Vessels of His Joy
The 2022 - 2023 Graduation Ceremony
It is always a blessing for us to come alongside our students in their faith journeys and see how they are growing and maturing as followers and servants of Christ. As they share with us their struggles and successes, we get to see the hand of the Lord work through their lives and shape them. A joyous part of their journeys that we get to experience with them is the graduation ceremony where we get to celebrate with our graduating students the fruit of their dedication and commitment to growing closer to the Lord. The ceremony is an opportunity for them to close out one season of their lives and begin a new one, carrying with them the skills, knowledge, and characters they have developed at Seminary as part of their lifelong journeys of learning.
On September 30th, we celebrated the graduation of 19 of our students: 15 from the Online Certificate in Ministry program, 3 from the Bachelor of Theology, and 1 from the Master of Divinity. Our graduates this year came from Sudan, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, and Egypt. Talking about what his journey of theological education has meant to him, Daniel Saab, Master of Divinity graduate and valedictorian for the 2022 – 2023 cohort of graduates shared:
On September 30th, we celebrated the graduation of 19 of our students: 15 from the Online Certificate in Ministry program, 3 from the Bachelor of Theology, and 1 from the Master of Divinity. Our graduates this year came from Sudan, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, and Egypt. Talking about what his journey of theological education has meant to him, Daniel Saab, Master of Divinity graduate and valedictorian for the 2022 – 2023 cohort of graduates shared:
Our journey of theological education began out of a vision for a brighter future and desire to have our lives changed by coming to know our Lord more deeply. ABTS was the soil where our dreams were planted and came to fruition. I am grateful to have learned from dedicated teachers and mentors who not only shared their knowledge but also pushed us to seek out a deeper understanding of our faith and our vision, which helped us grow our dreams, our characters, and our understanding.
Daniel, Master of Divinity Graduate
Before receiving their degrees, keynote speaker George Sabra, President of the Near East School of Theology, encouraged our students with a message on Joy, saying that:
The fruit of the spirit is joy, not happiness, and while happiness is temporary, joy is to have peace, comfort, and rest amid difficulty. And who is it who has joy? The book says that it is those who walked in darkness and have seen a great light that rejoice as people rejoice at the harvest. The presence of God amid darkness is what brings joy. And you, graduates, are called today to share this joy that transcends difficulty with all the people around us.
George Sabra, President of the Near East School of Theology
We thank the Lord for our graduates and pray that He continues to guide them on their journeys of ministry and faith.