Congratulations
At the recent synod meeting, Dr. Atef Gendy was elected Moderator of the Synod of the Nile for the Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Egypt. It is a great honor and shows the high regard in which he is held within the church. Dr. Gendy expressed his gratitude towards his colleagues for putting their trust in him and hopes to serve the church in the best possible way. This is a one-year appointment, and he will be able to combine it with his role as president of ETSC. At the same meeting Rev. Yousef Samir, the senior pastor of Heliopolis Presbyterian Church, was elected to serve as chairperson of ETSC’s board for the next four years.

Graduation
It is always good to work in strong partnership with friends and donors both overseas and within Egypt. The results of this partnership could be seen during the graduation of 52 of our students just a few weeks ago. The graduation took place at Heliopolis Presbyterian Church. It was a wonderful event, and the church was absolutely packed as family and friends came to witness the special ceremony. This year, there were four Master of Theology graduates, eleven Master of Divinity, twenty-eight Master of Arts in Theology, and nine Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership. It was gratifying to see that eight students from the Minya campus graduated this year (the first to graduate from there) as well as four from the Alexandria campus. Graduation is the culmination of years of hard work, effort and engagement, and we congratulate our graduates on their achievement.

At the ceremony, ETSC continued its tradition of recognizing and honoring those who graduated 50 years ago. The guest of honor was Rev. Dr. Safwat Marzouk from the Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary in Indiana who spoke of the need to read scripture from an Egyptian perspective.

Kamel Ephraim spoke on behalf of the students of the need to focus on spiritual formation. It was a splendid occasion, and a fitting end to what has been a very successful academic year. Of course, this achievement would not have been possible without the support and generosity of our many donors. Individuals, congregations and organizations have supported our students over the years through scholarships and have thereby enabled them to graduate and serve God in so many different ways. We appreciate your help so much, and thank you for your support.

Students’ Testimony
Among the students graduating this year were two brothers, Saad and Maurice Gaber. Both graduated with MDiv degrees, and both are now pastors in congregations in Assiut and Minya respectively. There is a gap of 14 years between them. Saad, 43, was a lay pastor for a number of years, while Maurice, 29, came straight from University and a year’s military service in the Air Force. Both have benefitted enormously from the MDiv program, and Maurice especially is keen to study more. He says, “Please give our heartfelt thanks to all who have contributed towards the scholarship program. These last four years have been amazing. I have learned so much about myself and my faith, about the Bible and theology, and appreciate so much all who made this possible.” It has not been easy for them, as their father died, but their mother is still alive and was absolutely thrilled to attend graduation and see her sons awarded their degrees.

Grateful for your partnership,

Evangelical Theological Seminary in Cairo

Read more about the Evangelical Theological Seminary in Cairo by clicking HERE.

THE NEED
Gifts of $10,000 per month for scholarships and operations, $20,000 for the Center for Middle East Christianity, and $80,000 for capital improvements of a newly purchased flat that will expand program capabilities.

Evangelical Theological Seminary in Cairo - July 2017 Update