Academic Environment

lecture hall in BTS Administration Building

lecture hall in Women's Instructional Building

lecture hall in Old Chapel Building

class in session in Old Chapel Building

Class in session in Old Chapel Building

Class in session in Administration Building

The hot & humid climate is hard on buildings. Here, a ceiling is rotting and collapsing in a classroom.

Class in session in the Old Chapel building.

Rev. John Pena, BTS lecturer and Director of Development prepares for the day's lesson. Rev. Pena charges his laptop at home so that he can use it on campus, where the classrooms have no power.

Class in session in the Old Chapel building.

R. Job Library main collection room

Class in session in the Old Chapel building.

The Old Chapel building now houses two lecture halls.

Communication and Research Laboratory

Banyam Seminary's importance to the Nigerian church cannot be overstated: it is the only United Methodist Seminary in a country where the church is growing 15% annually. Yet, the school is under-funded and must make hard choices in areas of facilities and infrastructure. Classrooms are very basic. Lack of electricity dictates holding classes and meetings during daylight hours. Books, (even Bibles) are in short supply and are shared by students. The BTS library is probably one of the better theological libraries in West Africa, yet its collection is relatively small, and the hot, humid climate is destructive to paper and book bindings. A new asset to the seminary is the Communication and Research Lab, where 8 computer workstations provide students a satellite internet connection. This offers the first computer experience for many BTS students, and gives access to the whole world of theological thought. The research lab is powered by a portable generator that is run in the afternoons as demand dictates.