Theological College of the Holy Trinity


Holy Trinity Theological College is a theological University located in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It provides religious and theological instruction to both clergy and lay members of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. The institution also aims to serve as a center of theological and ecclesiastical study for all Oriental Orthodox Churches.

Overview

The Theological College of the Holy Trinity was founded in 1942 by Emperor Haile Selassie, originally serving as a high school. The college division was added on 5 October 1960, and the elementary education section was eliminated on 18 December 1961. The institution thereafter became one of the chartered units of the Haile Selassie I University this first National University of Ethiopia.
With the end of the Imperial period in Ethiopia and the secular emphasis of the ruling Derg, the College was closed in 1978. The students subsequently transferred to Addis Ababa University to complete their education, and the College building was given to the university's Science department for its own use.
In 1995, in response to a petition by TCHT alumnus Abuna Paulos and other senior members of the Ethiopian Church, the Transitional Government of Ethiopia returned ownership of the buildings to the Church. The Theological College of the Holy Trinity was also reopened, with 12 academic staff-members and 150 students. Since then, the institution has graduated 67 candidates in degree, 253 in diploma and 759 in certificate programs.