On Wednesday 15^th May at Ballymena Baptist Church, we gathered to celebrate the success of the students who were graduating and to thank the retiring College Principal, Pastor Edwin Ewart, for his faithful service.

Pastor Ewart opened the evening with remarks as newly elected Association President, especially welcoming the graduating students and their families on their special evening. 

Principal Dr Jonathan McClaughlin gave his first report and reflected on the past academic year, thanking staff for their ministry to the students and paid tribute to the graduates for all their work both inside and outside of College.  He spoke of new ways the College will aim to combat the current challenges of Theological Training.

Dr Davy Ellison lead the Thanksgiving of Service for Pastor Ewart after seventeen years of service at the College, fourteen of those years as Principal.  He spoke of Edwin’s influence in the introduction of the Preparation of Ministry course and how this led to a steady supply of Pastors for our churches and mission workers.  Pastor Steve Auld, chairman of the Management Committee, publicly thanked Edwin reiterating his commitment, professionalism, strong leadership and care for the students. 

Pastor Ewart responded by thanking those who had helped him during his ministry.  He reflected that seeing students’ grow in gifting and maturity before going out into God’s service had been a wonderful experience.  He noted that through the challenges ahead the need to remain faithful to God and His Word and to make theology relevant to the context where God has placed us.  His prayer is that God will continue to raise up labourers for the harvest field and into avenues of ministry so that people will be saved, churches built up and the kingdom of God extended.  Dr Peter Firth prayed thanking the Lord for Edwin’s faithfulness and desire to proclaim God’s glory and his wife Alicen’s support in the ministry.

Mrs Alicen Ewart presented the awards to thirty-eight students who graduated from a range of College courses.  Dr David Luke prayed for God’s grace in the lives of the graduates and that they would know and serve God better.

Dr Sarah Dalrymple read from 1 Peter 5:1–4.  Pastor Craig Dyer, Senior Pastor at Hamilton Baptist Church, encouraged the students from this passage using three motivations for service.  ‘Not under pressure, but out of passion’, ‘Not for what we can gain, but what we can give’ and ‘Not by being exploitative, but by being examples’.  He encouraged us to serve joyfully to receive the unfading crown of glory.

It was a night of praise and worship to God through songs chosen by Pastor Ewart, ‘Come people of the risen King’, ‘May the peoples praise You’, ‘Turn your eyes upon Jesus’, ‘Holy Spirit living breath of God’ and ‘There is one Gospel on which I stand’.

Thank you to the church at Ballymena for their welcome, hospitality and providing the lovely supper for us all.

As the Academic year of 2023–24 finishes, let us pray on for those who have graduated, those still studying and that the Lord would work in the lives of others to bring them to the College to be trained for His glory.