our history

BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY, EKU

The Baptist Theological Seminary, Eku, (formerly known as Baptist Bible School) was founded in 1945 by American Missionaries, Rev. Dr. and Mrs. W.H. Carson. The Seminary was first established in Port-Harcourt. Between 1945 and 1950, the school existed in a miniature form with virtually only the Carsons to run the Bible School. However, with theestablishment of the Baptist Boys’ High School, Port- Harcourt in 1948, by Maurice and Louise Brantley who had arrived from the United States in 1941, more personnel were made available for teaching at the Bible School, six months every two years. Following the establishment of the Baptist Boys’ High School, emphasis on the Bible School became insignificant, but skeletal services were being rendered to keep the dream of Rev. and Mrs. Carson alive. During this period, also the theological school was characterized by paucity in attendance, but did not go into extinction since some missionaries were still giving a helping hand at the Bible School.

Between 1950 and 1954, there was a dearth of historical materials concerning the Bible School. It was assumed that the Carsons and the other missionaries were still working hand in hand to keep the Bible School ongoing with its two six months programme of study. The attention of the missionaries was only drawn to the Bible School again when Rev. W. H. Carson died on May 20, 1954 and his wife, Grace, was flown back to the United States. After that unexpected incident happened, the school was temporarily shut down for two years. In 1956 it was decided that the theological institution be moved to Eku where the missionaries working for the Baptist Hospital, Eku, could be of help to the school in terms of personnel. The Bible school was eventually moved to Eku, but since the availability of a Seminary trained and ordained missionary would determine the location of the institution at that time, the Bible School was then moved to Benin City where Rev. O. C. Robison was domicile.

The Rev. O. C. Robison, thus, became the principal of the school in Benin City from 1956 to 1958. Thus, the hitherto vacillating school of theological training became relatively stable but in essence, the institution was still moving from place to place, where a capable missionary to head the institution was living, and was available to assume the leadership of the institution. The school moved from Benin City to Warri where Rev. G. E. Robinson was.

When the Robisons were to go on furlough, arrangement was made to move the administrative seat of the school back to Eku because of the presence of the missionaries residing there, and engaged with medical services at the hospital. When the Robisons finally transferred from Benin City, the Bible School once again came under the leadership of Dr. J. B. Gaultney at Eku, in 1960. That same year, the Gaultneys went on furlough, but before they left, the administrative seat had been moved from Eku to Warri where Rev. & Mrs. G. E. Robinson were serving as Associational Advisers.

As a result of that arrangement, Rev. G. E. Robinson assumed the leadership of the Bible School that was situated at the Mission Quarters opposite the First Baptist Church, Warri, which was later brought over by Mr. D. O. Agbowu, the first conference secretary of the defunct Midwestern Baptist Conference. Rev. G. E. Robinson made use of some local pastors to assist in teaching for the Bible School. Rev. G. E. Robinson headed the institution for five years (1960-1965) during the peripatetic years of the Bible School.When Rev. G. E. Robinson was appointed the Baptist Mission Executive Secretary in 1965, he and his family transferred to Ibadan, and the Bible School was returned to Eku again, and all the students had to go back to Eku to complete their studies.

The Nigerian Civil War had begun in 1966, and it made the core East unconducive for the Foreign Missionaries to operate. That state of affairs compelled the entire family of the Reeces to relocate to Eku at the very Period the Bible School needed a competent leadership. The Rev. & Mrs. Z. D. Reece swung into action immediately by organizing massive sensitization of Church members and persuading those who felt the call of God into the gospel ministry to apply in persons. The entry qualifications then were Secondary Modern Three, Standard Six and a sound primary six certificates. The first set of students who began the three-year theological training were fourteen in number. Classes were held for four and half days a week to enable Pastor-students to travel to their preaching stations for week-end ministrations. As a result of the relatively high entry qualifications, the school’s nomenclature was changed from Baptist Bible School to Baptist Pastors’ School in 1968. On completion of the three-year programme, a pastors’ school Certificate was issued to each successful student.

The Nigerian Civil war which was fought between1966-1970 almost disorganized the school system. But as God would have it, Rev. & Mrs. Z. D. Reece relocated from the East, Nsukka to be precise, to Eku in 1967 as a result of the Civil War. On the Reeces arrival, Rev. Z. D. Reece assumed the principal-ship of the Bible School, and restructured both the academic and administrative systems of the institution. Consequently, the three years academic programme was begun on January 9, 1968. Rev. Reece’s leadership of the institution brought to an end the hitherto peripatetic existence of the school. The institution became permanent at Eku, and missionaries were being sent to where the school situated at the School of Nursing’s quarters in the hospital. Thus, the Bible School began to be stable. From the time Rev. & Mrs. Z.D. Reece assumed leadership of the Bible School in 1968; the institution has become permanent in Eku. The stability and strength which began with Rev. Z. D. Reece in 1968, continued to wax stronger in the succeeding years. The staff of theschool of Nursing graciously allowed the Pastors’ school students to meet in one of their two classrooms and one office block. Thus, the Bible School began to be stable, a feat that can only be attributable to the solid spiritual, educational and theological foundation laid by Rev. Z. D. Reece. His leadership broadened the horizon of many a pastor in pastoral ministry and theological prowess. Many students were drawn from Ishan, Ika, Ukwuani, Isoko, Urhobo and Bini to make up the student body of the school.

In 1980, therefore, the Baptist Pastors’ School, Eku, formally moved from the hospital premises to its present site. Before that same year, 1980, the Nigerian Baptist Convention and the Bendel Baptist Conference had commenced sending annual grants to the school. A subsidy of N2000 was received from the Nigerian Baptist Convention, and a grant of N50 was given by the Pastors’ Conference. The Sum of N174 also came in as offering from a few churches in Eku Baptist Association. Rev. Ofuoku further reported that the financial position of the school would be much better the following year because a grant of N5, 000 would be coming from the Convention, and the Bendel Baptist Conference had budgeted N1, 000 for the school, and that would enable them to engage more teachers to meet the needs of the students. Rev. Ofuoku further acknowledged the immense financial assistance both in cash and in kind being received from the Baptist Mission of Nigeria. Thus, the stability and strength which began with Rev. Z. D. Reece in 1968, continued to wax stronger in the succeeding years.

As the students’ enrollment was increasing, so also more credible instructors were being employed, while some of them were asked to please assist in teaching and more courses were being introduced. Due to increase in the number of students, the principal encouraged those who were married to bring their wives along, and that was the beginning of the Women’s Training Department. Those women who enrolled were taught rudiments of English, religious education, and domestic science. The Women’s Training Department that was begun in 1968 was being coordinated by Mrs. Rebecca Ofuoku.

When the Reeces went on furlough in 1970, Rev. Jene Legg acted as principal of the school. In the absence of Rev. Reece, the students pressurized Rev. Legg to increase their monthly allowances to one pound ten shillings, and this did not go down well with Rev. Z.D. Reece when he returned the following year, because the scarce resources were trickling from the Foreign Mission Board and some friends who were willing to partner with the Reeces in missions. At that time the students were paying three pounds as school fees per session, and whatever the students had paid was used to sew school uniforms for them. However, Rev. Reece allowed the allowance of one pound ten shillings to remain in order to sustain the number of students in the school, thereby preventing withdrawals from the student’s enrollment. The 1969/1970 intake was twenty-two.

In 1980, Rev. and Mrs. P.E. Ofuoku, who had become the first indigenous substantive principal, sited the school on its permanent ground where it situates today. He harnessed the money contributed by Eku Association to build a two-room block which was used both as offices and men’s dormitory, and a four classroom block put up by a combined effort of first Baptist Church and Aganbi Memorial Baptist Church, both in Eku. Later two buildings of a two-classroom each were built. And more so, in 1986, the cornerstone of the Library Chapel Complex and the foundation stone of the single men’s dormitory (Now the Administrative Building) were laid. Some years later, other buildings were erected in the compound.

During the 1989/1990 school year, the name of the school formally changed from Baptist Bible School to Baptist Bible College because of the secular subjects that were being offered. As a result of the academic ascendency and theological excellence, the Ministerial Training Board of the Nigerian Baptist Convention, accredited the institution to award Diploma in Theology during the 1994/1995 academic session. The secular subjects in the curriculum were to assist those who had no secondary school education get their General Certificate of Education (GCE), while still at the Baptist Pastors’ School. Those who offered secular subjects together with theology courses were made to study for five years, while those that offered only theology courses spent three years before graduation. That difference in the number of years also brought a slight change in the type of certificate issued to the graduands. The first set of those on a five year programme of study graduated at the end of the 1984/1985 academic session, and that helped some students to pass their General Certificate in Education (G.C.E) examinations and proceeded to their B.TH programme at the Nigerian Baptist Theological Seminary, Ogbomoso.

Upon, the retirement Rev. P. E.O. Ofuoku, Rev. A. I. Ifukor, became the acting principal on June 29, 1996 to June 1999. The three-year period of Rev. Ifukor’s leadership was significant because the Bible College was going into extinction when he took over the leadership of the school. The then General Secretary of the Convention, Rev. Dr. S.O. Fadeji almost declared the institution closed when he came to preach the graduation message in 1998 and saw that only three students were graduating, two certificate students and one W.T.D. Student.

The saving grace that year was that seven students had been admitted in both certificate and diploma levels respectively. It was against that background that Rev. Ifukor led the institution to formulate a sound academic structure to reflect credible diploma and degree curriculum as they were at the Nigerian Baptist Theological Seminary, Ogbomoso.

Since the establishment of the Institution in 1945, the degrees awarded are mere certificate; the institution was organized on two terms of six months basis and existed in a miniature form. In 1968, a three year academic programme was started to offer Certificate in Theology. That same year, Women Training Department (WTD) was established and Mrs. Rebecca Ofuoku as co-coordinator and instructor as earlier mentioned. Certificate in Theology remained the highest level of theological studies, until 1993 when the Diploma programme was introduced. In other words, during the 1994/1995 academic session, the institution was accredited by the Ministerial Training Board of the Nigerian Baptist Convention to award Diploma in Theology. The first set of the diploma class graduated in May, 1997.

The Seminary has been graduating students from the Certificate and Diploma programmes. In 1998, the faculty formulated a sound academic structure to reflect credible Diploma and Degree Curriculum, and the appointment of qualified academic officers. This marked the beginning of a well-structured administrative system and a well-defined academic curriculum. In the same year (August 1998), the Seminary started Bachelor of Theology degree programme, accredited by Ministerial Training Board of the Nigerian Baptist Convention and affiliated to the Nigerian Baptist Theological Seminary, Ogbomoso, Oyo State, Nigeria. In the year 2002, the first set of degree students graduated thus becoming the second theological institution in the Convention to award a Bachelor degree after Nigerian Baptist Theological Seminary (NBTS), Ogbomoso. In the year 2004, the institution was upgraded from Baptist College of Theology to a Seminary status making Eku the third seminary of the Nigerian Baptist Convention (NBC). In 2013, the institution started her Masters of Divinity in Theology and Masters of Divinity in Religious Education upon approval and accreditation by the Baptist Accrediting Council for Theological Schools in Nigeria (BACTSIN) of the Nigerian Baptist Convention. The first set of Masters of Divinity programme graduated on May 28, 2016.

The principals and presidents of the Seminary who have served in administrative capacities from 1945 to 2020 include: Missionary Administrators- Rev. W.H. Carson (The First and Founder, 1945-1954); Rev. O.C. Robinson (1956-1959); Dr. J.B. Gaultney (1959- 1960); Rev. G.E. Robinson (1961-1965); Rev. Urban Green (1966-1966); Rev. Hurst (1966- 1967); Rev. B. Donaldson (1967); Rev. Z.D. Reece (1968-1972); Rev. Gene Legg (1972). The Indigenous Administrators are Rev. P.E. Ofuoku (1972-1996); Rev. A.I. Ifukor (1996- 1999); Rev. Dr. G.O. Anie (1999-2007); Rev. Dr. M.O. Oladeji (2007-2008); Dr. GF. N. Aghawenu (2008-2019) and Revd. Dr. (Mrs). Helen Ishola-Esan, the current President of the seminary whose leadership tenure started in July 2019.

The Seminary is a mono faculty with two major departments: Department of Theology and Department of Religious Education that run the following programmes:
1. Certificate in Theology (C. Th)
2. Diploma in Religious Education (Dip. R.E.)
3. Diploma in Theology (Dip. Th.)
4. Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies (B.A)- in partnership with the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies of Bowen University, Iwo, Osun State, Nigeria;
5. Bachelor of Religious Education (B. R.E.);
6. Bachelor of Theology (B.Th.);
7. Master of Divinity in Religious Education (M.Div. RE.)
8. Master of Divinity in Theology (M.Div. Th.)
An ancillary education programme called the Baptist Seminary Academy (BSA) which comprised of Nursery, Primary and Secondary schools has also been put in place.