Bishop Crowther Theological College

The Dean, Zacchaeus Asun, is a longtime friend. He is also the Secretary for Anglican Frontier Missions in Nigeria. I have spent the last ten days with Zacchaeus and the staff and students of Bishop Crowther Theological College.

I preached there last Sunday, the first day for the students. Since I already gave the outline (should you want more, just write me…) I’ll pass on to the Monday morning worship.

Here’s the picture. About 75 men with strong voices singing old chestnuts (“Stand up, stand up for Jesus”…). And doing Morning Prayer. Now how good is that!

One of the seminarians preached, pretty well, I thought. Then right after the service came a routine that reminded me of the proverbial sheep led to the slaughter. The preacher returns to the front of the chapel, with surplice hanging over arm. The Lecturer in Homiletics then proceeded to tell him the little errors he made. Preacher just stood there and took it like a man. Same routine after every morning worship.

One thing they really stress is the distinctives of Anglicanism, especially in conducting morning worship. A bit strong on the “orderliness” of Anglican worship, I thought, but then I am certainly an outsider.

The students are in three classes, dividing into the three years of study there. Actually there is a fourth between years two and three, a year to learn all three of the major languages of Nigeria so they can be posted anywhere.

There is a formalism in their academic world, which is probably more deferential in nature than anything. I open with, “Good morning, students,” and they reply, in unison, “Good morning, teacher.”

I learned that it takes a bit to get discussion going, but once I have opened a hot spot, they really get into it. Most of the time the discussion comes with a student holding up his hand and then standing to speak. Sometimes it’s closer to a free for all. And for full disclosure, yes, I did put some to sleep – more than once.

On one of the days before they arrived, I did a makeover of the library. The pile of books on the discard pile was 6 feet high by the time I finished. There are some very good books there for each department, but only about five feet of books. Constance and I made a contribution to the library. I hope she approves.

The students live in the “hostels”, about eight large dorm rooms with double beds and footlockers for each. They bathe in a common bathing room and have toilets near the hostel. This works - Zacchaeus once told me that African men don’t care where they sleep. Food is cooked in an open-sided kitchen with a staff of four. The meals are Nigerian food that they love. I supplemented my fare with peanut butter and tomatoes. The bell rings at 5 AM for devotions and bathing, chapel at 7:30, breakfast afterwards, then the first lecture.

On Friday night, my last, they held “ a ceremony” for me of thanks and good bye. It was very touching. Members of each class stood and told what my impact had been. Mostly, that was the awareness of the least evangelized and how they want to be a part of that. Then they gave me a shirt that says I am a friend of “The College on the Rock.”

That was my last night of my 66th year. The year closed on a high note.