The Church of Pakistan marked a historic milestone November 1 with the inauguration of St. Thomas Theological College, Khanewal, while also celebrating the 55th anniversary of the church’s formation.
“This inauguration is not merely the opening of a building but the beginning of a movement for the expansion of God’s kingdom,” said the Most Rev. Dr. Azad Marshall, Moderator and President Bishop of the Church of Pakistan.
“If our faith is to stand strong amid persecution and fear, we must raise men and women who think biblically, act compassionately, and lead faithfully,” he added.
Marshall and the Rt. Rev. Leo Roderick Paul, Bishop of Multan, led the dedication service at the seminary campus and a service of Holy Communion at nearby 6 Civil Lines Church. The service was attended by bishops from across the church and numerous dignitaries, including Naveed Jeeva, a member of the National Assembly.
A New, Central Site
St. Thomas Theological College was founded as the Church of Pakistan’s national seminary in 1987, just 17 years after the ecumenical church was established as a union of the nation’s Anglican, Methodist, Presbyterian, and Lutheran churches. It is named for the apostle who traditionally brought the gospel to South Asia in ancient times.
It was originally based at the historic Holy Trinity Church campus in Karachi, in Southern Pakistan’s Sindh province. But five of the church’s dioceses—Raiwind, Lahore, Faisalabad, Sialkot, and Multan—are in the Punjab region of central Pakistan, and the church’s synod decided to move the seminary to a more central site. The Diocese of Multan donated facilities for the purpose.
The college offers Bachelor of Theology (B.Th.) and Master of Divinity (M.Div.) degrees, which blend biblical scholarship with practical formation in pastoral care, interfaith dialogue, and community leadership. Classes are taught mainly in Urdu, the national language, ensuring accessibility to students from all eight of the church’s dioceses.
Workshops for lay leaders, women’s ministry training, and clergy enrichment programs are planned at St. Thomas’ alongside its regular work of preparing ordinands and catechists, ensuring the seminary remains a living center of faith and service.
Bishop Paul said he took special pride in the seminary’s being based in Khanewal.
“My grandfather was transferred from the Central Cathedral of Lahore to this church in Khanewal,” he recalled. “I myself served here in this parish before being consecrated as bishop of this diocese. This place carries our family’s faith journey and the legacy of the Church’s mission.”
Formed in the Mind of Christ
In his dedicatory address, based on Philippians 2:5-7, Marshall spoke on the theme “Let the Mind of Christ Be in You.”
“Knowledge must lead us not to pride but to the likeness of Christ. The goal of this college is that knowledge may become light—that the mind of Christ be formed in every student who enters these halls,” he said.
Marshall outlined a threefold journey of theological education: information, formation, and transformation.
“Knowledge must become formation; formation must become transformation. Theological education should produce not only scholars but shepherds—servant-leaders who reflect the humility and obedience of Christ.”
He said that he hoped the seminary would become the Church of Pakistan’s missionary hub.
“‘As the Father has sent me, so I send you.’ This campus should prepare agents of transformation—witnesses of God’s kingdom in the Church and in society.”
The inauguration service was conducted using the liturgy of the Church of Pakistan’s new Book of Common Prayer, which contains rites in English and Urdu. Marshall formally dedicated the new prayer book for use in the Diocese of Multan.
“This book will enrich the worship and witness of our clergy,” Paul added, “ensuring that our faith continues to be expressed in the language of our people.”
The Rev. Shahzad Gill is senior chaplain to the Moderator of the Church of Pakistan and presbyter in service at the National Church of Pakistan, Bahar Colony, Lahore.
