Governing Council at West Africa Theological Seminary
The WATS constitution provides that the Governing Council shall consist of not less than eleven and not more than nineteen persons, including the Provost of the Seminary. Members of the Governing Council are elected by the Board of Trustees. Secondary to spiritual and theological agreement, the Governing Council shall as much as possible represent diversity of geographical and ethnic origins and denominational affiliations.
No person shall be appointed to the Governing Council unless such a person has a testimony of personal evangelical conversion, and is of good standing in his/her church. Further, such persons shall sincerely and wholeheartedly assert and acknowledge willingness to support and perpetuate the Seminary in the fundamental doctrines of the Wesleyan-Armenian theological position, including the divine inspiration and inerrancy of the scriptures, justification by faith, regeneration, the witness of the Spirit and holiness.
Members of the Governing Council shall be elected for a term of three years and may be re-elected for subsequent terms. The term of members shall expire at the close of the meeting of the third year of their term. A member of the Governing Council shall cease to hold office if he/she resigns, is incapacitated from attending meetings by illness extending for more than four meetings, becomes insane, is convicted of a criminal offence involving dishonesty by a court of competent jurisdiction, willfully stays away from Governing Council meetings for more than two sessions, or is not re-elected at the end of his three-year term.
The functions of the Governing Council shall be as follows:
- Overseeing and maintaining the constitution and by-laws (if any) of the Seminary.
- Appointing the Provost of the Seminary.
- Appointing the Deputy Provost and Vice Provosts of the Seminary, giving due regard to the recommendations of the Provost.
- Conserving and developing financial resources, approving major physical changes, steps in development, and maintenance of the property of the Seminary.
- Authorizing the budget, approving charges and tuition, and setting policies so as to limit a student's indebtedness to the Seminary.
- Authorizing borrowing and establishing of plans to finance the operations of the Seminary.
- Reviewing the reports of the Seminary as presented by the Provost.
- Working toward seeing the purposes and programmes of the Seminary carried out, exercising control of the entire operation of the Seminary through the Provost.
- Being knowledgeable of the personnel, purposes, programmes, and the financial structure of the Seminary.
- Continually seeking to upgrade the Seminary spiritually, academically, financially and in the matter of improving and maintaining facilities and providing adequate staff.
- Setting up committees as needed for carrying out its purposes and proposed actions.
- Reviewing the salary schedule of the staff every three years and making adjustments as necessary in order to take reasonably good care of the financial needs of the staff members.
- In cooperation with the administration, establishing long-range goals in the areas of academics, finances, property improvements and student recruitment.
- Appointing auditors.
- Discharging faithfully the responsibilities delegated to it by the WATS constitution and guarding against changing the fundamental character and purposes of the Seminary as stated in the constitution.
- Carrying out its programmes and exercising its functions through the Provost of the Seminary and therefore holding him responsible for executing its policies.
The Governing Council shall meet at least twice a year. Beyond this, the Governing Council shall meet on call at the discretion of the Chairman of the Governing Council, the Provost or by a majority of the members calling a meeting.
The current members of the Governing Council are:
- Rt. Rev. Dr. Emmanuel G. Gbonigi (rtd), chairman
- Rev. Dr. Gary S. Maxey, Founder, secretary
- His Eminence, Dr. Sunday Makinde, Prelate, Methodist Church Nigeria
- Rev. Dr. Wilson Badejo, General Superintendent, Foursquare Gospel Church of Nigeria
- Maj. General S. Kayode Oni (rtd)
- Oluremi Sogebtun
- Lydia Ocholi
- Rev. Dr. Cosmas Ilechukwu, General Overseer, Charismatic Renewal Ministries
- Philip Akinola
- Barrister I. L. Sambo
- Barrister Okechukwu Ugwuezi
- Femi Martins
- Sonny Iroche
- Barrister Victor Obaika
- Engineer Isaiah Ajayi
- Pastor Tony Rapu
- Dr. Ola Adeogun
- Rev. Jacob Ajulo, General Overseer, BCCM Ministries
