Wesleyan Church to unveil new building
To offer fully accredited doctoral programmes
By Esther Elijah
Guyana Chronicle
September 28, 2003
One goal of the College is to become a training agency for Christians in Latin America, who wish to become missionaries and be schooled in a multi-cultural environment that prepares them for missionary work worldwide.
THE Wesleyan Bible College is gearing to unveil its new building in the city next year and offers fully accredited doctoral programmes plus special classes. The classes will allow locals to qualify for admittance to higher education as the college seeks to expand Christian education continuing its motto of 'Changing this and the next generation.'
The current building where classes are taught at Lot 7-8 Brickdam, Stabroek, may easily go unnoticed by weary travelers, but the college has been abuzz since 1977 with myriad programmes ranging from Psychology to Greek, Apocalyptic Literature and Hermeneutics.
President of the Wesleyan Bible College, Dr. Claudette Stephen, in an interview with the Sunday Chronicle said the largely Christian-based institution now offers general certificate programmes alongside a year's Lay Leaders Certificate programme, plus a three-year Diploma programme, four-year Bachelor of Arts programme, a Masters programme done in modules, and new Doctoral programmes commencing in January 2004 - all in the areas of Ministry, Christian Education, Psychology and Missions.
Last year, the college produced its first two doctors, each qualifying in Ministry, and this year, its sister branch in Trinidad will produce another. In three consecutive years, students have graduated with a Masters at the college, Stephen said.
Apart from Trinidad, the college has established branches in Barbados, the Bahamas and the United States, where students benefit from modular courses that are taught by teachers from the college in Guyana.
Five hinterland students from Paramakatoi graduated with Diplomas, last year.
Stephen has been associated with the college since its inception, firstly as a lecturer in Christian Education and Missions. She said the college is open to Christians from all denominations, but apart from qualifying with a minimum of four CXC Subjects, another prerequisite to registering for the courses is a letter of recommendation from the prospective student's pastor.
The college revised its curriculum in 1992 and begun offering classes five days per week - Monday to Friday from 17:00 hrs to 20:30 hrs. Visiting professors from North America, the Caribbean and even Korea and Sierra Leon in Africa help local lecturers teach programmes at the college.
Admittance at the college is done in September and February, annually, although students interested in single modular programmes may apply anytime these are offered.
Stephen explained that Diploma programmes now require students to possess 94 credit hours before graduation, and students in the Degree programmes must complete 127 credit hours.
First-year students in the Bachelor of Arts programme in Christian Ministry cover Introductions to the Old and New Testament and Christian Education, English Language, Youth Education, Pentateuch, Speech, New Testament Church Acts, Greek 1, Introduction to Psychology and Gospel.
Second-year students are schooled in Evangelism, Homiletics, Research Methodology, Doctrine of Holiness, Epistles, Financial Management, Childhood Education, Church History, Prayer and Intercession/Spiritual Formation, Sociology, Theology 1 and Adult Education.
And, third-year students are offered Hermeneutics, Modern World Missions, Literacy and Evangelism and Foreign Languages, Wesleyan History, Greek 2, Theology 2, Apocalyptic Literature, Old Testament Poetry, Pastoral Work, World Religions, Wesleyan Discipline/Major Prophets, Theology 3 and Electives.
Stephen said the aim of the college is to provide students with a level of Christian education that enables them to go forth in society and "impact generations."
Accrediting Commission International, U.S.A. and the Florida Board of Accreditation certify the college. It also hopes to earn accreditation from the Caribbean Evangelical Theological Association (CETA) out of Kingston, Jamaica.
The college, which currently has an enrollment of 153, offers programmes that help foster growth in biblical competence, spiritual formation and ministry skills, with special emphasis on biblical authority, authentic Christian living and world evangelism.
All the programmes emphasise spiritual formation, mastery of biblical content and interpretation skills, cultivation of a biblical worldview, and ministry skills development, the latter through field education and internship experiences.
According to Stephen, the mission of the college is to glorify God through educational programmes that assist the church to evangelise the nations in this generation.
Stephen said the new college building located on the same plot of land as the current college, has been under construction for two years and it would be dedicated in November, next year.
"We hope at the re-opening to start a day-school for CXC students who do not have the basic qualifications to (enter the college). This will qualify them to attend the college and do the programme of their choice," Stephen said.
At the conclusion of an Agreement of Sale, the college will be further expanded to include the current adjoining building near the new site, at which classes will also be taught.
One goal of the college is to become a training agency for Christians in Latin America, who wish to become missionaries and be schooled in a multi-cultural environment that prepares them for missionary work worldwide.
Stephen said the college tries to maintain the cost of programmes at a minimum. The Diploma course, for example, costs G$15,000 per semester, Bachelor of Arts programmes cost G$17,500 per semester - with a year comprising two semesters.
Some of the programmes entail extra-curricular activities - some of which involved missionary trips to Brazil, Suriname and in the hinterland of Guyana.
Also in the works are plans to allow students in the psychology programme to practice at hospitals and other relevant facilities.
"We expect our students to live a different lifestyle - modeling their life after Christ and we expect our students to have more endurance, faith, love since our teachings are geared towards this.
"Students who enroll at our college having attended a secular university, previously, are advised to do one year of bible-related subjects to allow for less difficulties in the Bachelors and Masters programme," Stephen remarked.