More about AOS

                Welcome to the section on More about AOS. In this section we cover the following points:

• Affiliations
• Coat of Arms
• Mission
• Motto
• Battle Cry
• Goal
• Primary Objectives
• Distinguishing Qualities
• Words from the Administration

Affiliations

Alpha-Omega Seminary is operated by Alpha-Omega Ministries, a Christian mission registered in Uganda. The parent organization of Alpha-Omega Ministries is Global Outreach International of the USA.  Global Outreach International is an accredited member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability.

Coat of Arms

The seminary's Coat of Arms says much about Alpha-Omega’s beliefs and values.

• The armament on the Coat of Arms is that of a centurion. We at Alpha-Omega are Centurions of Christ. In New Testament times centurions were officers in the Roman army. Jesus commended one centurion for his great faith (Mat 8:10), and God used another centurion to help open the door of salvation to the Gentiles (Act 10). The armament reminds us that Alpha-Omega students and graduates are serving as field commanders of various ranks in the Lord’s army.

• The armament symbolizes that we are engaged in warfare – not a physical struggle but a spiritual one – against the kingdom of darkness. We should be ever mindful to act as good soldiers of Christ who desire to please the Captain of our salvation.

• The helmet denotes the hope of salvation – the great gift of eternal life that God promises to those who repent and believe in the death and resurrection of his Son.

• The sword represents the Word of God, the true source of right doctrine and the only reliable guidebook through this life and into the next, by which we can defeat Satan with “it is written.” 

• The shield stands for faith, which provides protection from all that the devil throws at us, and without which it is impossible to please God.

• The intersecting lines on the shield represent the cross of Christ, which is sufficient for all, deficient for none, but efficient only for those who believe.

• The palm branches symbolize the ultimate victory of Christ and the establishment of the Kingdom of God on earth and the peace that comes through His reign.

• Alpha and Omega, the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, speak of the eternity and supremacy of Christ.

• The word seminary comes from the Latin words for “seed plot,” meaning a place where something develops.

• Faithful unto Death is the seminary’s motto, which is explained below.

Mission

The Mission of Alpha-Omega Seminary is turning ordinary Christian workers into extraordinary Centurions of Christ.

Motto

The seminary's Motto is Faithful unto Death. The phrase is taken from Revelation 2:10: “Be faithful unto death, and I will give you a crown of life.”

Battle Cry

"Surrender is not in our creed!" is the Battle Cry of AOS. Centurions for Christ must have the same attitude as that of the Apostle Paul, who near the end of his life said,

"I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race, I have kept the faith" - 2Ti 4:7)

Goal

Our goal is to help Christian leaders develop and achieve their full potential in Christ so that on Judgment Day they may receive his commendation of “Well done, good and faithful servant!”

Primary Objectives

The Primary Objectives of Alpha-Omega Seminary are represented by the acronym “BID” (as in command).

Build character

Impart knowledge

Develop skills



• Our first objective is to build character, that is build Christ-like character into the lives of our students so they become men of God who value character more than reputation and who remain loyal to God even unto death.

• Our second objective is to impart knowledge, that is impart biblically-based knowledge to our students so they understanding what the Bible says rather than what they or others want it to say, as well as gain a general education from a biblical perspective.

• Our third objective is to develop skills, that is ministry skills that enable our students to fulfill God’s call on their lives – skills such as Bible interpretation, preaching, teaching, evangelism, pastoring, leadership, and counseling.

Distinguishing Qualities

Distinguishing Qualities of Alpha-Omega Seminary include the following:

• AOS desires to embrace and work with all those who are members of God’s family. 

• The AOS student body is very diverse.

• The AOS faculty is also diverse. 

• Our target group consists of men who are already serving in ministries recognized by their churches.

• Our program has been designed to keep students in ministry while they undergo their training.

We promote inclusion rather than exclusion, and inclusion in God’s family comes through the new birth (Joh 1:12-13; 3:7). AOS does not belong to any particular denomination, and while we recognize that differences exist among God’s children in both belief and practice, it is our prayer that we can rise above our schisms and please our heavenly Father by living together in unity.

Our students come from different ethnic groups, cultures and nationalities. They serve in churches of many different denominations and fellowships throughout East Africa and South Sudan. As AOS students interact with one another, barriers are overcome and bonds of friendship are made for eternity.

Our professors come from both African and Western cultures and from various denominational backgrounds. While some may consider this a liability, we believe our students benefit from exposure to diversity (within limits). Our teachers may at times interpret various scriptures differently, but what all of them have in common is a love for God and a love for his Word.

We don’t want to waste our efforts on educating someone whose call to the ministry is questionable or nonexistent. For this reason students must be sent for training by the churches or Christian organizations they represent and that know them.

We believe that the ability to make practical application of theology into real life ministry situations is what counts. For this reason AOS students are required to continue working in their ministries as they engage themselves in their studies.

Words from the Administration

We send you Christian greetings from the administration of Alpha-Omega Seminary, and we also thank you for visiting our website. If you're a minister of the gospel working in East Africa or South Sudan and you're looking to get trained or you want advanced training in order to serve Christ in a greater way, then we hope you will prayerfully consider AOS as the place to go.

If you're a Christian from outside this region who has an interest in missions in Africa, we invite you to especially look at the page Join Our Ministry Team. There you will find testimonials from people who have gotten involved in various ways in this ministry. God called us to Africa way back in 1976, and we don't regret having answered that call. Perhaps God is also calling you to get involved in some way in this great work of equipping African church leaders to better serve Christ and minister God's love to their own people.

James & Diane Clair

President; Chief of Staff

Founders

Alpha-Omega Seminary

Alpha-Omega Seminary is a special gift of God to Africa. It is the place where one can develop into an effective minister of the Gospel. Bishops, overseers, pastors, elders, deacons, evangelists, missionaries, and all kinds of church leaders will find the AOS program most fulfilling. Our student body comes from all over eastern Africa and even South Sudan. They also come from many different churches and church organizations, different ethnic groups, and they speak so many different languages. We are a lively community of God's people who share a common goal - to see the servants of God in Africa trained for more effective ministry. AOS is an institution where a student becomes stronger not only academically but also socially and spiritually.

Patrick & Juliet Ngobi

Dean of Students; Administrative Assistant

Alpha-Omega Seminary  

Having spent eighteen years as a pastor, I know that serving in the ministry at whatever level is not easy. The challenges are many, and Satan is always looking for an opportunity to tear down God's servants. We desire to see God's kingdom grow in East Africa. For that growth to come, it must start with those in leadership positions within the church.

Our goal at Alpha-Omega Seminary is not only to help you survive in the ministry but to enable you to succeed and flourish. Through biblical study and practical application, we will strive to give you the best opportunity to succeed in the ministry of God's church and to do it for His glory!

Bob & Michelle Peterson

Academic Dean

Alpha-Omega Seminary