History

Seminary on the Move (1863-1926)

ETSC was founded in 1863. In the early days, the houseboat Ibis was used as a floating seminary for theological studies and practical training. This houseboat sailed on the Nile from Aswan in the South to Cairo in the North. Students received lessons from their teachers in the morning and were then trained to do practical ministry in towns and villages in the evening. After some time, the seminary moved to the city of Asyut and next to Azbakia in Cairo.

Seminary in Abbasia (1926-present)

In 1926, our current campus was established with the purchase of land in Abbasia in Cairo, totaling 3600 square meters, and the erection of a two-story building. This building has been developed over time and is still our main building. Nowadays, it houses our chapel, classrooms, the computer lab, staff and faculty offices, and the Center for Middle Eastern Christianity.

Later, in the 1960s, a five-story building was added to include the seminary library and residence for the faculty. In the 1990s, another eight-story building was constructed that includes a dining hall with a large kitchen, a 250-seat auditorium, and a student dormitory and guesthouse with fifty rooms and five suites. In 2009, a multipurpose playground was prepared on the remaining small area between the three buildings, officially marking the maximum possible utilization of the campus space the seminary had with its initial land purchase. (This playground nowadays doubles as parking lot during office hours, as parking on the street in front of the seminary is no longer possible.)

For many years, we prayed for an opportunity to expand our facilities, knowing full well that our options were quite limited due to the high density of our neighborhood in Cairo. However, our God is always faithful to supply all our needs according to his riches in glory.

In 2011, an unexpected opportunity presented itself as a new building was being erected adjacent to our property. We sensed that this was God’s answer to our prayers and recognized it as the final possible option for ETSC to expand its facilities in this current location in the foreseeable future. God gave us grace in the eyes of the landlord, and we signed a contract allowing ETSC to purchase the entire first floor of the new building, with private access from campus. This extension has added 1300 square meters to our campus, an area larger than the total area of our main building. It has given us the opportunity to establish several centers, offices, a studio, and guest suites.