Academic Excellence and Christian Spiritual Formation
Welcome to the Renewed WATS
ABOUT US
West Africa Theological Seminary (WATS) was established in 1989. A small group of Nigerian and expatriate Christian leaders met to consider the needs of the Church in Nigeria and, in particular, to determine how to provide sound theological training to as many pastors as possible, on a nondenominational platform. The aim was to spread scriptural holiness on a solid Wesleyan foundation. Led by Rev. Prof. Gary S. Maxey of the USA, the group moved quickly to found a strong, academically competent, non-denominational theological seminary, now known as WATS.
NIGERIAN STATES
NATIVE LANGUAGES
CHURCH GROUPS
We are committed more than ever to provide world-class leadership education that focuses on spiritual and leadership formation, academic excellence and carefully contextualized instruction.
Over the past thirty-five-plus years, we have graduated well over 3,000 students, from several hundred African churches, many scores of ethnic groups, and more than twenty nationalities.
We have provided quality theological education since 1989 with a collection of well over 50,000 volumes in our library providing resources for all courses taught in our classrooms.
UNDERGRADUATE
The Bachelor of Arts in Theology is our focal undergraduate program designed to equip Christian men and women for local and global missionary and pastoral tasks in evangelism, church planting, disciple-making, church administration, pastoral counseling and social services. The Bachelor of Arts in Religion is operated in affiliation with the University of Nigeria Nsukka, with a primary focus on the academic study of religion.
GRADUATE
WATS offers five specialized Masters programs facilitated by a top-notch team of adjunct and resident faculty made up of renowned scholars from across the globe. The Master of Divinity (MDiv) is our flag-ship Masters program. In addition we offer the Master of Arts in Biblical Studies, the MA in Christian Education, the MA in Intercultural Studies and the MA in Christian Leadership.
POSTGRADUATE
The WATS Doctor of Ministry (DMin) is equipped to prepare top-level transformational leaders through personal spiritual renewal, growing understanding in Biblical and theological foundations and equipment for strategic leadership. Areas of specialization include Wesleyan holiness, cross-cultural missions, and evangelism and revivalism.
BECOME A PARTNER
WATS has been around for more than thirty-five years and has become the largest and most strategically positioned seminary in all of West Africa. Located in Lagos, Nigeria, it has trained more than 3,000 graduates. Our graduates are now serving in ministries in at least 24 countries. WATS looks forward to celebrating its 40th anniversary in September, 2029.
