Testimonials

God has made GBS a great blessing for laymen. I am glad that I was one among them. Equipping laymen for God’s work is not easy as they are so pre-occupied with their professional life and daily chores. Sparing those precious moments in the evening which was so effortful helped me a lot. We are not as privileged as day scholars, but as laymen we are more than blessed. Comparing to the yester years many working professionals are now part of the clergy. A few decades back a ‘layman clergy’ is a very difficult concept to digest. In ‘Mere Christianity’ (1952) C. S. Lewis clearly differentiates clergy as people who have been specially trained to look after the creatures who are going to live for ever but goes further explaining on the laymen. “The job is really on us, on the laymen. The application of Christian principles, say to trade unionism or education, must come from Christian trade unionists and Christian schoolmasters: just as Christian literature comes from Christian novelists and dramatists –not from the bench of bishops getting together and trying to write plays and novels in their spare time.” In today’s world it is the layman who gets more chance to witness the unregenerate in one to one basis. Irrespective of the calling the Great Commission is for all. So it makes more sense what Charles Spurgeon ‘the prince of preachers’ had said about this – “If unworthy to edify saints, he would creep in along with the sinners, and humbly tell them of divine love.” Even though I was the youngest student at that time (2009) I got a chance to help my Academic Dean with the office works. On the graduation day I got a special favour to deliver the graduation sermon, as my colleague backed out due to an unavoidable emergency. My Dean advised me to prepare a sermon on John 15:16 – “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit…”By quoting Isaiah 6:8 – “…Here am I! Send me” the sermon came to an end. Months later a fire accident in my company shattered my hopes of continuing in the Middle East. On that last day in GBS, as I was standing outside the gates of Sharjah Worship Center, one of my colleague patted on my shoulder and said, “Don’t be sad. Maybe you are going to be sent just for one person.” it was indeed a prophetical utterance. On August 7th 2012, I was transferred to Sri Lanka which was similar to my native place (Kerala, India) in many ways. I questioned God the logic of sending me to a place that had a very unfamiliarlanguage. Since there were no Malayalam worship, I ended up in an English congregation. As Spurgeon said, as I was unworthy to edify the saints I humbly continued telling the divine love of God to sinners in English. My M.Div thesis was on Apologetics and God opened a door to reach one more people group. Beyond all my calculation, Goddid something else. One fine Sunday morning after several invitations my old Filipino neighbourin Sharjah agreed to come with me to the church. If it was not a divine orchestration what else could have made him transferred with me to Sri Lanka. His response that Sunday gave me a strong assurance that he became a new man – Born again. For God to take me out from the Malayalam church to an English church, He had to move me 2051 miles. To keep me humble, God took him back to Sharjah and he got baptized with five others whom he personally witnessed for the glory of God.Interestingly he attends a church, where the pastor is the son of GBS’s Director. Spurgeon had said that, “If we had to preach to thousands year after year, and never rescued but one soul, that one soul would be a full reward for all our labor, for a soul is of countless price.” Circumstances had changed so much in this year (2020). Too often I feel a sense of waste, when I am unable to tell sinners what Christ has done for me on the cross. This is my prayer, “Lord Jesus, You died for our sins and rose again from the dead, now help me make this known to others and fulfil Your purpose in me.”

My experience here at GBS has been one epic journey. It’s so great to be in a place where the Word of God is taught, in an environment where the Holy Spirit is allowed free reign, and where my relationship with Christ is able to grow. I could recall that when I joined, I was a girl who was shy, never open up to anyone and mostly I had stage fear and couldn’t utter a word among audience. During the years at GBS, I had been given opportunities to develop myself and I learned to interact with people. Different tasks were assigned which helped me to develop my leadership skills. When the Lord sent me to GBS, I never imagined how profoundly enlightening it would be able to learn the true depth of the Word of God from the anointed professors demonstrating both passion and compassion. They have done their best motivating students to achieve their goals. They took me by the hand and led me through the process of understanding the character of God. This gave me earnestness to serve God’s will and to be obedient to His calling. GBS has provided me confidence of who I am in Christ, helping me to always be ready to give an answer for the hope that I have in me. I knew God had called me, but I was not equipped to do what I needed to do. GBS had helped me to not only understand and articulate God’s word, but to take ownership of its study for myself and become more effective disciple maker. I would recommend GBS because studying here will give the appropriate tools to help you be successful in ministry. They will walk with you through every step of process, always encouraging and helping you to bloom.

Over the years it has been my utmost desire to further my education in the areas of Theological and Biblical Studies. Gilgal Biblical Seminary has been a great blessing to me in that your part-time learning program has allotted me the opportunity to accomplish my heart felt goal. Prior to enrolling in your program, as a full time electrical engineer working almost every day it has been absolutely impossible to see my long desired goal become reality. Especially Prof. Benedict Antony was the faculty who saw the passion in me to learn God’s word while conducting a Bible class in my church in 2016 and it all started from there. I am really thankful to him amongst others for encouraging me to complete the course. Gilgal Biblical Seminary’s accommodating, flexible programs have made it possible for me to attain my goal. As well, your faculty’s spirit of sensitivity, consideration, and cooperation has been a blessing to me. Most importantly, having the opportunity to complete my studies part-time with an authentically and accredited bible-based seminary while working full-time in the middle-east, such as yours has been an answer to my prayer. I sincerely thank God for Gilgal Biblical Seminary. You have been more than a blessing. Without your great program and God-sent staff, myself as well as others who have the desire to continue their Theological education would never have the opportunity. May God continue to bless Gilgal Biblical Seminary immensely.