The Tribune

September 2018 will mark the beginning of the fourth year of the Anglican Theological Institute. Thirty students graduated at the end of June after having completed three years of education in Christian theology. The graduation ceremony took place on June 28 at the Church of the Most Holy Trinity, Stapledon Gardens.

There are more than 30 continuing students at ATI from throughout the Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands who are from various denominations. These students are either auditing the courses or are actively producing papers in order to receive a diploma at the end of the three-year period. Classes are streamed live from either Nassau or Freeport and can be viewed wherever students have access to high speed internet service. Students can also watch the lectures on demand from the Institute's website.

The Institute conducts classes on Saturday mornings from 8am to 12noon from the Pro Cathedral of Christ the King in Freeport, Grand Bahama, or from the Della and Stanley Pre- School at St Barnabas on Wulff and Baillou Hill Roads. Students on the Family Islands may view the courses live from the comfort of their homes.

Students are preparing themselves to experience an exciting journey in Christian spirituality, introductions to the Old and the New Testaments, Christian doctrine, ethics, liturgy and worship, evangelism, the Apologetics, Anglicanism and church history.

According to the ATI, their courses been a fruitful exercise in strengthening the foundation of students' faith and acquiring the necessary tools to assist in lay ministry.

There are two semesters each year and each semester is 12 weeks. Four core courses are offered each semester. Reading assignments are given with a written assessment for each course. Theological libraries are available in Nassau at Addington House and in Freeport at the Pro-Cathedral of Christ the King.

In September, ATI plans to offer short courses in evangelism and a lay ministers course. More information will be available in August.

Registration is open to anyone interested in deepening their knowledge of the Christian faith. Application forms may be collected from the Pro-Cathedral of Christ the King in Freeport, the Pro-Cathedral of St Mary in Grand Turk, or in Nassau from the Anglican Diocesan Office on Sands Road and the St Barnabas Church on Wulff and Baillou Hill Roads. Application forms are also available online at www.atibahamastci.org.