St. Basilios Theological College
Debre Birhan St. Basilios Theological College was established in 2023 as one of the higher educational institutions of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, with the approval of the Holy Synod Plenary Assembly held in October 2023. It was founded under the visionary and far-sighted leadership of His Grace Abune Kelemntos, Archbishop of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, Sunday Schools’ Department, North Shewa Diocese, and founder and Head of St. Basilios Theological College. It is located 130 kilometers northeast of Addis Ababa, in the city of Debre Birhan, which was founded during the reign of Emperor Zera Yacob (1426–1464), the capital of Royals, and the capital of the North Shewa Zone.
The college is named after the first Ethiopian Patriarch, His Holiness Abune Basilios, Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. Currently, the college admits students from various dioceses of the Church who meet the requirements to study in Theology, Law, Tourism, and Heritage Management and provides regular and continuing education. Therefore, the college is making great efforts to contribute to the development of an educated workforce and to produce more scholars for our Holy Church.
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Objectives
⇒ To admit students from all over the Dioceses who will fulfill the vision of the Theological College and fulfill its mission, and to teach the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church in theology, canon, tradition, and liturgy, as well as various social and spiritually important related subjects in an international quality and standard manner through undergraduate and postgraduate programs.
⇒ To produce scholars who are steadfast in the Orthodox Tewahedo faith, have deep knowledge in Theology, Law, Tourism, and Heritage Management, and are qualified for comprehensive service.
⇒ To provide training at various levels to priests and laypeople serving the Church in various professional fields to enhance their skills.
⇒ In addition to the regular education program, to educate priests and laypeople in a continuous education program to equip them with a strong apostolic ministry that has changed with the times.
⇒ To create an academic community that is of high quality and of national importance, which will enable the church to be competitive on a global scale, and to carry out exemplary activities.
⇒ To defend the existence of the church based on the study and research of theological movements in the church, and to teach and inform about the history, tradition, heritage, law, etc. of the church, as well as to use the tangible and intangible heritage of the church for education, study, and research.
⇒ To conduct and disseminate research that can solve problems and be applied in Orthodox theology, heritage and tourism management, and legal issues that require attention by establishing an appropriate teaching and learning system.
⇒ To establish educational, research, and teaching relationships between St. Basil's Theological College and the church's theological colleges in the country, as well as with the educational institutions of the Oriental Orthodox Tewahedo Churches worldwide.
⇒ To integrate the Orthodox education of the church into the social, political, economic, legal, and technological issues of the country.
⇒ To establish a modern institutional system so that the Theological College can achieve its mission of teaching and learning in terms of human resources, spirituality, communication, knowledge, development, finance, and technology.
⇒ To make the college a center of excellence in the fields of education and training provided by the college, as well as in short-term trainings, research, and the comprehensive implementation of the true and fundamental Orthodox Tewahedo teachings.
Mission
The mission of St. Basilios Theological College is to produce qualified national and international scholars in theology, tourism and heritage management, and law, while maintaining the foundation of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church (religious education, dogma, tradition, and liturgy). The College aims to provide quality education and training, conduct problem-solving research, and deliver the spiritual and social services expected of a spiritual educational institution.
Vission
The vision of St. Basilios Theological College is to become a leading Theological College and University in Ethiopia, renowned throughout Africa and the world, where the spiritual, intellectual, and material knowledge of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church is studied extensively and in depth through teaching, learning, and research.
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Values
⇒ Fear of God; following in the footsteps of the Orthodox Tewahedo holy fathers.
⇒ Quality and relevant education, research, and service; accessibility; solution-oriented approaches; intellectual enrichment; and broadening of global perspectives.
⇒ Being prepared for spiritual, community, national, and international service; sharing knowledge.
⇒ Upholding the rules and regulations of the EOTC by promoting fairness, transparency, responsibility, accountability, participation, and service.
⇒ Developing good character and ethics; Christian values; loving humanity; faithfulness; humility; and spiritual wisdom.
⇒ Being ready for spiritual, community, national, and international service; sharing knowledge while providing modern and efficient services.
⇒ Upholding the rules and regulations of the church by promoting fairness, transparency, responsibility, accountability, participation, and service, while respecting the rules of the institution.
⇒ Paying attention to indigenous knowledge (Value for Indigenous Knowledge).
The Future Direction of the College
The college is preparing to expand its teaching activities and open additional educational departments. To facilitate this, the design work for constructing various buildings on the 22,000 square meters of land leased from the government has been completed, and the foundation stone has been laid by His Grace Abune Kelemntos. The construction is now in the preparatory phase to commence. Once completed, it is believed that the project will become a prominent spiritual institution encompassing various religious colleges under the Church.
