Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dr. Theuns Eloff of the North-West University in Potchefstroom has recommended the South African Government to choose just two of its universities to concentrate on research and top ranking status. As top executive at his own university he advocates more standard fare at his institution. Read here, what he has to say: Our hopes for top ranking lie south – Pretoria News | Opinion.

I think that this argument goes a long way as we try to find the most productive way forward for Lutheran Seminaries on this continent as we strive to achieve the most beneficial results for the Lutheran Churches here. With limited resources we should be very wise stewards and should not get caught up in trying to be all for everybody. Rather concentration on key components and achieving excellence in those will serve the Churches optimally.

From my perspective the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Tshwane (Pretoria, South Africa) in connection with the University of Pretoria is ideally suited to promote advanced theological training and research in the field of Lutheranism on this continent. The support we have from diverse places like Madagascar, Liberia, Sudan and Zambia, Botswana and Ethiopia to name but a few goes a long way to support this perspective and should promote sustainable support for this program here from all true friends of the Lutheran Church and its future on this continent.