Evangelical Theological Seminary in Cairo - December 2021 Update
In an October ceremony overflowing with gratitude, after two decades of service, Dr. Atef Gendy passed the baton of leadership, to his friend and colleague, Dr. Hani Hanna. Numerous dignitaries including members of the Egyptian Senate and House of Representatives attended the event which was hosted by the Heliopolis Evangelical Presbyterian Church. After welcoming comments by ETSC Board President Dr. Youssef Samir, a video collage illustrated the seminary’s remarkable growth over the past twenty years. It noted Dr. Gendy’s gifted leadership, including his work in building partnerships across the world, strengthening the faculty, renovations of the campus, and recent accreditation by the European Council of Theological Education.
Dr. Gendy began his remarks with heartfelt thanks to his wife Manal, whom he credited with keeping his life in order, saying, “She is a true life-partner.” Following this thread of gratitude, Gendy recognized a host of individuals whose contributions to his life and work have been significant. He went on to offer appreciation to ministry partners such as The Outreach Foundation whose investment in ETSC began when neither he nor the seminary seemed like a winning choice. In this vein, he declared that his greatest achievements were the friendships and relationships created during his tenure. He went on to say, “Investments in people are more important than investments in buildings.”
Dr. Gendy then addressed the remainder of his remarks to ETSC President Dr. Hani Hanna. Calling him a friend and brother, he said, “Hani, you were my student and my partner in my ministry, my success and my challenges. Today, I am delivering to you two symbolic things that mean a lot to me.” He then produced a silver relay baton. Using the baton as a metaphor, he recalled that he had received it from another, and he would pass it on to Dr. Hanna. Extending his metaphor, he said that their track was the kingdom of God, and that they are not the makers of history, but God. He closed his remarks by handing the baton and the ETSC flag to Dr. Hanna.
Dr. Hanna began his response by admitting that no course he had taken had prepared him to make the speech that he was about to offer. He acknowledged the honor given him and the great challenge facing him as president of ETSC. He expressed his gratitude for those who had entrusted him with the stewardship of the treasure called ETSC. He then responded in kind to Dr. Gendy and praised him as a friend and mentor. Dr. Hanna described his approach to leadership of ETSC like this, “To be as attentive as possible to where the music is playing, and when we hear the music, we must dance.” These words may seem strange coming from someone who originally trained as an engineer, yet they underscore his recognition that God conducts the orchestra that is the Evangelical Theological Seminary in Cairo.
Asked to define what success will look like for his presidency, Hani replied, “To train theological leaders who witness to God’s reconciling work.” He is passionate about training theological leaders who teach people to find what God is doing in the Middle East and the world. Egypt has the largest Christian population in the Middle East, which presents ETSC with the opportunity to bring healing to the religious, cultural, and political tensions across the region. Hani says that God often “works behind our backs,” which is his cryptic way of saying that God is at work whether people see it or not. The task is to enable people to work to find out what God is doing and join Him.
In Advent Hope,
Marilyn Borst, Associate Director for Partnership Development
Read more about the Evangelical Theological Seminary in Cairo HERE.
A return journey to Egypt has been scheduled for February 18-26, 2022.
For more information, please click HERE.
THE OPPORTUNITY
The Outreach Foundation is seeking gifts to support the mission and ministry of the Evangelical Theological Seminary in Cairo. All gifts of any size are needed for scholarships and operations, the Center for Middle East Christianity, and capital improvements of a flat that will expand program capabilities.
You may make a gift HERE or by sending a check to our office.
Dr. Atef (front row, center) with the 2019 Outreach team at ETSC