Evangelical Theological Seminary in Cairo

Theological education in Egypt is as ancient as its cultures. One of the most highly developed faith systems in history, the pantheistic religion of the Pharaohs relied on a sophisticated hierarchy of rigorously trained scholars, scribes, and priests. These traditions of theological education continue today in institutions such as ETSC.

Although Christians have been in Egypt for nearly 2000 years, modern Christianity is a minority religion in a largely Islamic society. The Evangelical Theological Seminary of Cairo is one of the only
theological training centers for evangelical, or Protestant, Christians in Egypt.

The seminary was founded by Presbyterian missionaries who began work in Egypt around 1855 and gradually met with a strong response as they sailed up the Nile in houseboats like the one shown above. Eventually they reached the areas of El Minya and Assiut, where they had the most success. These areas continue to be strongholds of Orthodox, Protestant, and Catholic Christianity and are the point of origin for most of our seminary students.

The boats used by the missionaries doubled as seminary space before other facilities were available. The first class graduated in 1863 and since that time the seminary has been graduating leaders for Egypt and the Arab world. The main building of our current seminary was constructed in 1926 when our seminary moved from Asyuit to Cairo.

Early Egyptian Leaders (late 1800s)

2008 ETSC Graduates