Theological Seminaries
COVID-19 UPDATE
While education is important it is of less urgency in comparison to our responsibility to fulfill the great Command and to win souls for Christ. To truly be His Church, preaching the Gospel while at the same time we take care of one another and protect our loved ones. This we are compel to do, even more so, in times of desperation.
Concerning the Seminaries in Africa it remains hard to make final decisions as we do not know what the future holds and how long we will be restricted.
Here is what we definitely know:
April semester for Malawi 2 will be postponed indefinitely for the following reasons.
A. Foreigners arriving in Malawi within the next 30 days from both USA and South Africa will be under isolation for 14 days.
B. Secondly for the next 30 days Malawi government will not allow gatherings of more than 100 people.
C. Also most flights are already cancelled and daily more are added.
FUTURE:
1. Towards the end of April, or as soon as we have an indication of where this is going we will determine alternative dates for Malawi 2. Various options will be considered in order for us to keep the order of our cycle. We will have to wait and see what governments decide and follow their instructions and guidelines.
2. Regardless of what happen we will do Malawi 2 before Malawi 1.
3. We might even do them back to back, like we have done with Malawi 2 and 3 for a couple of semesters, if nothing changes before June and July is ok.
4. Worst scenario would be to skip one semester. We will do all possible to prevent this but it is currently out of our hands.
There are more than 1 000 000 pastors in Africa with the passion to preach the Gospel, but have no training because it is either not available in their areas or it is simply unaffordable.
Andre was invited to speak at a pastor’s conference in Kenya in 1997. The Africans’ eagerness to learn touched his heart. He saw pastors who had no Bibles and even three pastors who took one Bible, divide it into three so each one will have a portion. The majority of pastors had no Biblical education.
We started with a ministry educating pastors how to effectively and truthfully reach a lost world and since then this ministry has grown to 6 Campuses in Sierra Leone, Kenya, Malawi, Zambia, South Africa and Swaziland.
In partnership with Jacksonville Baptist Theological Seminary we are able to offer an Associates, Bachelors and Masters’ degree in Theology.
Studies at HOA Seminaries and Learning Centres are 75% sponsored, the students are responsible for 25% of their studies but even this is a challenge for many of them. These students travel long distances with great difficulty to attend classes.
A two year certificate course in Pastoral Ministry was started in Kenya July 2000 in partnership with the Baptist Theological Seminary in Cape Town, South Africa. The first graduation took place in November 2002 for 21 students. In 2003 HOA joined forces with Jacksonville Baptist Seminary and the curriculum for a Bachelors Degree in Theology was implemented. In 2012 we had our first Masters Graduates. Some of these Master graduates are now lecturing in the HOA Seminary.
From the start it was clear that God was working in a special way and over the years God accomplished amazing things through the students attending our Seminaries. It became a tool through which God equipped men and women effectively for the work He called them for and through them hundreds of thousands lives were touched.
In January 2013 Christopher Onyango made history when he accompanied Andre to teach in the Malawi Seminary. Since then we have been using more of our masters graduates to teach in Malawi and Zambia.
Our aim of teaching the people of Africa to equip their own people are being fulfilled.
If you live in Africa and would like to apply to study at one of our campuses, click here.
Malawi Seminary
Malawi Seminary was started in 2006 with 13 students and we opened a second Seminary in Malawi in November 2013 and the student body have grown to 700 students with another 500 on a waiting list. We had our first two Masters graduates in July 2017 (the first female Masters graduate in Hands on Africa Seminaries' history). Our greatest challenge was to supply these students with study materials and we now provide students a tablet with a library of books, allowing them sufficient resources for research and extended education.
It is a huge privilege to be used by God to impact the lives of the students, of whom the majority is already pastors or spiritual leaders of a church. It is with great excitement that we are looking forward to see how God will shape most of them according to His plan and purpose for their lives and ministry, resulting into much Kingdom fruit through them. We already hear many incredible testimonies form students whose lives and ministries have been impacted.
Click here to watch a video about our graduation in Malawi 2020!
Kenya Theological Seminary
What a privilege we have to be entrusted with the ability in equipping men and women of God to be more effective in their ministry of making disciples. The countless testimonies of these students being used by God is rewarding. Thank you to lecturers who make themselves available to work together for God's Kingdom.
Zambia Theological Seminary
We have now moved the Seminary to our premises at the orphanage. It’s now in it’s fourth year of existence with 23 students and we should have our first graduation in 2019.
Sierra Leone Theological Seminary
What a wonderful experience it was to wake up in the mornings with a choir of student and children's voices singing "Good morning Jesus, Good morning Lord"! The enthusiasm and eagerness of these 20 students to learn how to serve their Savior more effectively was a blessing.
Newcastle Theological Seminary
The Seminary in Newcastle, South Africa opened in March 2015.
We currently have 20 students.
Swaziland Theological Seminary
The Seminary in Swaziland opened in September with 12 students.
Our Bachelors Degree in Theology and Masters program is accredited by the Jacksonville Baptist Theological Seminary.
Charter by the State of Florida, Jacksonville Baptist Theological Seminary is a degree granting member of the Florida Council of Private Colleges, Inc, (FCPC). Their purpose is found in the charter which states: "The specific and primary purposes for which this corporation is formed are to operate solely to train students in Christian religious disciplines in order to prepare them for educational, ministerial, missionary, and service work and other charitable purposes." Hence the degree programs of this institution are designed primarily for religious vocations.
What our students say
At the time I joined HOA, I was a Pastor but not saved. During the first Semester as Dr. Andre was lecturing, I received Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour and since then my spiritual life has grown. The joy I have right now is unspeakable. To the kingdom of God, since 2013, I have managed to plant 9 churches and my ministry has grown spiritually as well as numerically.
- Moses Masola, 2019 Graduate.
This school is powerful to my life and my life is not the same. Even my church members are seeing change day by day because of good staff I got there. My intention is to have more and more skills of winning lost souls. Hoa is a powerful tool.
- Amos Dickson, 2019 Graduate.
I am seeing a blessing for being enrolled at the Hands on Africa Theological Seminary, where I am adequately learning, while working for a living. My personal interaction is a great opportunity for learning, where I am grasping some useful knowledge and insights through interaction and interfacing.
- Andrew Mulenga, 2019 Graduate.
I thank God for the wonderful time and life changing school that God put through Hands on Africa. I am really a changed person in my spiritual life because of this Bible school, my family too is healthy because I received Christ while at HOA school.
- Raphael Iwalani, 2019 Graduate.
Now I have more time for prayer, reflecting and writing as advised in 1 Thessalonians 5:17. I am able to teach. This involves explanation and application as taught in 1 Timothy 3:2-7. The church is emulating my new lifestyle as a result we are winning more souls. Attendance has increased from fifty to two hundred on average.
- Luwis German, 2019 Graduate
During my five years of study I have been able to oversee the churches under my care with confidence and knowledge. I have also planted a church in Cape town South Africa using the principles from Hands on Africa. The. Church has grown to around 300 members from a small group the time I started.
