In Pursuit of Excellence: Our 2023 Accreditation Visit
The pursuit of excellence is a core value at ABTS. As we seek to serve Him and the growth of His Kingdom in the Arab world, we cannot but bring our best and lay it down at His feet. And, as He uses our ministry for His purposes, we cannot help but be formed according to His will.
Our accreditation journey, which began in 2007, is a direct result of this pursuit. To guarantee high-quality theological education, ABTS pursued institutional accreditation and accreditation for its different programs through the European Council for Theological Education (ECTE). ABTS became a member of ECTE in 2007 and was recognized as an alternative provider of higher education by 2012. ABTS received its first Visiting Evaluation Team (VET) in 2014, and our first accreditation in 2015. Our accreditation was first renewed in 2019 and is now due for another renewal.
Since 2019 and our commitment to a new strategic direction, and with the launch of our new Master of Theology program and the changes that our Integrated Theology program has undergone, we were due for a re-assessment. Over the past months, our Academic Team, faculty, and Registrar’s Office were hard at work preparing all that was needed for our latest accreditation visit. Spearheaded by our Registrar Rana Wazir, who also serves on the ECTE Accreditation Commission, ABTS faculty and staff worked hard to compile documents on our policies and curricula that were sent to ECTE in preparation for the visit. From the 3rd to the 5th of April, ABTS received a team of five professionals, including a student representative and a trainee from Middle East and North Africa Association for Theological Education (MENATE), who carried out meetings and interviews with students, graduates, faculty, program leads, leadership, and board members. At the end of their visit, the VET shared with us their initial findings, which were overwhelmingly positive. This visit will inform the decision that the Accreditation Commission will take in their meeting later this summer.
Since 2019 and our commitment to a new strategic direction, and with the launch of our new Master of Theology program and the changes that our Integrated Theology program has undergone, we were due for a re-assessment. Over the past months, our Academic Team, faculty, and Registrar’s Office were hard at work preparing all that was needed for our latest accreditation visit. Spearheaded by our Registrar Rana Wazir, who also serves on the ECTE Accreditation Commission, ABTS faculty and staff worked hard to compile documents on our policies and curricula that were sent to ECTE in preparation for the visit. From the 3rd to the 5th of April, ABTS received a team of five professionals, including a student representative and a trainee from Middle East and North Africa Association for Theological Education (MENATE), who carried out meetings and interviews with students, graduates, faculty, program leads, leadership, and board members. At the end of their visit, the VET shared with us their initial findings, which were overwhelmingly positive. This visit will inform the decision that the Accreditation Commission will take in their meeting later this summer.
ABTS leadership team with the VET team
Talking about the importance of the accreditation process for ABTS, Rana shared,
It is an essential part of our pursuit of excellence. Through it, we are able to assess how effective we are at carrying out our mission of offering specialized learning resources and equipping faithful men and women for effective ministry. It assures our students that our degrees meet European academic standards, and it provides opportunities for future study outside the MENA region. It also helps us take a step back and look at our programs from the outside. This helps us highlight areas that require further attention and growth.
We thank the Lord for bringing us thus far. We pray that He gives us wisdom as we seek to serve Him and His Kingdom through the Church in the Arab world.