Picture taken at the Malaysia Baptist Theological Seminary before their 65th anniversary.

One of Jesus’s last commands to the twelve apostles was to go and make disciples of all nations. Today, as Christ’s followers, we have inherited this call. One local seminary has taken on this injunction passionately. Since its birth in the 1950s, the Malaysia Baptist Theological Seminary (MBTS) has always held a missional identity close to its heart. Recently, they embarked on a series of online courses and programmes, transcending into further new geographical boundaries in the process.

The History of the Malaysia Baptist Theological Seminary (MBTS)

Established in January 1954 at Anson Road Penang, the Malaysia Baptist Theological Seminary (MBTS) has close to 70 years of history. In this period, it has established a position as one of the premier Christian educational institutions in our nation.

Malaysia Baptist Theological Seminary’s first building at Anson Road, Penang

Founded by missionaries from the Southern Baptist Convention to train those who can testify to a call to full-time work in a local church, the seminary continued to grow. By the 1980s, a BTS branch was set up in Singapore, and the Asia Theological Association (ATA) has granted it full accreditation for its Bachelor of Theology and Masters programmes (MA & MDiv).

The first president and lecturers of MBTS

In 1990, MBTS joined BTS Singapore and BTS Thailand to offer their doctorate programmes (Doctor of Ministry and Doctor of Sacred Theology degrees). By the end of the decade, many new training and research centers would be launched by MBTS.

Rev Dr. John Ong, the current president of MBTS conducting a seminar (above) and chapel service (below).

The 21st-century would be a particularly fruitful year for the seminary with a new branch opened in the Klang Valley, the start of a Malay Language track and Resource Center, the launch of a youth ministry, and partnerships with international institutes and colleges in Australia, USA, and Korea.

Various special seminars conducted during recent years.

Among the highlights during this fruitful period included:

2015

The organizing of the “Holy Land, Holy People” Tour & Conference.
The launching of the Doctor of Missiology Program (Chinese).
The setting up of the Italy Chinese Theological Seminary.

2016

The establishment of the Marketplace Ministry Institute.
The launching of the East Europe Theological Training Centre.
The setting up of the Silk Road Gospel Network (International).

2017

MBTS organized the “In the Footsteps of the Apostles” Greece Tour.
Being part of the formation of Malaysia United Missions Mobilization (MUMM).
Being a co-organizer of the 1st Chinese Mission Conference in Europe.

2018

ATA accreditation team visited MBTS campus in September and re-accredited all programs (including DMin and DMiss programs) and accredited the Master of Theology degree program for the first time.
Europe & Asia Youth Cross-Cultural Theological Training.
The setting up of the Paris France Chinese Bible School.

2019

MBTS launched “MBTS Online” to offer courses.
MBTS celebrated its 65th Anniversary.
The total number of students from Malaysia, Europe Extensions, Southeast Asia Extensions, Hua Xia Extensions exceeded 3000.

From its humble beginnings of three teachers and four students in 1954, today MBTS has grown to include extension programmes in East and West Malaysia, South-East Asia, East Asia, and Europe.

Life and Culture at the MBTS Main Campus

MBTS’s main campus is now located on a 14-acre undulating land in Batu Ferringhi, Penang that was bought in 1958. With a mountain as a backdrop and a beautiful sea view, the serene environment of the campus provides a conducive environment for theological studies and spiritual reflection.

The campus library has more than 45,000 books of 42,600 titles, 6700 volumes of journals, 2100 titles of compact discs, digital books, and an online connection with several libraries in large American seminaries. The oldest book in the library in their Rare Books collection includes one that was published in 1598.

A librarian arranging books in the MBTS main campus library.

Committed to the philosophy of equipping its students holistically, and encompassing the 3Hs (head, heart, and hands), the education at MBTS is developed along the three major strands of academic, spiritual, and practical growth. Students are taught to learn to think, pray, and serve. Some examples of the 3H philosophy in practise include:

The commitment to meet the academic standards set by the Asia Theological Association. A certain number of classroom hours must be met for graduation.
Providing a state-of-the-art library for the students to read, do research in, and help develop constructive thinking.
The formation of faculty members and students into mentoring groups to give personal attention to the students’ development. This activity is in addition to the required Formation Courses that emphasize faithful completion rather than grading.
A pause for chapel amid studies: for community worship, prayers, and fellowship. A healthy “spiritual climate” is deliberately cultivated and maintained in the seminary community.
The opportunity for students to be involved in supervised weekend field education and practical projects with the aim that they discover their giftings or “polish up” their giftings.
The formation of faculty members and students into teams for mission trips where all will learn cooperation, mutual submission, and practical skills. The experiences in the mission fields will greatly help to mature the students spiritually.
Time set aside for faculty and students to go on retreats, to work in teams for kitchen duties, and attend conferences and seminars conducted by guest lecturers.

The Courses and Going into Online Programmes

MBTS courses are offered in a multitude of languages including Chinese, English, Korean, Malay, and Indonesian, and taught by a pool of both local and international faculty members. The presence of MBTS in various nations around the world has also enabled it to be involved in transcultural mission work that has impacted people in more than 50 countries. The courses cover a wide-sweeping spectrum of the Christian faith, from the graduate diploma to the doctorate level.

In 2019, even before the COVID-19 pandemic shifted our paradigms, many courses were offered online through the launching of MBTS Online. They encompass a rich field of the many different ministries in God’s Kingdom including Biblical Interpretation, Holistic Child Development, Youth Ministry, Theology, and even Intercultural and World Christian Studies. Among the courses are also many that go deep into a specific area of a larger field of learning including Great Commission Apologetics (apologetics with specific applicability in the Great Commission).

Just some of the many online courses offered by MBTS Online.

MBTS celebrated its 65th Sapphire anniversary in 2019. In the video below, Rev Dr. John Ong, the current president of MBTS, shares his gratitude to God for His blessings on the seminary and to the many people who have supported the seminary, as well as his future hopes. To learn more about the courses offered at MBTS, including the online ones, and how you can enrol in them, you can go to http://www.mbts.org.my/en/home