What do you do when your theological college outgrows its facilities?

Simple – you move into the pub next door.

For George Whitefield College (GWC) in South Africa, this has been the unique solution to a very welcome problem.

The Rev Dr David Seccombe, GWC’s Australian principal, is the man dealing with the challenge of accommodating a growing ministry.With GWC about to outgrow its current facilities, the purchase of a nearby pub will allow the College to keep growing.

Attendance at the College has gone from 25 students when Dr Seccombe was appointed in 1993, to 110 full-time students a decade later. The rapid and unexpected growth of the College has created several urgent needs.

But thanks to a ‘completely unexpected donation’ from a supporter in Sydney, the College has been able to purchase ‘The Prosit’, the pub located on the same block as the main building and the principal’s residence.

Dr Seccombe says the new acquisition has come just in time. “We were beginning not to fit into the facilities that we had,” he said. “The College can’t continue to offer the quality of theological education that it wants to offer, and is currently able to offer, without new facilities.”

Situated in Muizenberg, 30 minutes from Cape Town, GWC draws students from all over Africa. The current location was acquired after consultation with Archbishop Peter Jensen, who visited South Africa during his time as Moore College Principal.

“To my mind – and I think Peter Jensen saw it too – as a location for a College, it was just brilliant. But I think it may have been the pub that really caught his eye,” Dr Seccombe laughs.
Situated on a crucial spot in the College complex, the newly acquired pub will allow GWC to continue expanding its ministry.

“Our initial plan was to give it a coat of paint and move the library in,” Dr Seccombe says. “But it was really not suitable, so we are now thinking in terms of a more purpose-built centre.”

The new venue will include space for the library, which it is hoped will double its 20,000 volumes over the next ten years. It will also include more office space, a 200-seat auditorium and computer workstations and extensive study space for students. GWC has received funding to buy 20 computers but previously had nowhere to set them up. “Our 40 economically disadvantaged students mostly live two or three to a bedroom in our student residence. They have nowhere to study except the library – until now,” Dr Seccombe said.

He also hopes the new library will help equip the many postgraduate students for a lifetime of Christian ministry. “By the time they’ve finished, they won’t just be academic theologians, they’ll be skilled Bible teachers,” he said.

The challenge now is to raise $1 million to fund the Centre. $250,000 has already been raised, with another half a million needed before work can begin. Construction will take around eight months.

Tax deductible donations to GWC can be made through Compassion Australia. Contact 1800 224 453.