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THE  BIRTH  OF  EL THEOLOGICAL  COLLEGE


The history and birth of El Theological College traced its foundation from the call of Bro. Emma Ononuju in 1979 at Diobu, Port Harcourt while he was but a church member. The Lord called him in many different ways, in diverse occasions with signs and circumstances, in dreams and in visible realities, till he felt like not responding because of his vision of becoming a teacher in any of the high institutions in Nigeria, which he really actualized at last. The pressure of his call became so much that he became restless, sleepless and peaceless still in the midst of prosperous business of his own but not with satisfaction due to the call of God on him. God told him that he is going to train special army for special harvest. In 1980 at Port  Harcourt.

BIRTH OF REDEMPTION CAMPAIGNERS MINISTRIES.
As a result of such call he founded a soul winning ministry of Inter-denominational services with an aim of training men and women who shall stand as the Lords army but the Lord did  not  approve that as the special squard spoken by the Lord. He later formed another prayer team among gospel ministers while he was in the Bible College in 1984, hoping to use these men of God as the special army the Lord wanted him to train but the Lord disapproved the idea. While  as the Pastor of  BMC Elelenwo in 1990, he selected four boys clinton Amadi, Uche Chinda, francis Chukwu and Goodluck Chinda to train them as the special squard as God  has said, but the Lord said no to that. While in BMC 136 Cameroon Road Aba as the pastor and the leader of  evangelism in Abia State, 1991-1993, he chose twenty four youths among them were justice Ugwulor, Aghara Umunna, Mulumba and many others but  the Lord said to him that “His  calling upon Ononuju is very great that Ononuju is called to call others to teach others, to train others, to feed others and to bring the church into greater recognition. In 1994, the Lord appeared to Him and Instructed him to start  the Bible College which shall be very  peculiar, Holy and with great respect, that the purpose of the Bible College should be to restore the marred integrity of the gospel ministers to restore the prestige of the church and to build the special army of the Lord who shall hate nothing but sin and love nothing but truth and holiness. The Lord instructed him to prepare for the attacks from his friends, from his church and attacks from others he never knew. In fact all these  attacks really came and gone. The Lord also gave him the three key  emphasis and focus which shall form the motto of the Bible College as follows.
1.        Deepest in academic  studies
2.         Deepest  in Holiness  Experiences
3.         Greatest  in charismatic  ministries.

Thus, El Theological  College has these three things as her key model and motto till date. Having received these instruction from the Lord in 1994, Ononuju quickly wrote to his then general superintendent who was living in Port Harcourt by then but not with details of what he was passing through because no one can understand  if he had expressed all his experiences in detail.

Nevertheless, the General superintendent  did not approve the Ononujus letter which suggested that he should be allowed in Aba for a season  without being transfared to any other location because Ononuju felt that Aba is the best place to start the Bible College for the Lord hence his church already had a promising Bible College in Port Harcourt.
THE BATTLE ON HOW TO START.
Between 1994 and 2001 was considered as a period of battle. How can I start? Where shall  I start? Who shall sponsor me? How is it possible  with  church leaders? What shall be the consequences of my starting a Bible College while my church has her own Bible College? These questions and many-more were things that  raining  from the brain and mind of Emma Ononuju in this period of eight years which made him to delay the action. It was at his time that God sent three different people to speak to him about God’s call on him who even  never knew that battle he was in. These men came in three different times,  spoke in three different periods at three different circumstance.

THESE MEN SPOKE AS STATED BELOW.
1.         Rev. Ben Eze - Sir, You are called to teach church leaders and not church                                             members. 
2.         Eric Nwachukwu-    Sir, your call is a higher one  and for great church officers.
3.         Rev. Dr. Martins -     God called you for a change in your church and this generation. 
These words of men of God encouraged him  and assured him  that God called me for a greater training of the spiritual army of the Lord.

SEARCH  FOR CONTRADICTION
Another step taken by Dr. Emma Ononuju who at this time of restlessness peacelessness and sleeplessness had already acquired three Doctorate Degrees from three accredited instructions including DRE (Doctor of Religious education ) PhD (Doctor of history ), DD (Doctor of Divinity ) all for the preparation of the task from the Lord. One of the greatest search of Ononuju at this time  was to search from word to word, page to page, the constitution of the Bible Missionary church of Nigeria his church to see whether what he planned to do has any where contradicted  the BMC Constitution, but he found none. This search took twenty one days and twenty one nights with carefulness still the constitution did  not prohibit BMC Ministers  to establish  Bible College of their own. When Ononuju discovered this truth, he was fully assured that he was not fighting against his church.  Hence was one of the sectional superintendents.

ONONUJU’S  MINISTRY  VOW
Ononuju made a strong vow to God about his ministry and life which he maintained till date and also made it a law in every branch of El Theological and the students. That vow was that, He should not and can not splitt or break any church, any Bible College or any congregation in order to start his God given Mission and vision. This vow made him to remain more than seven months after the official establishment of the college without a single student and without a lecturer but with the FATHER, THE SON and THE HOLY GHOST. El Theological College is never a branch of any Institution.

HISTORY  OF MIGRATION  AND 22 YEARS OF PRAYERS.
El Theological College and International Institute of Missions did not migrate from any Bible College nor from any church on earth but a vision from the Lord which lasted for over  twenty years before it’s birth. It is true that Emma Ononuju had been a pastor under Bible Missionary church of Nigeria for over twenty years before the establishment of El Theological College, yet it is not a fruit of church splitting, neither a product of church breakage. El Theological College existed more than seven months by name before the
first student was enrolled, hence the founder did not campaign from the churches, nor campaigned from existing Bible Colleges. It was established on Holiness foundation and maintained the Holiness foundation till  date.  In the year 1981, God spoke to Ononuju and said to him called you for a special  job.

The birth of  El Theological College  started with the vision of Redemption Campaigners  Ministry which the Lord gave Ononuju while in Port Harcourt in 1981. The oldest Ministry of the founder of El Theological College  is called Redemption Campaigners Ministry which was fully for soul winning and salvation of the sinners through preaching, teaching, prayers and tract sharing. This ministry started in Port Harcourt 1981. The burden of saving  souls later graduated to the burden of  loosing the captive especially those bound by their family gods, demons and those consciously and unconsciously bound by demons. Based on that Prof. Ononuju established a deliverance ministry with the name of God El. This is the first time El appeared in Ononuju’s Ministry and the name of that ministry was El Emancipation ministry, which was purely for deliverance and freedom of the oppressed and that took place while Ononuju was already in Aba and that was in 1994. El Emancipation ministry made great impact in deliverance in Nigeria and trained many people among whom are gospel ministers today.

This ministry increased the burden and vision of training workers who should carry on the gospel of healing Deliverance and salvation to the world. Ononuju can never forget  the first students, ministers and leaders he produced as deliverance ministers among whom are the following brethren.

1.         Evang Dennis  John
2          Evang John Echenini
3.         Evang Ebere  Success
4.         Evang Francis  Oguagbaji
5.         Pastor  Stanley  Amadi
6.         Deacon  Theophilos  Madukwe

There were more other groups of minister trained after these first six men whom prof. Ononuju described as the first army of the Lord. In 1997, Ononuju established Uju Gospel publications for publishing and distribution of the gospel materials for soul conversion and freedom.

In all these,  the Lord was still pointing hand to Ononuju that He (Ononuju) had not reached the point, neither had he hitted  the target. Ononuju therefore entered into ten days prayers and fasting with great burden and serious question to God and that question was “God what remains” In an open and loud void, God responded “ special Theological College to train my special people for my work” this burden for special theological college to train special people for God’s work began a sleepless nights, restless hours and peaceless moments in Ononuju’s life  and that was in 1998. When Ononuju began to ask God how and why? God reminded Ononuju what He (God) said in 1981, when he told Ononuju that He(God) chose him for a special job. Ononuju did not want to start the Bible College because of his church Bible  College known as CCT Port Harcourt. Ononuju gave many excuses in order to do other things for God but not the
Bible College hence he would fall  into Misunderstanding with his church but God refused and said ‘ I will send storm to your boat if you refuse to open a Bible College for me special
Nevertheless, Ononuju had earlier prepared himself theologically, academically, spiritually, socially and psychological but still afraid of what people would say. If he opened the bible college outside his church great Institution. Because he was still a senior pastor in his denomination by then.

THE  STORMS  FROM  GOD.
Ononuju’s delay and resistance  made God to raise enemies among his fellow pastors and from the church authority. He became great enemy to all. He was ejected from his vicarage at Evurunobi, even though he was the sectional superintendent of that section during that time. He even ran away from the church compound  without knowing what he did that all should be against him including those he was  pastoring, still none accused  him of  sin but, they needed him out of the church. It was on that pressure that he agreed with the Lord when his only son of  two years was ejected out of the class from the school he built for the church. And when the church ejected him without any reason.

LORD  I AGREE
He became sick but without laboratory evidence, then he begged God and said “my Lord I agree” that the sickness vanished. The following day he got a hall where to started and where to live as he was ejected by the church  while  he was still their pastor. It was on April 2001 that he finally agreed with God and the peace of God came to him immediately. God immediately grant him saviour before men and women and the Bible College was established with the name “El Theological College”. This Bible College authomatical became a pool of safely  to churches and other Bible Colleges irrespective of it’s newness and smallness. El Theological College therefore was established in April 2001 in Aba. God restored his vision and told  Ononuju that El Theological College was established to restore the lost glory of the church and the marred  integrity of the gospel ministers and to restore Bible holiness, faith and faithfulness  in the church. Since after obeying God in establishing this special Bible College for special people, God has increased the burden and the vision in Ononujus Ministries and family at large. In 2008 his wife Dr. Mrs Alzuriel Ononuju  single handedly  established an orphanage and a caring center known as  compassionate women out reach ministries.(orphange home).

This compassionate women out reach ministries are fully involved in the following gospel ministries.
1.         Caring and housing the orphans
2.         Caring and clothing the  widows
3.         Training the fatherless and clothing them
4.         Supporting the poor and the less privileged.
5.         Rural and market evangelism
6.         Prison and hospital ministries.

In 2008, the Lord persuaded  prof. Emma Onunuju to established another Institution for the training and equipping the Missionaries free of charge and he  obeyed the Lord and
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and his wife, also pray for the growth, stability and advancement of El Theological College. As at the time of writing this history, El Theological College has about eleven (11) campuses in Nigeria and in the Republic of Cameroon to t he glory of God.
HOW  ALL  BEGAN

El- Theological  College is a Bible College established  to propagate the gospel and to equip, train and revive the ministers and believers at large. The vision started in 1981, when Pastor Emma  Ononuju (now Rev. Prof. Emma Ononuju) started a prayer and private deliverance ministry in his room known as Redemption campaigners. He continued with this name which was known to many people from Diobu, Rumuomasi, Ahoada and other parts of Rivers State who joined him in prayers. In 1992, Emma Ononuju decided to use his family member’s names, which were derived from God’s name. The name of Hebrew God is  EL, Elyon, Elohim etc. But the word EL was more prominent in the Hebrew and of course in all Semitic words, meaning God of host. When this thought came into Ononuju to use his family names which were attached with God (EL), He established another ministry, El - Emancipation Ministry.  El Emancipation Ministry which is  still in existence continued the work started by Redemption campaigners in Aba. Now having established this ministrys with the names of his God and family members which were attached to God’s name, the ministry prospered  and drew many people from Aba. Owerri, Umuahia and Port Harcourt. It must be fully noticed also that the name of this founder is EMMANUEL (EL), His wife’s name ZURIEL ( SEE  ALSO  EL), The name of their only son for now, URIEL ( SEE  ALSO   EL ) and the name of their only daughter is Ammiel   (SEE  EL  ALSO ).

EMMANUEL  means  God  is with  us
ZURIEL  means  God  is my Rock
URIEL  means  God  is my light
AMMIEL  means , the person of God.
Judging from all these  he saw nothing to call the ministry than El  Emancipation ministry which means Gods deliverance ministry. During this period Ononuju had earlier enrolled for his degrees. Having concluded his studies and earned his first degree, masters  and  doctorate  degrees in divinity  in Religious  education and history.

El Theological College means, God’s Theological College. It is owned by God and for God’s people .  El  Theological  College  was therefore established fully on the vision and mission of Rev. Prof. Emma Ononuju for the purpose of equipping and training of the believers, helping the churches and reviving the saints. El Theological College and El Emancipation Ministry are running the same ministry of training, equipping, healing and delivering  the believers and all oppressed. It is a Bible College with a vision of training those who were already saved and saving those who were not yet saved.

EL Theological College and EL Emancipation Ministry are not the efforts of combined  citizens, neither are they the visions of united ministers, but visions and missions born through the frequent kneeling of Rev, Prof. E. Ononuju and heart yawning for such from God. The College is also abbreviated as Eltheco.

El Theological College is an Interdenominational Bible College, owned by no church but by God and his kingdom. The vision of El Theological College was not to train the

members of Bible.  Missionary church  only, neither was it to train members of Deeper Life Bible Church only, but to train believers in Christ irrespective of their church of  Affiliation and their cultural background. The college stands as the best, though the Newest as it is owned by the body of Christ alone.

THE NAME  EL
EL is the Hebrew name for God and from such divine name the college derived its name. It is true that the names of the family members of the founder connected El Stil the purpose of such name is to associate it with God.

 OBSTRUCTIONS IN THE  BIRTH  OF THE INSTITUTION.

The birth of this Bible College was faced with many obstructions, raging from  church opposition, attacks from fellow ministries and ejection from  residence. 

 All these and many more were the devil’s strategies to stop the vision and the plan. Initially the Bible College started in Aba at 3 Umuagbai road and stay about seven months without a single student registered.

When  the devil failed in all his efforts to stop the business, he afflicted  Prof.  Onujuju with blindness, that he was blind for  ten months without  seeing which  nearly brought the plan and project to total breakage, but God to prove Himself as God, healed Rev. Prof. Onouju from  blindness when every body even the body of Christ  abandoned Him considering him useless. It was after the recovering of his sight  that the school grew and expanded to other cities and states in Nigeria. As at  the time of this  history review, the college has more ten campuses in Nigeria and one in the Republic of  Cameroon.

The birth of the Bible College was faced with different attacks  but the sayings have it that “Those who want  to have victory must face their wars” because there will be no victory without battle. Presently El Theological College stands as the leader and the mother of all theological colleges in Abia state where the president and lecturers of other theological Colleges are re-trained and re-equipped.we are proud to be associated with ELITHECO.

NAME  AND  LOCATION 
The name of this institution shall be known and called EL THEOLOGICAL COLLEGE (Eltheco). It  shall be located in any part of Nigeria with its head quarters in Aba. The college shall also be abbreviated  as Eltheco.

STATEMENT  OF FAITH
El Theological College is committed to the philosophy of Christian education and the scriptural precept, “Whatsoever you do, do all to the glory of God.” Therefore, strive for quality education, which integrates God’s truth into the development of the spirit, mind, and body of each individual via example, instruction, and discipline. We stand for holy living and responsible conduct, and intend to further these objectives.

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1.         We believe there is but one living and true God, that in unity of the Godhead,                                                                   there are three persons of one substance, power, and eternity - the Father, the son and the Holy Ghost.
2.         We believe that the Old and New Testament were given by divine inspiration and are the only                                                                                    infallible, authoritative Word of God, and that they reveal the will of God concerning all things necessary for our salvation.
3.         We believe that  original sin is the corruption of the nature of all the offspring of Adam by reason of which we are without spiritual life and are inclined to evil.
4.         We believe that  Jesus Christ by His meritorious death on the cross made full                              atonement for all sin, and that whosoever repents and believes on Him is justified, regenerated, adopted as a son of God and saved from the damnation of sin.
5.         We believe that entire sanctification is that act of God (provided) through the blood of Jesus and wrought instantaneously by faith) by which believers are made free from original sin and brought into a state of love made perfect and entire devotion to God. 
6,         We believe in the resurrection of the dead: “they which have done good, unto the                                   resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.”.

PURPOSE  AND SCOPE.

 The purpose of EL THEOLOGICAL COLLEGE (hereinafter called simply “the college”) shall be  the development of Christian character and ideals. To this end it is maintained on the basic principles of the scriptural doctrine and experience of the Wesleyan interpretation of entire sanctification.  The purpose of the institution shall be to provide a programme of progressive learning experiences pledged to unswerving loyalty to God and His Word and committed to the principles and standards embodied in Bible Holiness.

SPIRITUALLY: Involvement in this is acknowledged in the doctrine of the We sleyn Arminian Theology with emphasis upon the foundational Bible Christian experiences of the new birth and heart holiness, the building of solid Christian, clear-cut separation from the world, and disciplined life, sacrificial services, and a life of faith.

INTELLECTUALITY: The purpose is to ground the student in the Bible, the divinely inspired Word of God, by intensive personal study guided by competent teacher; to equip the student to stand against faith destroying influences of modern skepticism, liberalism, and compromise; and to stimulate the individual student to his highest mental development in absolute consecration to Christ.

FOR  LIFE: We are specially interested in preparing labourers for the whitened harvest fields. Pastors, Evangelists, Missionaries and lay men as soul winners shall be the primary goal. At the same time, since we recognize that being is more essential than doing, we shall retain as a fundamental part of this primary goal the building  of  solid, intelligent Christian character. This is therefore added the development of mental knowledge and physical skills essential to rendering the greatest possible Services to God and man. The life of Christian dedication, discipline, and unselfish service is our chief objective.

ADMISSIONS: The admission to the college is to all individuals who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and are born again, and who agree with our statement of Faith and
are willing to abide by the rules and regulations as set forth in this hands book, irrespective of age race, and culture.

AIMS  AND  OBJECTIVES.
1.         For  the purpose of   its existence in a  perpetual succession and duration, the                 college was                established as a non-profit making body and will train students of various denominational backgrounds.

1.         THE OBJECTIVES  OF COLLEGE
I.          To establish and run Holiness Bible College to teach Bible Theology, Christian Music, Evangelism and many other branch as of knowledge that will help the spread of the gospel.

Ii          To train and equip Pastors, Evangelist, Missionaries, Bible Teachers, Lay Soul Winners, Christian Workers and to expose them to the Biblical Truth of holiness and holy living in line with the fundamental doctrine of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Iii.        To spread the full Gospel of Jesus Christ through witnessing citywide, open air or indoor crusades, church revival services, and campus crusades, primary or secondary and post secondary schools Crusades.

 Iv.       To establish churches and preaching centers.
V.        To provide spiritual and personal counseling for its students and non-students alike.
Vi.       To turn out  useful and reliable citizens through the preaching or product of the Gospel.
Vii.      To establish and run a printing press for the purpose of producing religious and educational books and materials; and to make available the produced materials to  other organizations and institutions.
Viii      To establish primary & secondary schools that should be distinctively built on
Christian philosophy.

SOCIAL  AND SPIRITUAL   BUSINESS  OF THE COLLEGE

As an institution and moreso,  religious institution, the college has a business to propagate as JESUS puts it in Lk. 2:49.  “Do you not know that I must be about my father business” This my fathers business according to Jesus is also the business though one but is divide into many parts which included the following programmes and works.

1.         To teach and train Ministers of the gospel, Christian workers and church leaders.
2.         To organize seminars, Christian programmes in the churches, villages and ministries.
3.         To spread  the gospel  across the culture
4.         To carry the programme of El Emancipation ministry by praying for people, counseling the people, preaching the gospel to all, and carrying the deliverance ministry to all oppressed people.
5.         To share and distribute gospel books, Bible, and other gospel materials
6.         To print, distribute and sell books and literatures published by Uju Gospel
Publications and other publishers.
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197.   To join hands with El Emancipation ministry, Uju Gospel  Publications and  other gospel houses to do the business of God, here on earth.
8.         To be involved in all holiness activities, other Christian activities, church planting, deliverance, healing programmes, prayers, counseling, preaching and worshiping.

9.         El Theological  College  as an institution will issue certificates to those who studied and succeeded in their training.
10.       As a  Christian Institution, El Theological and International Institute of Missions shall support the government to fight evil, to uplift sound morality and to produce good citizens.
11.       To train and equip Missionaries for the Mission field and for the churching  of the unchurched nations and unchurch communities.
12.       To restore the prestige and integrity of the gospel ministers and to make them flames of fire in the ministry.
13.       To impart spirituality, charisma and sound theological education unto the students.
14.       To be the visible representatives of JESUS Christ on earth through our holy living, practical spirituality, righteousness and by taking soul winning as our father’s business.
15.       As  Christian Institutions, El Theological College and International Institute of Missions shall  be gospel and soul winning oriented Institutions.
16.       Our duties are to help men and women to be what God wants them to be and to achieve what God wants them to achieve through needed and sound Biblical teachings.
17.       Our primary business must be to train the ministers in the Holy faith, in truth and in righteousness.