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By Dayo Emmanuel
Founder of the West Africa Theological Seminary (WATS), Lagos, Professor Gary Stewart Maxey, and the Provost, Dr. Olufemi Emmanuel, have received Awards of Honour from the Apostolic Church, Cameroon.
The presentation, held on Tuesday, 7th April at the WATS campus in Lagos, marked a significant moment for the seminary community.
The event also featured Dr. Awa Awanda of the Apostolic Church, Cameroon, an alumnus who earned his first and second degrees at WATS before proceeding to the United States for his doctorate.
Awanda represented the church’s highest ruling body under its President, Revd John Fru Mbokwang, also a WATS alumnus.
The awards recognised the Founder and Provost for exemplary leadership, dedication, and lasting impact on theological education and ministry. The seminary said the honour reflects years of sacrifice, clear vision, and commitment to raising godly leaders.
In a statement on its social media platform, WATS described the recognition as a milestone reinforcing its mission, adding, “The future is bright and we are just getting started.”
Responding, Provost Dr. Olufemi Emmanuel said, “It is a great honour to receive the award all the way from The Apostolic Church in Cameroon.
“It is exciting to welcome the alumni of WATS from another country as they plough back gratitude to the Seminary.”
He urged other alumni across denominations and countries to emulate the gesture, saying, “We hope that other former students… would follow this laudable example.”
WATS is the largest non denominational seminary in West Africa and the institution has trained hundreds of students from over 100 denominations who are actively serving in churches around the world.
