West Africa Theological Seminary

Graduation 2006

The new campus was looking better than ever on August 12, which dawned with clear skies and continued without rain throughout the day (just as we had prayed for all week). The brightest addition to the campus was the huge 18 x 45 permanent green and white canopy on the freshly-poured concrete patio outside the main building, furnished with 84 sturdy plastic chairs and ten tables. Inside the auditorium the front was tastefully and beautifully decorated with vertical green bunting stretching nearly 20 feet from the floor nearly to the roof line.

The WATS auditorium was filled to overflowing, and the extra canopies put up outside the sliding glass doors on the south side were put to full use. After the speeches the students marched forward to receive their certificates, and special awards were handed out for top achievers. This year our first endowed scholarship was awarded: the I. Parker Maxey Scholarship Award for Excellence in Preaching, anonymously endowed in honor of the father of the WATS founder. The recipient was Luke Babatunde.

55 Graduates Assemble for Procession

Speakers

Upper left: Dr. A. Christian Van Gorder

Upper right: WATS Provost Rev. Lawrence Ettu

Lower left: Bishop Emmanuel Gbonigi, Chairman of WATS Governing Council

Lower right: WATS Founder, Dr. Gary S. Maxey

Upper left: General view of gradutaing students

Upper right: Teaching staff

Lower left: Cross-section of the crowd

Lower right: Friday Udofia, one of the 55 graduating students, receives congratulations from Provost Ettu

Left: Dr. Herbert Eze, Vice Provost for Academic Affairs

Right: Theresa Ettu (wife of Provost Lawrence Ettu) and their four children

Left: Lots of celebrations followed the ceremony

Right: Crowd mingles after ceremony