When I was a student, I longed for the extra time, after the classes and homework and practicum were done, to peruse all the books that were found in the one-room library. There were only about 5 rows of bookshelves then. But I was able to devour majority of the titles within three years’ time. When I graduated in 1978, we already had the new library, which was about twenty times as big as the old library. And the books just kept increasing in number, until at present we have around 28,000 volumes. Today, we have even added a new wing to this library, wherein are found the study carrels, two offices, public access area, and current periodicals section. A new Audio Visual Room has been added to the Stack Area, which can accommodate 50 people. The whole floor of the Stack Area has been filled with rows and rows of books, and we are fast approaching the overflow limit. Two rooms at the back portion of the Stack Area have been converted into the Christian Education Center and the Research and Archives Room. The first contains special collections of C.E. materials and teaching aids, and the second is dedicated for the use of researchers and the archives of the Filipino Chinese Churches. Now, much as I want to, I can no longer even hope to devour a small percentage of the collections in this library!

Back then, not only the student population was small, there were also very few in-house faculty members and hardly any staff members. I remember three very faithful teachers—Ms. Alice Huang, Ms. Betty Po, and Ms. Dorothy Wong. Dr. Denny Ma was the president then, and his wife looked after our nourishment. Four western missionaries assisted us: Rev. & Mrs. Raymond Frame and Rev. & Mrs. Paul Contento. There was one cook, one driver, and later, one maintenance man. No secretaries, no library staff; so many students became volunteers in the daily operations of the library, in Dr. Ma’s office, and in maintaining the surroundings clean and beautiful.

Times have surely changed. The computer age dawned, information and communication technology has revolutionized our community, but the task of winning souls and building God’s kingdom remains the same. Thank God for batches of dedicated young people (sometimes even not-so-young) who come to BSOP for training and after three years are sent out to the churches and Christian organizations. Thank God for the generations of dedicated board members who put the needs of BSOP ahead of their own, sacrificing and influencing others to do likewise. Thank God for the constant upgrading of our curriculum and programs of studies, as well as for their recognition one after another by the Philippine government’s educational arms and the Asia Theological Association. Thank God for the committed faculty members and the increasing number of staff members whose efforts greatly make the environment conducive to study and research. Thank God for dedicated maintenance and kitchen staff, some having served for decades and even reaching retirement age.

The physical structures in BSOP have also been ravaged by time, having gone through earthquakes, roof-peeling super typhoons, Pinatubo’s ashfall, perennial waist-deep floods, near fires, and finally, the most devastating of all—termite attack! With these two new buildings our needs have been amply provided. A better environment for study, interactive living, and ministry training is now available to all—students, faculty, staff, alumni, churches and organizations. BSOP has fast become a convention and retreat center, and well it should be, for the churches support us and we must in turn accommodate their needs according to what we have been provided. More and more groups have also come for 1-3 day retreats, and it is ideal. True, BSOP is far, but where else in this bustling, polluted metropolis can you find a place with gardens and trees, birds chirping, private air-conditioned rooms, hot home-cooked meals, a library full of substantial books and video tapes, and the ever-friendly, hospitable family of BSOP? The location truly provides a place where you can get away from it all, relax, seek solitude, walk in the garden with the Lord and be spiritually refreshed, read to your heart’s content and be mentally invigorated.

What’s more important, though, is what we envision for the coming days. We envision a seminary that continues to train local people for the needs of the local churches, day-schools, organizations, and community. We envision both English track and Mandarin track training two different sets of people who can later minister locally as well as globally. We envision becoming the center of advanced academic programs, such as AGST’s Th.M. and Ph.D. programs, because we have a lot to offer in terms of library holdings, classroom and dormitory facilities, and a dedicated and hard-working team of faculty and staff members. We envision going beyond the boundaries of the Philippine islands, beyond the confines of the Chinese community, and reaching out to the Filipinos and the Chinese living outside the Philippines, especially Mainland China and all over Asia. This is a near-reality as we are about to launch our M.Div. in Mission program and we have an on-going Mandarin Language Training Program among Filipino and Chinese believers who are burdened for Chinese souls. We envision working with the Filipino-Chinese churches in special areas like Pastoral Counseling, Christian Education, and lay leadership training, so that these churches can be strengthened to build up the body of Christ. Through all these efforts, we envision fulfilling Christ’s Great Commission of making disciples, baptizing them and teaching them, and also the Pauline mandate of the Timothy principle (II Tim 2:2), i.e., train one to train others.