Togo school’s ever-changing curriculum reflects societal needs

West African Baptist Advanced School of Theology (WABAST) opened in 1971 in the small, French-speaking nation of Togo. The school serves the local evangelical Church and the wider French-speaking West African countries.

Through training vocational Christian leaders for church ministries, the school of 57 graduates aims to address the greatest challenges facing the Church and West African society today, such as poverty, democracy, HIV/AIDS and the spread of other religions. Curriculum is ever-changing to offer relevant and effective courses addressing societal needs. Students serve a local church or parachurch organization for two of their three years of study, while the school maintains an equal concern for academic excellence, spiritual formation and ministry.

WABAST is open to all evangelical denominations despite being a Baptist school. They have a very strong relationship with other training institutions in the country and region, and about 80% of French Baptist churches in the region send students to WABAST. To provide ongoing training for pastors and alumni, WABAST plans to decentralize their courses to allow training for those who are unable to complete the three-year program on campus.

Graduate Atitso Daclou Kodjo uses his WABAST training in many ways: as children’s minister training more than 750 teachers and reaching 15,000 Togo children annually; as senior pastor at a small Baptist church; and as professor for a children’s ministry training program.