Graduation

We were privileged to be at the graduation ceremony which included the first graduating class of students with the bachelor of divinity degree.

Fifty students graduated.

Following are photos from the graduation.

MBCBC

MBCBC stands for Mennonite Brethren Centenary Bible College. The word Centenary was added in 1989 in celebration of the century of work by the Mennonite Brethren in the area.

The Bible College was begun in 1920. It offers a number of religion degrees including bachelor of theology and a bachelor of divinity. It gets its accreditation through an association with Serampore College, founded by Williama Carey in 1818.

The campus is on 34 acres of land and has 40 some buildings. Pictures of some of the buildings on the campus include: the library and chapel, the administration building, a classroom, a church on campus, and the guest house.

Some of the students and faculty are also shown including Rev. Dr. Prof. Joy Joseph the principal, RH Peters the academic dean, C.S. Joel the registrar with his family, students and singing.

Shamshabad

To the south of Hyderabad 30 miles is the town of Shamshabad. I was expecting small but it is a sprawling what I would call city. Hillsboro is what they call a village. There are several important things to know about Shamshabad. This is where the Mennonite Brethren Bible College is located on 34 acres. It has been here since 1920. The offer a variety of theology degrees and certificates including a bachelor of theology and a bachelor of divinity. There are 10 faculty. There are about 40 buildings including student quarters and a guest house where we are staying. The green building is the guest house.

What we have come to understand is the MBCBC is a vital institution to the life of the church in India, a church that is growing rapidly. Most of the church leaders have graduated from MBCBC. Yesterday was graduation for 50 some students. Around 1000 people attended from as far away as 200 miles.

The second important thing to know about Shamshabad is that an international airport is being built just a few miles away. 200 5 star hotels are reportedly being planned. Costs are sky-rocketing. Shamshabad is soon to be one of the most important travel destinations linking the technology centers to the rest of the world. It ishard to imagine a better institution with which Tabor can partner than MBCBC. This is not to suggest working together across two cultures is easy. It will not be. But if our goal is to transform lives, this is an opportunity that we must take seriously.

It will take some time to be able to sort through all experiences and to be able to communicate what all this means and how Tabor can be a partner with MBCBC. Several impressions are unmistakeable. The first is that the church is alive and well. It is amazing to learn how the growth is taking place. The second is that this location is a prime location in a country that is becoming more influential in the the world economy.