Myanmar Institute of Theology - History

History

The Myanmar Institute of Theology, originally known as Baptist Divinity School, was founded in June 1927, on Seminary Hill, Insein. With only four students to begin with the school used the facilities of the Karen Theological Seminary currently known as the Kayin Baptist Theological Seminary. Shortly after its opening the school became affiliated with the Northern Baptist Theological Seminary in Chicago, Illinois. This affiliation lasted until the Second World War. The first president was Dr. W. E. Wiatt, an American missionary who served from 1927 to 1939. The school was renamed in 1939 as the Willis and Orlinda Pierce Divinity School (1939-1949). The second president of the school was Dr. C. F. Chaney who served from 1939 to 1941, when the Japanese occupied Burma.

In 1948, the school reopened with Thra Chit Maung as Chairperson of the Curriculum Committee. In 1952, with the arrival of Dr. Paul D. Clasper, Thra Chit Maung was made President and Dr. Clasper, Vice-President. The school was renamed in 1949 as the Burma Divinity School (1949-1976). In 1955, the school became affiliated with Central Baptist Theological Seminary of Kansas City, Kansas. This affiliation lasted until 1960, when the school became an accredited member of the Association of Theological Schools in South East Asia. Since 1960, the school has been conferring degrees on its graduates.

Since 1966, with the departure of American Baptist missionaries from Myanmar, the school has been entirely staffed by nationals. The Seminary has faithfully carried out its educational mission, adapting and responding to the challenges of the new day.

In 1976, the name of the school was again changed to the Burma Institute of Theology (1976-1989) as it was deemed more appropriate to the situation in Burma. In 1977, on Dr. Chit Maung’s retirement, Thramu Esther Lwin was made Acting-President and then President from June 1978, to the end of 1983. In January 1984, Rev. Victor San Lone who had been serving as General Secretary of the Burma Baptist Convention became President and served in that capacity until his sudden death in 1987. Thramu Eh Wah, the Vice-President, was made Acting-President until March 1988, when she was officially appointed President. The Seminary’s name was changed to the Myanmar Institute of Theology in 1989, when the country changed its name to Myanmar. Dr. Eh Wah retired in 1998 and the Vice-Principal Dr. Anna May Say Pa was elected the new Principal of the Myanmar Institute of Theology. Dr. Simon Pau Khan En succeeded in 2006 and when he retired in 2010 Dr. Samuel Ngun Ling became Principal of the Myanmar Institute of Theology effective from 2010-2011 academic year.

Throughout its history, the school has served as an institution of higher Theological education in Myanmar. More than twenty ethnic groups, and not less than ten Christian denominations are represented each year in the student body. Until 1962, only the B.Th. program was offered, but that year the Bachelor of Religious Education program was introduced and in 1976, the B.D. program was initiated. In 1996, no new B.Th. applicants were accepted for the B.Th. program as the Board of Trustees had decided that the Seminary would offer only graduate programs. In 1997, the MIT started the M.Div, and M.T.S. Degree programs and replaced the B.D. program. March 1999 saw the last batch of B.Th. graduates and the first batch of MTS graduates and March 2000 marked the graduation of the 1st batch of the Master of Divinity class. Year 2000 is also a milestone for launching new programs such as Summer School, Summer Seminar and Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies BARS.

Since 2004, MIT launched the Doctor of Ministry (D.Min) program in partnership with the Union Theological Seminary, Manila, the Philippines and the program ended in 2008 when MIT started a new partnership for Doctor of Ministry program with the Central Baptist Theological Seminary, Kansas, USA, which will take effect from 2010-2011 academic year.

Master of Ministry (M.Min) degree program was inaugurated in 2006 in respond to the needs of the churches and communities to promote a quality leadership in the church and society.

The year 2010 saw the opening of a new program called Master of Theological Librarianship (MTL) and the termination of the old program called Master of Theological Studies (MTS).

Finally MIT is fully determined to launch PhD degree program in 2014 in the commemoration of the two hundred anniversary of the arrival of the American Baptist missionaries, Adoniram and Ann Judsons in the soil of Myanmar.