BACOTHO'S 30TH ANNIVERSARY BY THE RECTOR

INTRODUCTION

Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! ‘For who has known the mind of the LORD? Or who has been His counselor? Or who has first given to Him and it shall be repaid to him?’ For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen (Rom. 11:33-36, NKJV).

We praise God for the 30th anniversary of the Baptist College of Theology, Oyo. It is a cause for much thanksgiving and great joy that we are part of this historical stage of the College, a very significant stage in the history of the College.1

I want to express my joy at the enthusiasm demonstrated towards this 30th Anniversary and to place on record our appreciation to the Anniversary Committee, chairmaned by Pastor M.O. Afunleyin, and all members of the College family for the various activities in respect of especially the N5m Endowment/Development Fund. May the Lord bless us all bountifully. By the grace of God we shall all eat the good of the land.
History is very interesting and challenging. This is so because history helps us to know the past, understand the present and prepare for the future. Justo L. Gonzalez’s comment on the converging of the doing of history and the making of history is very instructive for our learning thus:

It is at this point that the doing of history converges with the making of (history). When we study the life and work of past generations, and when we interpret it, we are doing history. But we must remember that future generations will read about our times as past history. In that sense both by our action and inaction we are making history. This is both an exhilarating opportunity and an awesome responsibility.2

Let us keep Gonzalez’s words in mind as we discuss Baptist College of Theology: Past, Present and Future. We should see ourselves individually and collectively as actors on the stage, in lesser and greater degrees, in the historical drama of the Baptist College of Theology, Oyo.

II. BAPTIST COLLEGE OF THEOLOGY, OYO: PAST
The Baptist College of Theology, Oyo was established on September 30, 1977, then called Joint Baptist Pastors’ School, Oyo. The historical background of the establishment is traced to the first meeting of the Baptist People’s Fellowship during the 1974 Convention Session at Lagos. Giving the rationale for the establishment of the school, J.A. Okesiji noted:

One of the major issues discussed at the meeting was the lack of Pastors to man small churches in towns and villages. Since the Seminary had cancelled the Vernacular Pastors’ Training programme, many of these small churches needed this category of Pastors…. Therefore the meeting that year decided to appeal to all Conferences in Yoruba speaking areas to come together to start a school to train such category of pastors to meet the urgent and pressing need.3

It is significant to note that only Kwara and Western Conferences responded initially and thus became the two founding Conferences of the new school. Lagos Conference joined later. Thereafter, a planning committee was constituted. The members of the committee were:

1. Rev. John A. Okesiji - Chairman
2. Chief A.A. Morohunfola - Secretary
3. Rev. J.O. Omoni - Treasurer
4. Rev. J.O. Alabi - Member
5. Rev. S.A. Kayode - Member
6. Mr. J.B. Ojo - Member
7. Rev. Dr. P.H. Miller - Member

The Planning Committee metamorphosed into the first Advisory Board. We pay glowing tributes to the founding fathers and mothers and all who labored that the founding of the College became a reality.
The name of the school was Joint Baptist Pastors’ School,Oyo
The crest is an open Bible with cross at the center.
The motto was “Training for Preaching.”4. This motto was changed in 1994 to Training for Christian Service by the Board of Governors to make it more meaningful.5
The first choice for location was Newton, Osogbo but the Committee was urged to change the location by the then General Secretary, Rev. Dr. E.A. Dahunsi Okesiji explained the reason thus:

The language and Orientation school at Oyo had been abandoned for a long time. The School compound was overgrown with wild grasses and trees. All the houses there were not occupied for many years. The compound was like a (big) forest in the heart of the town. The paramount Oba of Oyo, the Alafin of Oyo threatened to take away the land from the Convention if it was no longer used by the mission. The Alafin complained that he and his people could not allow a jungle to remain in the heart of the town.6

The school resumed on September 30, 1977. The first Principal was Rev. D.O. Olaniyi. The lecturers were Revs. J.O. Olatidoye and J. Olatunde Ojo while Revs. P.O. Ogunyale, A.E. Ogundele and P.O. Okewole were part-time lecturers. The School started with an intake of 21 students (Kwara Conference, 3, Western Conference, 16, Benin Republic, 2). Lectures began on Monday, October 3, 1977 preceded by a short devotional service led by Rev. M.A. Bamidele. Reflecting the historicity of the significant event, Okesiji affirmed: “Thus the first Pastors’ School, started and maintained by the indigenous Baptist People in Nigeria was founded. All the other existing Pastors’ Schools then were founded and maintained by Missionaries.”7
According to the College Brochure, the objectives for founding the institution were:
To carry out a programme of ministerial education that will achieve the purpose of the College to be an academic institution providing theological and Christian education and professional training for God-called men and women who will help meet the need for effective leadership in the work of local churches, schools, and various areas of denominational life.8

On funding of the school initially, it is significant to note that the two founding Conferences bore the expenses of the starting of the school, which also provided money to run the first academic year, 1977/78. The Convention gave N2,500.00 as grant for the 1978/79 academic year.

Grant from the Convention continued to increase from year to year until the Convention took over the payment of salaries and all allowances of all the workers in the school. This paying of salaries and allowances of workers by the Convention started after 1984 academic year.9

Between 1977 and now the College has grown in leaps and bounds. The mustard seed planted on September 30,1977 has become a mighty tree. To God indeed be the glory great things He has done. According to ‘Biyi Adewale, the “Olaniyi Saga” included the following:

1. Women Training Department (WTD) (started in January 1978)
2. Establishment of Street Evangelism
3. Development of Staffing
4. Nigerian Baptist Convention Recognition
5. Graduation of Pioneer Students (19 out of 21 graduated on May 26, 1979 with Pastoral Certificate) 10

“Rev. D.O. Olaniyi resigned as the Principal of the school in March 1982 as he left for further studies.”11
After Rev. Olaniyi’s resignation, Rev. J.O. Olatidoye served as Acting Principal before the resumption of Rev. Dr. E.O. Odebunmi as the second Principal of the College later in the year.12 The “Odebunmi Saga” included:

I. Departments
1. Development of Women Training Department (WTD)
2. Pre-School Religious Education Department
II. Building Programmes
1. The Educational Building (now Administrative and Classrooms Block)
2. Married Students’ Hostel
3. The Multi-purpose Hall (now Nursery and Primary School Building)
4. The new WTD Block
5. Oyo West Baptist Conference Block
6. Fencing of the School Compound
III. Other Developmental Programmes
1. Generating Plant
2. School’s Borehole(s)
3. School’s Library
4. The Alumni/Pastors’ Conference (started in 1993)
5. The Campus Clinic
6. Publications: a) Jointlogue b) The School Brochure.13

As at 1997, Adewale identified 3 problems facing the College thus:
1. The problem of funding
2. negative Public Opinion
3. Lack of facilities.14

Quoting T.O. Ogundare, Adewale graphically traced the origin of the financial crisis of the College which has been an endemic challenge.

The clearing of the site and the renovation of the existing buildings was to cost N15,000.00. The two Conferences, Kwara and Western sponsoring the school then, agreed that the Kwara Conference should pay N3,000.00 and the Western Conference N12,000.00. On that day, the Western Conference paid N4,000.00 and the Kwara Conference promised to pay later. This was the beginning of the financial crises which have been hunting the school all these years.15

The contributions the College has made over the years in the note on which this brief survey of the past of the College will be concluded. It is gratifying to reiterate that from a Vernacular/Pastoral Certificate awarding school in 1977 the College now offers the following programmes:
Certificate in Theology/Religious Education
Diploma in Theology/Religious Education
Bachelor of Theology/Religious Education (in affiliation with Nigerian
Baptist Theological Seminary, Ogbomoso)

Furthermore, “graduates of the school are serving creditably in many churches of the Convention. Many of them have acquired or are acquiring higher education in the Seminary at Ogbomoso, in Nigerian Universities and Universities Overseas.”16

The following have obtained their doctoral degrees:
Rev. S.O. Ogundipe, Ph.D.
Rev. Z. Lere Falade, D.Min.
Rev. J.O. Adebayo, D.Min.
Rev. J. Opadeji, D.Min.

Identifying the impact of the College in the objectives of the School, sense of belonging, Evangelism programme of the school, socio-economic impact, political impact and educational impact, M.A. Adegbola noted: “The impact of the school on Baptist work in Oyo area can be felt the more if the problems facing the school can be tackled and solved.”17 Concluding his project he observed:

The Joint Baptist Pastors’ School, Oyo has a great potential for growth because of the centrality of her location and the dominance of the Baptist denomination over all other Christian denomination in Oyo area. The Board of Governors and the faculty of the school then has a gigantic responsibility thrust upon their shoulders to evolve plans and strategies that will move the school forward so that her impacts (sic) can be more felt than ever before. The school should be prepared to meet the challenges that will definitely come her way in the next century. This obviously calls for short, medium and long-term planning with the necessary assistance of all and sundry.18

Adegbola’s comments above are instructive for our learning. The gigantic responsibility is still real and the extent to which the College is able to meet the responsibility will determine the greater impact she will make in the future.

BAPTIST COLLEGE OF THOLOGY: PRESENT

Three descriptive terminologies have been used to characterize the present Baptist College of Theology, Oyo and they are reformation, transformation and transition. Unarguably, they not only give insights into the present workings of the College, they are becoming parameters of evaluation and even distinction. Since these words have now become such important indicators in the present dispensation, it may help to define these terminologies. To reform is “to make better by removing faults; correct; to make better by stopping abuses, introducing better procedures, etc.”19 To transform is “to change the form or appearance of, to change the condition, character, or function of”20 Of course transition connotes moving from one stage to another. The import of these definitions is obvious.

In the 30th Anniversary edition of The Shepherd, I had handwritten rather extensively on “A College in Transition.” For the purpose of this section of the lecture, it suffixes to refer to the first part of the article. Six dimensions of the College in transition discussed are:

1. Academic Transition
2. Spiritual Transition
3. Administrative Transition
4. Environmental Transition
5. Financial Transition
6. Relational Transition21

The emphasis of the article is the fact that the changes going on in the various aspects of the College are meant to produce a great and distinguished institution at the end of the process.

BAPTIST COLLEGE OF THEOLOGY, OYO: FUTURE

The College Vision, namely: to be “the leading theological College in the Nigerian Baptist Convention, a foremost theological institution in Nigeria, developing her to become a Seminary,” is a good instrument to anticipate the future of the College. In other words, the future years of the College would be dedicated towards the actualization of the great vision. In the initial Vision Document, six goals were articulated for the College’s fulfillment of the great Vision. Consequently they are good parameters to envision the future of the College and thus they will be the basis of the discussion in this regard.

1. Maintaining A Strong Academic Basis for the College
The screening of the 2006/2007 Year I Students, the 2007 admission that was more competitive and the interview process that was more thorough, are strong signals of the commitment to improve the academic rating of the College and the College will move further on in this direction.
Also, the College will improve her relationship with the Seminary especially with reference to affiliation guidelines. Similarly the Bachelor of Arts (Religious Studies) in affiliation with Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile Ife will soon become a reality.
A couple of resolutions approved at the recent Ministerial Training Board’s (MTB) meeting would also impact the College academically. These are that the Certificate Course be reduced to two years on the one hand and that the course be phased out of some Colleges of Theology, including Baptist College of Theology, Oyo, within five years. It was also resolved that in streamlining admissions into Nigerian Baptist Convention theological institutions, each College of Theology should have 200 students maximally. By normal Convention practice, these resolutions shall effectively be operative after final approval by the Convention in Session.
Furthermore, we shall update the College on Information Technology by having a website, computerizing the library and building a cyber café. Allied with this goal, library holdings would be increased in current theological works and relevant journals.
A great challenge here is the need to increase the faculty. A new librarian would be employed in 2008 and efforts would be made to call/invite theological educators and adjunct lecturers to join the faculty or to teach.

2. Create A More Conducive Atmosphere and Enabling Environment in the College
We shall continue to emphasize the necessity of academic and spiritual development and to challenge the College family to live as a distinctive Christian community especially with respect to love, truth, godliness and commitment, with members of the College doing their work as unto the Lord (Col. 3:23).
Furthermore, we shall show greater commitment to student, staff and faculty welfare through such means as financial assistance, sourcing scholarship, work-study and improved living and working conditions.
Additionally, we shall sustain a free flow of information, an open door policy and a true democratic environment working through statutory bodies and committee’s forums and the General Assembly to encourage the involvement and participation of all.

3. Increase Confidence/Goodwill of Supporting Conferences, Other Stakeholders, Groups and Individuals
There is a growing goodwill towards the College for which we remain grateful. In consolidating our gains here, we shall maintain a high degree of responsibility and accountability and also be committed to the reformation and transformation of the College. We shall further keep the mission of the College in focus as a yardstick for the effectiveness of the training of students thus:

The Baptist College of Theology (BCT), Oyo aims to be a leading evangelical College in Africa committed to excellence in theological education and to the training and re-training of God-called men and women who are academically sound and spiritually mature, competent ministers and effective leaders who will live authentic lives and impact local Churches, Christian organizations and institutions, and communities positively and significantly, thus contributing to the development of the nation(s) and the improvement of the world leaving good legacies for posterity.22

We shall also intensify dissemination of news/information about the College and partnering with stakeholders. Additionally, we shall continue to emphasize the need for students, staff and faculty to be good ambassadors of the College.

4. Make Significant Contributions to the Nigerian Baptist Convention (NBC), the Church in Nigeria, and the Society at Large
More than before, the College will inculcate in Students that they are future leaders and encourage them to prepare accordingly. Also, we shall challenge Students to make great contributions in their respective churches and the College community/environment to improve people and develop the society.
We shall encourage students and faculty to contribute to The Nigerian Baptist and other periodicals and to publish books as well as participate in learned societies and to have increasing denominational involvement.
By January 2008, the College will begin Minimester and we hope to follow-up later with special Seminars, lectures and conferences. Similarly, we shall promote Conference and Seminar attendance more than before.

5. Increase the College’s Physical Structures, Land, Landed Properties, etc and Enhance the Aesthetics of the College Compound.
This goal is closely tied with the 30th Anniversary Endowment/Development Fund of N50m. Trusting God for success with the N50m and as the College has financial leverage with funds from some other sources, the aesthetics of the College compound would be enhanced, abandoned projects and structures that are not fully completed would be completed accordingly and, trusting God for miracles, the development of the new College land would commence by 2008/2009. Similarly, renovations of some of the present structures and procurement of vehicles and equipments would be done.

6. Increase the Finances of the College
As it has been orchestrated at different forums, the financial challenge is the greatest challenge of the College. Again, the N50m would be ploughed into endowment fund.
This year, the College has bought over N120,000.00 shares. We shall do this periodically. Furthermore, we shall intensify appeals to individuals/families, Churches, Associations and supporting Conferences to make yearly contributions to the College and/or put the College on budget. This has become even more necessary in view of the Convention Executive Committee’s resolution to reduce 10% of this year’s Convention subvention to theological institutions for the next three years.
Additionally, we shall enhance the College’s venture, go into new, viable investments and we shall ensure prudent management of the College’s resources, underscore faithfulness and reduce loss/waste.


CONCLUSION – NOW IS THE TIME
Baptist College of Theology, Oyo has come to a great historical moment at this 30th anniversary. Due to a configuration of factors including strategic fund management and investments, increasing number of churches, Associations and supporting Conferences relinking or partnering with the College, the Great Momentum and the deathblow to the financial Goliath of the College – payment of over N2m pension arrears-the Lord God Almighty has broken the yoke over the shoulders of Baptist College of Theology, Oyo and delivered her from her historical bondage. Consequently, the College is now definitely set to go to greater heights and achieve her great vision. Now is the time for the Baptist College of Theology, Oyo to awake, clothe herself with strength and put on her garments of splendor. Now is the time for the Baptist College of Theology, Oyo to become a foremost theological institution in Africa and launch herself into the class of great and distinguished institutions in the world. Now is the time for Baptist College of Theology, Oyo to become a world-class theological institution.
We place on record our profound appreciation to individuals, families, churches, Associations, Conferences, successive members of the Board of Governors, faculty, staff and students and the Nigerian Baptist Convention who/which have contributed to the growth and development of the College over these 30 years. May the Lord reward all bountifully.





ENDNOTES


1Simon A. Kolawole, “A College in Transition,” The Shepherd Vol. 3, Sept. 2007, 3.
2Justo L. Gonzalez, The Study of Christianity, Vol. 1 (San Fransisco: Harper and Row Publishers, 1974), xvii – xviii.
3J.A. Okesiji, Oyo East Baptist Conference: History of the First Twenty Years (1977-1997), n.p.,n.d., 5.
4Okesiji, 6-7.
5Mobolaji A. Adegbola, “The History and Impact of Joint Baptist Pastors’ School, Oyo (1977 – 1995) on Baptist Work in Oyo Area” (Ogbomoso: NBTS,Master of Divinity Thesis, 1998), 21.
6Okesiji, Oyo East Baptist Conference, 7.
7Okesiji, 10.
8The Baptist College of Theology, Oyo Brochure, n.p., n.d., 2.
9Okesiji, Oyo East Baptist Conference, 12.
10Biyi Adewale, The Journey So Far…n.p.,n.d., 10-13.
11Adewale, 13.
12During Rev. Dr. Odebunmi’s tenure, Mrs. A.H. Bamijoko, Rev. ‘Biyi Adewale and Rev.Dr. S.O. Abegunde acted as Principal/Rector at various times. The title of the head of the school was changed to Rector when the school became Baptist College of Theology, Oyo, that is, in 2002 when the degree programmes started. This information was given by Pastor S.I.O. Bukola, October 3, 2007.
13Adewale, The Journey So Far, 14-30.
14Adewale, 43-46. It is ironical that the author himself contributed greatly to the negative public opinion he wrote about.
15Adewale, 43 citing T.O. Ogundare
16Okesiji, Oyo East Baptist Conference, 14.
17Adegbola, “The History and Impact of Joint Baptist Pastors’ School,” 45.
18Adegbola, 49.
19”Reform,” Webster’s New World Dictionary of the American Language (Nashville: The Southwestern Company, 1969), 624.
20”Transform,” 787
21The full article is in The Shepherd, 3-4
22Kolawole, “Five Symbols of A Theological Institution,” Inaugural Address Delivered on August 16, 2006,3.




BAPTIST COLLEGE OF THEOLOGY, OYO:
PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE










30th Anniversary Lecture Delivered By
Rev. Simon A. Kolawole, Ph.D. – Rector
On October 2, 2007