There is an old saying across many African communities: when an elder plants a tree, he may never sit under its shade, but his children will. Every generation that gathers beneath those branches remembers the hands that first pressed the seed into the earth.
On Friday, 17 July 2026, another harvest was gathered beneath a tree that was planted more than three decades ago.
Mount Zion Institute of Christian Drama, in collaboration with Redeemer’s University, conducted the external defence for its Postgraduate Diploma students in Theatre Arts (Christian Drama). People may think it was an exercise. No. It was another reminder that visions built on conviction do not grow old; they continue to bear fruit.
The external examination was supervised by Professor Stanley Ohenhen, whose presence affirmed the academic standards guiding the programme. Joining him were distinguished leaders who have faithfully stewarded this vision: the Deputy Director, Evangelist (Dr.) Yemi Adepoju; the Provost, Professor Jesuleye Olalekan; the Head of Department, Dr. Damilola Babarinde; the Registrar, Mr. Covenant Adebayo; the Postgraduate Coordinator, Dr. Kalopo Kayode, alongside other members of the academic community.
To an outsider, it may have looked like another project defence.
To those who know the story of Mount Zion Institute of Christian Drama, it was something far greater.
In many Nigerian homes, elders often remind the young that a river does not forget its source. However far it travels, it carries the memory of where the journey began.
The story of this Institute began with a simple conviction. Perhaps, it was not that simple because some of us were not there. It tells us however, that Christian drama should not rely on passion alone. It should be strengthened by knowledge, discipline and Biblical depth. For over thirty-five years, that conviction has shaped actors, playwrights, directors, teachers and ministers whose influence now stretches beyond Nigeria into different parts of Africa and the world.
This latest defence marks the third Postgraduate Diploma cohort to complete the programme.
That number may seem ordinary, but every elder knows that the third child in a household is no less a blessing than the first. Each new generation proves that the family is growing stronger.
These scholars have chosen to return to the classroom because they understood an enduring African truth: the clay pot that is already full still welcomes fresh water. Learning never diminishes the wise; it enlarges them.
As they defended their research, they also carried forward a responsibility to preserve the integrity of Christian theatre while discovering fresh ways to speak to an evolving world. Their work reminds us that dramatic art, beyond entertainment; is memory. It is culture. It is discipleship. It is a language through which truth continues to find new voices.
Today, we celebrate the smell of certificates.
We celebrate resilience.
We celebrate scholarship anchored in faith.
Above all, we celebrate a vision that has remained steadfast through the years, producing men and women equipped to serve the Church, enrich the creative industry and transform society through the power of Christian drama.
Congratulations to the third Postgraduate Diploma graduating class of Mount Zion Institute of Christian Drama.
May your research become wisdom in practice, your knowledge become service, and your calling continue to illuminate stages, classrooms and communities across the world.
Admissions are now open for the fourth Postgraduate Diploma cohort in Theatre Arts (Christian Drama) for the 2026/2027 academic session. Another generation is preparing to join this growing story.
After all, the strongest trees are those that never stop bearing fruit.
