As the first President of King’s College Seminar, our vision encompassed more than just the establishment of a center of higher learning. Our aim was to create a beacon of enlightenment, a light that would shine across the breadth and length of South East Asia, reaching out to every corner and crevice, and extending its warmth to all its inhabitants, including the indigenous peoples.
We conceived of a church-campus, a unique amalgamation of spiritual and intellectual growth that would serve as a bastion of knowledge. This institution was intended to be a fortress of learning, fostering not only the acquisition of knowledge but also the development of leadership and stewardship. It was meant to serve as a reservoir of learning resources, ensuring the preservation and propagation of knowledge for future generations.
Our belief in the transformative power of education was deep and unwavering. We aspire to make the Seminary a place where all individuals, irrespective of their origin, could come to learn, to grow, and to contribute meaningfully. The indigenous peoples, in particular, held a special place in this vision. I saw in them a wellspring of untapped potential that could be unlocked and harnessed through the power of education. It was my firm belief that it was our duty, as the privileged custodians of knowledge, to provide them with the opportunities they deserved.
Establishing this Seminary was not just about erecting buildings and creating a place of learning. It was about building a community, a family bound not by blood, but by a shared thirst for knowledge and a common purpose. A community that would nurture its members, instil in them a sense of purpose, and equip them with the tools they needed to fulfil that purpose. It was about preparing the next echelon of leaders, individuals who would carry forward the torch of knowledge and guide future generations on their quest for wisdom.
In dedicating our lives to this mission, our fervent prayer is that our seminarians would transcend the confines of being just a theological college. We dreamed that it would evolve into a guiding light, a beacon of hope for those lost in the darkness of ignorance, and a testament to the power of education to transform lives and shape the future. We envisioned it as a symbol of enlightenment, a monument to the power of knowledge and the indomitable human spirit under the mighty hand of our Creator and Founder God (Psalm 89:11).