FAITH THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY:

History:

The United Presbyterian Theological Seminary was founded in Sialkot in 1877 with Dr. J. S Barr as Senior Professor. As an institution of the Punjab Synod of the United Presbyterian Church, it was moved to various places in the early years to suit the convenience of those who were appointed to each, but who were also assigned to other work as well. A four-year course of study was prescribed, chiefly in systematic Theology, Church History and Bible, to taught during the hot season when itinerating work among the villages was impracticable. The first student body consisted of eight from the United Presbyterian Synod and one from the Church of Scotland Mission.

In 1912, the seminary was permanently located in Gujranwala, Punjab and at time, three residences, classroom building and living quarters for the students were erected. United 1946, the seminary remained an institution of the Punjab Synod of the United Presbyterian Church of  North America. However, other Church bodies sent their students to it. In 1946, negotiations were initiated for co-operation theological education, and from 1948 to 1953 other Church bodies were officially represented in an advisory capacity on the Board of Directors. In 1954, a new constitution was adopted Whereby the Seminary came under the control of Board of Directors made up of representatives of the following Church bodies.

Thus the United Presbyterian Theological Seminary became union institution known as the Gujranwala Theological Seminary in 1954. The Punjab Synod of the United Presbyterian Church remained as one of the Synods of General Assembly of the United Presbyterian Church of  North America until 1958, and then as one of the Synod of the General Assembly of the United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A.

The Synod at the time in its annual meeting held in the first week April 1960 at Pasrur, District decided to become an autonomous Church in Pakistan. The request was granted by General Assembly, and the new autonomous Synod was inaugurated at the annual meeting of the Synod in April 1961, as the United Presbyterian Church of the Pakistan, but it kept its fraternal relations with the United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. The United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. unfortunately made tragic changes in the doctrinal standards setting aside the West minister  confession of Faith, and adopting the confession of 1967. The Synod of United Presbyterian Church of Pakistan was greatly disturbed by this change, and finally decided to break all its fraternal relations with the United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. , and also made a historic decision to withdraw from the World Council of Churches. The decision in a special meeting of the Synod held in Gujranwala, Punjab, on the 24^th of April 1968.

The present seminary continues as the theological seminary of the United Presbyterian Church of  Pakistan, (Now the Siloam Biblical Christian Church of Pakistan) under the name: Faith Theological Seminary, Gujranwala, Pakistan, inaugurated on the 24^th of September, 1968 by the Synod of the United Presbyterian Church of Pakistan.