About Us

ABOUT AST

Alexandria School of Theology is an educational institution for theological training, based on different locations and levels; It belongs to The Episcopal/Anglican Province of Alexandria, named after the ancient Alexandria Theological School to revive the original name of Christian Theological Education in the First Patriarchate in Africa. Alexandria School of Theology teaches three educational levels: The First level: Present in Alexandria School of Theology Education System; St. Athanasius Provincial Seminary (Alexandria and Cairo - Egypt) which awards certificates, diplomas, bachelor's degrees in theology and master's degrees in theology. The Second level: Present in The Diocesan Theological Schools, St. Cyprian Theology School (Tunisia), which awards diplomas and a theological studies program, St. Frumenties Theology School (Gambella - Ethiopia) and offers certificates and diplomas. The Third level: Present in the local studies centers, El-Minya satellite Center for Theological Studies (Minya - Egypt), which awards diplomas and a theological studies program, the Nuba Mountains Institute for Biblical Studies (Cairo - Egypt) and offers diplomas in ecclesiastical leadership. Alexandria School of Theology strives to maintain a consistent and unified education in its five institutions. At the same time, it encourages that the educational program for each of the five institutions to be appropriate to the cultural, educational and social reality of the society served
The Mission of AST
Envisioning a growing, vibrant church, the mission of the Alexandria School of Theology is to teach, train and form lay leaders, ordinands and clergy of our Province, members of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and all those who wish to serve Christ in mission with theological, missional and leadership skills for a pluralistic context
The Vision of AST
As a constitutive ministry of the Anglican Province of Alexandria, we seek to serve the Kingdom of God and to help grow Christ’s church through theological and spiritual formation of Christian leaders

The Values of the Alexandria School of Theology

1.  As Christians, the AST Community serves the Holy Trinity while the Triune God works in this world to prepare a people for the next. Called by the Father, to proclaim the Son, in the power of the Spirit, we seek to know Christ and make him known in all we do.

 


2.  As the Institution for theological education in the Anglican Province of Alexandria, we are particularly grateful for the legacy of our ancient predecessors – Athanasius, Augustine, Cyprian, Cyril and Frumentius, to name but a few – whose faithfulness to biblical teaching in difficult times inspired Thomas Cranmer and his fellow reformers to write Anglicanism’s founding formularies which still guide us today.

 


3. True to both our Lord Jesus Christ and our theological heritage as African Anglicans, AST seeks to inculcate the following values in the community life of all our institutions:

Faith: Since we are united by faith to Christ, and through our shared faith in him to one another, AST proclaims the Gospel of Jesus Christ in all that we do. The content of our academic courses, our worship in Chapel, our mentoring in spiritual formation, our instruction in pastoral practices and our training in ministry to those with physical needs, all these are to be shaped by and to serve as conduits of the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.
Worship: Embracing our fundamental call as Christians to glorify the Triune God and eternally enjoy our fellowship with him, we recognize that the regular practice of private devotion and public worship is a vital part of theological education for both lay and clerical leaders in the church.
Sanctity: Recognizing that the goodness of God leads us to repentance, we continue to proclaim in word and deed the grace and gratitude theology of our forebearers. Having been drawn to God by his unconditional love revealed in the cross of Christ, we encourage all members of the AST community – individually and in our life together – to seek to respond in love by pursuing God and godliness in all of our thoughts and actions.
Distinctiveness: We equip our graduates to lead the people of God to be the salt and light in society, so that the Christians they serve may faithfully proclaim the Gospel in word and deed, never capitulating to cultural idols which would compromise their Christian witness.
Excellence: We pursue personal and professional excellence that we might honor God with our best efforts. In theological education, this means leaning on the Spirit as he captures ever more fully our hearts, so that we will choose to grow in godly character and use our intellectual abilities for serving God’s purposes.
Integrity: As a part of our vocation to make Christ known, we wish to reflect his character by exhibiting honesty, clarity and mutual accountability in all our relationships between students, faculty, staff, governors and the broader academic community. Such integrity also helps us win the trust of our society.
Graciousness: In keeping with the ancient tradition of hospitality in our Province, which is also found in both the biblical witness and our Anglican heritage, all the members of the AST community seek to be gracious by showing kindness, courtesy and thoughtfulness to one another at all times.
Respect: In keeping with our Anglican heritage, the AST community respects biblical diversity in the body of Christ, not only by recognizing the unique dignity of each member’s gifting and contribution but also in welcoming into our community Christians from a variety of church traditions.
Justice: We seek to adhere to the Bible’s commitment to justice in our policies and exhibit it in our practices, both within and without the AST community.
Stewardship: As a community totally dependent on God’s provision for all of our many needs, AST seeks to manage these gifts responsibly and transparently, wisely using all resources for the advancement of our mission.
Service: Inspired by Christ’s own example, we respect the dignity and serve the well-being of all members of society throughout the Province, showing our love in practical ways that help them flourish. Since ministering to the whole of society is at the heart of what Jesus did, training lay and clerical leaders to do the same remains an important part of AST’s program.