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History St Nicholas Seminary was established in 1975 as Ghana’s first independent Anglican Seminary in response to a Synod chaired by the late Most Revd Dr Ishmael S. M. LeMaire. In 1992 the Provincial Synod of the Church of the Province of West Africa resolved to adopt St Nicholas Seminary as a Provincial institution open to students from across the Province. Today it remains the only active Anglican Seminary in the Province. In the last thirty years of its establishment and against the challenges of a growing institution, the Seminary has become a well known centre of excellence for theological education and ministerial formation. We are proud to have trained ordinands from Guinea, Cameroon, Sierra Leone and Liberia among others, and to have received visiting lecturers from Canada, United Kingdom, United States of America and some parts of Africa on teaching exchange programmes and research. To date, St Nicholas Seminary has turned out over three hundred priests who are currently serving in all Ghanaian dioceses and various others all over the world. Vision St Nicholas Seminary is an Anglican/Episcopal institution that seeks to equip the people of God in their response to His call to serve in the Church and the world, offering preparation for both lay and ordained ministry. Upholding the Catholic and Apostolic Faith proclaimed in the Scriptures and interpreted in the light of tradition and reason, St Nicholas Seminary seeks to be a creative focus for exploring how we share in God’s mission and the proclamation of his Gospel to all the world, following the example of Jesus Christ our Servant King. St Nicholas uses three complementary instruments to realise this vision: 1. Academic formation St Nicholas aims to encourage appetite and aptitude. We believe in the importance of sound and broad theological training for people engaging with the challenges of the Church and the world in their service of the Kingdom. The major disciplines read at St Nicholas are Biblical Studies, Christian Doctrine, Church History and Canon Law, Mission Studies, Pastoral Studies, Philosophical Studies, Ethics, Religious Studies and Liturgy. Alongside rigorous inquiry and intellectual stimulation, special attention is given to the meaning and importance of faith in theology so that academic formation enables enrichment of Christian development. 2. Ministerial formation Mission informs theology. Ministerial formation at St Nicholas incorporates exposure to practical pastoral ministry with theoretical provision for preaching, teaching, caring and liturgy craft. Students undertake pastoral placements at local schools, hospitals, parishes, prisons and institutions where they are encouraged to develop creative, effective responses to contemporary challenges faced by the Church in witness and service. 3. Spiritual and Moral formation St Nicholas thrives on the Anglican heritage of a communal life of daily prayer, worship and celebration of the Eucharist. Through this, students are directed to respond freely and generously to the life of faithfulness to God, his Church and the world, to commit themselves in loving obedience to Christ and those who exercise authority over their formation, and to grow in high standards of moral and personal conduct as responsible ministers of the Gospel. In the spirit of fraternal charity students are expected to respect the Seminary’s discipline of worship, study, recreation, manual work, rest, and silence. Formation groups meet as part of St Nicholas’ commitment to help students reflect on their vocation. Affiliation Since 2000, St Nicholas has enjoyed affiliation with the University of Cape Coast which awards the Diploma in Theology taught at St Nicholas. Programmes offered St Nicholas is committed to offering an extensive programme of teaching to suit the diverse needs of students and their future role in the Church. Three programmes run simultaneously: the Diploma in Theology awarded by the University of Cape Coast, the School’s own Diploma and the Certificate in Ministry. The courses offered for these programmes are periodically reviewed. Organisation The Seminary is led by the Dean and his team: a Vice Dean and Pastoral Director, an Academic Dean and a Director of Development. The Seminary welcomes adjunct Faculty members to lecture, including those from the University of Cape Coast. The Board of Governors consists of the Bishops of the Anglican Church of Ghana. There are regular meetings between the Faculty and Student Body in shared responsibility for community life. Location and Facilities St Nicholas Seminary is located in Cape Coast, the capital town of the Central Region. This historic town is an important trading and tourist centre. Anglican mission to Ghana began in Cape Coast when in 1751 Revd Thomas Thompson of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel arrived. By 1766, the first Ghanaian Anglican priest, Revd Philip Quaque, was active in Cape Coast as minister at Cape Coast Castle. Today, the Anglican Church in Cape Coast, through Christ Church Cathedral and many parishes across the region expresses the body of Christ in various ministries including education and health care. St Nicholas is situated in small but attractive grounds overlooking a lagoon and in sight of the Atlantic. The two halls of residence house forty students, Beiway Hall and Sister Joyce Hall, named after pioneering missionaries who worked here in the early days. Resident staff and their families are housed in apartments on site. The library, established from scratch by the late Revd Dr Bonnie Spencer OHC, contains a diverse and expanding collection with donations from Africa and overseas. Developments St Nicholas is a growing institution and strives to be forward-looking to guarantee that developments so far can take root and yield a harvest. Independent Accreditation is the long term goal and, as facilities improve, St Nicholas will begin its planned Bachelors in Theology and Post-Diploma qualifications. Library, study, teaching and office space is vastly improved in a new complex being built on site where computer and internet facilities are planned. Personnel development is key to the Seminary’s success, envisioned in plans for the endowment of a Chair in each major subject area to underpin teaching and promote research. Training of women is imminent and long anticipated. Extensive ongoing reviews of physical facilities show scope for improved dormitory space in addition to the new complex. St Nicholas seeks interdenominational interaction, believing that theological education is greatly enhanced by ecumenical and cross-cultural contexts. This is already begun in diverse links with individuals and organisations in Ghana, Africa and overseas. St Nicholas and the Church Behind all activity to train and teach is St Nicholas’ desire to pioneer development in the Church in Ghana, to provide answers for its needs and ask questions of its members and leaders. St Nicholas strives to probe the depths of envisioning and enacting Church growth by bringing together the leaders and theologians of our time. Accordingly, the Seminary hosts seminars and a Forum for Anglicanism in Ghana with a view to publishing articles on the Anglican Church in Ghana to stimulate reflection, research and projection of the activity of the Ghanaian church further a field. Support Today’s existence and tomorrow’s flourishing depends on prayer and open-hearted generosity. The fragility of our finances fires our trust in God’s provision and prompts courage to anticipate and heed his involvement. We acknowledge with gratitude the commitment and assistance of friends and partners. To find out more about becoming a partner or how you can contribute to and share with the Seminary, please contact the Dean. All donations in cash or kind are gratefully received. Cheques are made payable to - St Nicholas Seminary, Cape Coast Contact The Dean, the Very Revd Victor Atta-Baffoe St Nicholas Seminary, P. 0. Box A162, Cape Coast, Ghana, West Africa. +233 (0)42 33175 |
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