ABTS
Arab Baptist Theological Seminary
Equipping Arab Church Leaders
In a quiet suburb of Beirut, a small campus exists where faithful leaders have been equipped since its founding in 1960 to serve and impact the whole of the Arab World. The Arab Baptist Theological Seminary (ABTS) gathers men and women who have already demonstrated their commitment to local ministry and who are dedicated to returning to their home countries around the region to serve or plant local churches.
Speaker at ABTS chapel
ABTS student during chapel
These ministers-turned-students arrive for a few focused years of study, hands-on ministry experience, and transformative relationships with the highly qualified faculty committed to guiding and challenging them. It is the commonality of the Arabic language and the universal applicability of God’s Word that allow the seminary to bring together church leaders from such diverse backgrounds for further training, and a unique, formative community is re-created with each new generation of students. Once there, the nature of their equipping is unparalleled.
While it might seem simple to import theological and ministry training from the vast resources available in the West, ABTS leadership has instead diligently developed a holistic curriculum that is both biblically faithful and contextually relevant, the fruit of years of intentional listening to the needs of pastors and ministry leaders around the region. This strategic curriculum, which equips men and women in accredited residential bachelors and master’s degree programs, has recently become available to a wider network of active church leaders through the first Arabic language online theology program in the region.
ABTS Moore Conference Center
ABTS student during chapel
Arab Baptist Theological Seminary (ABTS) is also home to the Institute of Middle East Studies, which is effectively impacting Lebanon, the region, and the world through its mission to “bring about positive transformation in thinking and practice between Christians and Muslims in the Middle East and beyond.” In other words, ABTS is focused on producing peacemakers: thoughtful, humble servants for a region characterized by conflict and in desperate need of Christ-like dialogue.