The forerunner to Believers Eastern Church Theological Seminary was a short-term program called “Intensive Christian Training” in Tenkasi, Tamil Nadu. This program opened in 1990 to equip young people to follow Christ’s call to serve humanity. Around 700 young men were trained for Christian service during the next few years.
Students in the Tenkasi Training Center
The leaders of this program sensed the need to provide a higher level of education, and started Gospel for Asia Biblical Seminary (now Believers Eastern Church Theological Seminary) on 12th June 1993 in Thiruvalla, Kerala. The seminary offered a Bachelors of Theology degree, and drew 154 students from all over India and the neighboring countries the very first year. The seminary introduced its first Masters program in 1995.
The seminary accomplished a great milestone in its history and development when it got affiliated to Senate of Serampore College (University) in 1998. Soon the seminary became one of the top prestigious institutions under Senate of Serampore University.
The scope of the seminary expanded in 2011, when a Distance Education Study Centre (DESC) was inaugurated under the Directorate of Distance Education of Sam Higginbottom Institute of Agriculture, Technology and Sciences (SHIATS), Deemed-to-be-University, Allahabad.
Graduating class of 2013
From its small beginnings until today, BECTS has produced more than 2,900 graduates. These men and women are known for their discipline and diligence and many are now serving in influential roles in various churches and ministries across the globe.