Vietnamese Baptist Theological Seminary established
The Ministry of Home Affairs’ decision approving the establishment the Vietnamese Baptist Theological Seminary was handed over to leaders of the Vietnam Baptist Convention (VBC) at a ceremony in Ho Chi Minh City on December 27.
Addressing the event, Nguyen Tien Trong, Vice Chairman of the Government Committee for Religious Affairs, noted that this is the third Evangelical training facility in Vietnam and the first of the Vietnam Baptist Church.
The decision demonstrates the great attention and recognition by the Party and State of the leading role of the VBC Executive Committee in guiding dignitaries and followers to comply with the law and accompany the nation, he said.
According to Trong, the decision also shows the confidence and expectation on the seminary’s success in training personnel that serve as examples of following the law and accompanying the nation.
For his part, VBC President Pastor Nguyen An Dien said that the VBC was recognised as a religious organisation in 2008. It currently has more than 7,000 followers and 85 chapters, but only more than 60 chapter leaders. The establishment of the seminary will meet the Church’s demand for personnel training, he said.
He thanked leaders of the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Government Committee for Religious Affairs and relevant agencies for supporting the approval of the seminary’s formation, thus granting a legal status for the school.
