvantage
in the educational system and do not qualify for admission via
the merit process,” Armacost explained. “Only 97
Christian students made it into our regular program, which has
space for 1,100 students.”
He is committed to finding ways to accommodate more Christian
students in the school’s overall population. “I
sought the support of our executive committee for an evening
program, using the same curriculum and teachers as in the regular
program. From the start, the evening school students bonded
with one another, and they share a strong sense of community.
I believe that the future of the Christian community will largely
be determined by the work that we are now doing at Forman Christian
College,” Armacost said. “We are educating the next
generation of leadership for the Christian community in Pakistan,
and this would not be possible without the prayers and support
of our friends in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).” |
