old About Us

Seth Mokitimi Methodist Seminary (SMMS) 6150a1_95980cd6517e48af91df77d2717685d2

is located in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal. It opened its doors in January 2009  to provide quality theological education and spiritual formation for aspiring ministers as part of their journey to ordination. An initiative of the Methodist Church of Southern Africa, its prize-winning new campus was dedicated in 2010.

 SMMS was mandated by the Methodist Church to “Form Transforming Leaders for Church and Nation“. Thus, the seminary understood from the start that its task was not merely to produce graduates with strong academic credentials in theology, but also to form individuals of spiritual maturity with impeachable personal values and virtues. As such, SMMS prides itself on its parallel and integrated Academic and Formation Programmes.

SMMS offers a Bachelor of Theology, a Diploma in Practical Ministry and a Higher Certificate in Christian Ministry.

Seth Mokitimi Methodist Seminary “forms transforming leaders for church and nation” by providing the spiritual formation, academic, vocational and practical training required to develop skilled leaders of integrity, faithfulness and excellence. The academic faculty of the Seminary is passionately committed and qualified to develop the kind of transformational leaders the church and nation need. All are committed to teaching theology in an African context whilst retaining a sense of the international perspective – local and global worldviews – with an emphasis on empowering people for the development of our emerging society.

Our mission statement gives expression to our conviction that transformative leadership is vital if Southern Africa is to achieve its full potential and become a region that is fully healed, reconciled, able to address critical challenges, respect the dignity and basic human rights of all people, and deliver the essential and humanising services that characterise societies at their best – a vision of transformative leadership. Within the sphere of the church, such leaders are people:
1.  Whose spiritual life has been formed and continues to be nourished by the Gospel and by the rich    traditions of Christian spirituality and the Wesleyan heritage;

2.  Whose personal conduct and way of life are above reproach and an example to others;

3.  Who have a passion to call people to Christian discipleship, to instruct them in the Faith and to build up   the Church of Christ;

4.  Who have been trained to think theologically, to interpret and expound Scripture faithfully and to preach   effectively;

5.  Who have been equipped to serve in any part of the diverse southern African community and are willing   to do so;

6.  Who work for reconciliation and the unity of the people of God;

7.  Who care pastorally for the needs of God’s people;

8.  Who can give guidance on ethical issues and are equipped to critique the policies of government and the   practices of civil society in the light of Christian teaching;

9.  Who respect the dignity of all people, resisting injustice and seeking to empower all people, especially   the poor and marginalized, to develop to their full potential as children of God.