The Aims and Purposes of the College

One of the greatest needs in Africa today is the training of church leaders. Thus the aim of the College is to train and equip men as Pastors. The College wants to serve the Protestant Churches of Eastern Zambia. The focus is on church leaders of which the majority have no formal training for teaching and preaching the Bible. In Eastern Zambia as in the rest of Africa there is the multiplication of church groups and Christians attach themselves to new leaders to receive spiritual care from them. Many preachers received their position as leaders solely by the acknowledgement of the local Christians. They are leaders and will preach with or without any training, even without any formal financial support – almost all Pastors in the rural areas are ‘tentmaker’ Pastors. This is also true of the students of the College; almost all of them are peasant farmers.

The College is situated 16 kilometres from Petauke just off the Eastern Highway to Malawi. The signboard ‘Covenant College – 4 kilometres’ will lead you to the farm, which provides a peaceful environment for the students to study.

The Ministries of the College

• Pastoral Training: The training and equipping of Pastors or candidates for the ministry is the main task of the College. It is a three year course and successful students are awarded the Certificate or Diploma in Theology. The College has an interdenominational approach, while holding to its Reformed principles and practice. The College stands on the Confessions and Catechisms which are known as Classical Reformed. The subjects include: Old Testament, New Testament, Dogmatics, Practical Theology, Church History, and Missiology.
• Women’s Ministry: Special care is also taken of the wives of the students; regular meetings for spiritual equipping and training in practical skills are held.
• Correspondence Bible Courses: For people who cannot attend the College a correspondence course is offered. It is offered in both English and the local language Chechewa.
• Children’s Ministry: Once a week children from the nearby villages receive Bible and systematic evangelistic teaching.

A Farm Ministry and Christian Education Ministry are also based at Covenant College, serving both the men training for the ministry and the local surrounding area.