Singapore Based Haggai Institute Now Attracts Academicians

The women academicians at the
Haggai Institute training in Maui


Maui, Singapore: The Singapore based Haggai Institute (HI) is now attracting the cream of academicians in the society with the recent participation of thirteen women leaders with Doctor of Philosophy (PhDs) who’re attending the Special Session in Maui.


The HI Vice President of International Training, Prof. Arthur Dhanraj, who made this known in their monthly newsletter, gave the reason for the concentrated presence of the academicians at the same session: "Due to their academic excellence and inclination, they have carefully scrutinized all our pre session documents; they do not take anything for granted. They are highly focused on evangelism."

Participants Acclaimed Academicians

He continued: “As I facilitated the course on Writing Skills, the realization that 13 of the participants from different corners of the world were acclaimed academicians at first made me nervous. Until on interaction with each individually, I realized why they were attending and the impact the HI session is having on them.”

Prof. Dhanraj observed that they came from different professions adding that Dr. Charina Casingal-Sazon (Philippines) is a Municipal Trial Court Judge, Dr. Magdalyne Dura is a Deputy Dean of Law in Nigeria while Dr. Ivette Lebron is a lawyer in Puerto Rico and Dr. Pratibha Gaikwad is a Lecturer in India. “But they are in Maui for one common purpose, “The mandate of Jesus Christ.”

Haggai Institute Training an Eye-opener

According to one of the participants from the Philippines, Dr. Jacinta Torres Pueyo, who got her PhD in Literature at the age of 40 and now works as an Assistant Professor in the University: “This training has been an eye-opener for me. It has made me realize that (despite all my qualifications) I have not been faithful to my role as an evangelizer.”

In her own testimony another participant from India Dr. Grace Ida Rajan, confessed that it is her husband who was a constant driving force that led her to acquire the degree and thereafter to attend Haggai Institute.

Rajan stated: “I got my degree in Missiology. My dissertation topic was: 'Theological Education for Urban Ministry in India.' I brought out the fact that theological education for urban ministry has not been considered an on-par priority compared to the human needs of urban society.”

Theological Educators Negligent in Developing Curricula

She continued: “While the needs grow as tall as the high-rises in the city, theological educators have been negligent in developing appropriate curricula. I gave proposals for theological education that could lead urbanites from their perils to safe pastures. ‘Pastures’ was the term I used to describe the strategic urban churches of today.”

Another participant from Brazil, Dr. Keila Franco said she discerned at an early age that God’s purpose for her life was connected with a study in Science stressing that while many Christian leaders insisted that Science was vanity and anti-God, she stayed with her focus and did her PhD in Chemical Engineering, specializing in reactors for industrial wastewater treatment.

She stated: “The conventional processes for industrial wastewater treatment are expensive and time and space consuming. Through my doctorate, I developed an alternative that breaks some paradigms. The treatment is made in reactors and the cost, time and space is around 20% of that required by the conventional process.”

Concern for Great Commission Intense

Dr. Lilian Jasper, also a Lecturer in India said “Degree or no degree, my concern about the Great Commission is just as intense as it is for any participant here. My PhD is just a bonus from God.”

While Dr. Pratibha also from India stated: “I never knew the importance of asking for a verdict until I came to Haggai Institute. I did not know the commonalities between the other Majority and Christianity. I have been encouraged to write for healing. The guidance on self discipline, punctuality, cooperation – honestly, I may have come here as an academician but I go back as a more worthy tool for the Kingdom of God.”

For further information on Haggai Institute, log on to their website: http://www.haggai-institute.com/