On an early March morning, the courtyard of the Institute of Biblical and Theological Studies (Viện Thánh Kinh Thần Học) in Bình Trưng Ward fills with newcomers carrying suitcases as first-year students arrive from across the country. In 2025, Course 12 welcomed 130 students from 27 provinces and cities. They live on campus for four years, studying Scripture, homiletics, and sacred music before returning to serve local congregations.
This is not an ordinary local parish church. The campus has a sanctuary and holds worship services, but its primary work is ministerial training, forming the men and women who will stand in the pulpits of other churches. That educational lineage began in 1919, just eight years after Protestantism first reached Vietnam, running almost parallel to the entire history of the church.
IA theological seminary rather than a local congregation
An ordinary Protestant church is the meeting place of a local congregation (chi hội), a community of believers in a specific locality led by a senior pastor and gathering every Sunday. The library has an article on such a congregation at Saigon Protestant Church. The Institute of Biblical and Theological Studies serves a different purpose because this is where the Evangelical Church of Vietnam (South) trains pastors and preachers for all of its local congregations.
Put simply, a local church is where believers are taught, whereas the Institute is where the teachers themselves are trained. Most of the people here are boarding students who live and study together for several years before being sent out to congregations in cities, rural plains, and highland villages.
Protestantism does not have a sacramental priesthood in the Catholic sense. A pastor (mục sư) is a shepherd of the flock who may marry and is entrusted with expounding Scripture and caring for the congregation. Because Protestantism holds Scripture as the supreme authority of faith and places the sermon at the center of worship, ministerial training revolves around three tasks, namely understanding Scripture, preaching Scripture, and pastoral care.
Graduates typically begin their ministry at local churches with the title of preacher (truyền đạo), and only after a period of proven service are they examined for ordination as pastors. A degree from the Institute is therefore the doorway into ministry rather than its final destination.
Three points are often confused. First, this is not a Catholic major seminary (đại chủng viện). A major seminary trains celibate Catholic priests, whereas the Institute of Biblical and Theological Studies trains Protestant ministers, enrolling both female theology students and a dedicated one-year program for the wives of final-year students.
Second, the institution's name has changed several times as its campus moved, from Đà Nẵng Bible School (Trường Kinh Thánh Đà Nẵng) to Nha Trang Biblical and Theological Seminary (Thánh Kinh Thần Học Viện Nha Trang) and now the Institute of Biblical and Theological Studies (Viện Thánh Kinh Thần Học). Many older believers still affectionately refer to it as the Nha Trang Seminary even though its campus is now in Ho Chi Minh City.
Third, there is also an overseas institution bearing the Vietnamese name Thánh Kinh Thần Học Viện. That is a separate school, distinct from this institute.
IIOne thread of learning across three cities
The lineage of theological training has passed through three cities, namely Đà Nẵng, Nha Trang, and Ho Chi Minh City. The milestones below trace the opening of classes, the building of campuses, and the changes of name.
- 1919Noon Bible classA noon Bible training class opened at a missionary residence in Đà Nẵng, eight years after Protestant missionaries first arrived in the city.
- 1921Đà Nẵng Bible SchoolThe school was formally established, initially meeting in a converted stable, with missionaries David I. Jeffrey (Principal), Franklin Irwin, and Pastor Hoàng Trọng Thừa as its first three professors (missionary John Drange Olsen became Principal in 1925). In 1922, a back room of the brick Đà Nẵng church was used as its classroom.
- 1928New school buildings in Đà NẵngA new classroom building, two student dormitory wings, and faculty residences were completed.
- 1960Nha Trang Biblical and Theological SeminaryIn June 1960, the school moved to Nha Trang and took the name Thánh Kinh Thần Học Viện. Built from the summer of 1958 on a hillside overlooking the sea, the new campus was inaugurated on 9 January 1961 with a three-story auditorium, two dormitories for 200 students, and a 600-seat chapel.
- 2003Reopened as the Institute of Biblical and Theological StudiesIn February 2003, the seminary reopened under its present name in Ho Chi Minh City under the Evangelical Church of Vietnam (South).
- 2017Dedication of the Bình Trưng campusOn 30 October 2017, the dedication service for the sanctuary and campus of the Institute drew more than 9,000 attendees. The sermon was preached from Hebrews chapter 9, verses 1 to 5, on the theme The Earthly Sanctuary.
- 2018Graduate theological studiesFrom 1 June 2018, the Institute opened its Master of Theology graduate program.
- 2025Four hundred thirty-three boarding studentsThe academic year opened on 4 March 2025 with 433 boarding students (including 130 first-year Course 12 students from 27 provinces and cities). On 28 November 2025, 104 students of Course 10 received Bachelor of Theology degrees and 60 students of Women's Class N10 received certificates.
Regarding the earliest days in Đà Nẵng, sources describe the setting in slightly different ways. The library's article on Đà Nẵng Protestant Church notes that the 1921 Bible School met in a separate house. A historical survey on hoithanh.com distinguishes two steps, namely the 1919 noon class held at a missionary's house and the 1921 school opened in a former stable before moving into the back room of the brick church in 1922. Both descriptions correspond to successive steps in those early years, and the library records both.
The dedication of the Bình Trưng campus took place on 30 October 2017, on the eve of 31 October, the exact 500th anniversary of Martin Luther's posting of the Ninety-Five Theses in 1517. According to hoithanh.com, on the following day the Institute also hosted a spiritual renewal service marking the 500th anniversary of the Reformation.
IIISanctuary, lecture halls, and boarding quarters
The Bình Trưng facility is a residential seminary campus rather than a standalone parish church. Because no detailed architectural blueprint has been published in public sources, the library describes its components by function, according to the work each building was erected to serve.
Dedicated together with the campus in 2017, this is the shared worship hall for faculty and students as well as the place where seminarians practice preaching before a live congregation.
Classrooms for biblical studies, systematic theology, homiletics, and church history. In the first semester of 2025, first-year Bachelor students took 11 courses totaling 18 credits.
Living quarters for more than four hundred residential students. Shared life, communal meals, and daily group prayer form an integral part of ministerial formation rather than mere lodging.
The Institute runs a one-year training program for the wives of final-year Bachelor students (such as Class N10 in 2025, which studied 9 required courses and 1 elective and saw 60 students receive certificates) so they can serve alongside their husbands at local congregations.
An open courtyard large enough to host major church gatherings such as the 2017 dedication service with over 9,000 attendees and graduation ceremonies drawing around 3,000 people.
| Program | Students | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor of Theology | Four-year residential students | Core ministerial program. Course 10 studied from 2021 to 2025. |
| Master of Theology | Holders of a Bachelor of Theology degree | Postgraduate theological training established in June 2018. |
| Intermediate Theology | Church workers in continuing training | In 2025, classes T7 and T8 were in their second year of study. |
| Women's Class | Wives of final-year Bachelor students | One-year program (9 required courses and 1 elective). Class N10 awarded 60 certificates in 2025. |
IVThe lie of the land and orientation
A clear caveat is needed first. Protestantism does not teach feng shui and has no directional rules for church buildings. Whereas traditional Catholic churches orient the sanctuary along a liturgical axis, Protestant buildings simply follow the available plot of land. The lines below are the library's reading through the lens of traditional Vietnamese geomancy, offered for comparison rather than anything recorded in Institute documents or intended by the builders.
To read this site, it helps to trace the whole journey of the school. It began in Đà Nẵng, a coastal estuary sheltered by mountains on either side. It then moved to Nha Trang, another coastal bay city. Today it stands in Bình Trưng, on low-lying alluvial ground east of the Saigon River once interlaced with canals and streams. All three locations share one feature prized in traditional geomancy, namely proximity to major bodies of water. In the old manuals, water gathers qi and serves as the highway of human travel, and a school that trains ministers to be sent out across the country naturally belongs near major waterways.
Second is the campus compound. A residential school is a clearly bounded tract where classrooms, dormitories, and the sanctuary are arranged around a central courtyard. Traditional geomancy reads that open courtyard as the bright hall (minh đường), where qi pauses and gathers. In a place where hundreds of students live together for years, that shared courtyard is the heart of the campus where its largest assemblies unfold.
Third, traditional geomancers associate scholarship with the Literary Star (Văn Xương) and advise placing halls of learning in quiet settings away from noisy markets, shaded by trees. A residential seminary tucked into a quiet suburban street away from main commercial thoroughfares fits that advice closely, even though the builders did not follow geomantic texts.
Finally, because the exact compass bearing of the sanctuary facade has not been measured in published records, the library does not offer a directional reading. It should also be noted that Protestants view site selection in purely practical terms, since a seminary stands wherever land could be purchased and built upon rather than because of geomantic auspiciousness.
VThe academic year and major occasions
The rhythm of a theological seminary follows not the liturgical calendar of a local parish, but the academic year. According to the 2025 convocation report, the first semester runs from March to June, and the second semester from August to November. Interwoven with the semesters are the general observances of the Protestant calendar and the special occasions of the Institute.
| Time | Occasion | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Early March | Opening convocation | Opens the academic year with a sermon for the entire student body. In 2025 it was held on 4 March. |
| Every Sunday | Chapel worship and field ministry | Faculty and students worship at the Institute sanctuary or travel to local congregations for practical ministry. |
| One Sunday each year | Seminary Sunday | Announced annually by the General Assembly, usually in July, calling on congregations nationwide to pray and contribute toward theological education. |
| 31 October | Reformation Day | Commemorates the 1517 beginning of the Protestant Reformation. The Bình Trưng campus was dedicated on the eve of this day in 2017. |
| Late November | Commencement and closing ceremony | Confers Bachelor of Theology degrees and class certificates. In 2025 it was held on 28 November with around 3,000 attendees. |
| 25 December and Easter | Major Christian festivals | Observed as in all congregations, with many students returning to their home churches or internship congregations during Christmas. |
Graduation day is the most telling occasion if you wish to understand the purpose of this place. Those who receive their diplomas on that morning scatter to congregations across the country, and within a few years they are the ones standing in the pulpits of churches such as Đà Nẵng Protestant Church, where this thread of learning first began in 1919.
VILocation And How To Get There
- Address
- Tổ 15, khu phố 5, đường Bình Trưng, phường Bình Trưng (phường Bình Trưng Đông cũ, thành phố Thủ Đức cũ), Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh
- Getting there
- The Institute is located at Group 15, Quarter 5, Bình Trưng Street, Bình Trưng Ward, Ho Chi Minh City, in the area of former Bình Trưng Đông Ward of the former Thủ Đức City.
- Coordinates
- 10.7813, 106.7741
This is an active residential seminary rather than a public tourist site, so visitors should respect the rules of the campus. Guests should contact the Institute office in advance and refrain from entering the dormitories or classrooms unannounced. If attending a worship service at the Institute sanctuary, please dress modestly, sit in the rear pews, and keep quiet. During the Lord's Supper, only baptized believers partake, so please let the trays of bread and cups pass by.
Nearby places in the library
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?Quick Questions
Where is the Institute of Biblical and Theological Studies located
At Group 15, Quarter 5, Bình Trưng Street, Bình Trưng Ward, Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Bình Trưng Đông Ward, former Thủ Đức City). The campus and sanctuary here were dedicated on 30 October 2017.
What does the Institute of Biblical and Theological Studies teach
It trains pastors and preachers for the Evangelical Church of Vietnam (South). Its core program is a four-year Bachelor of Theology, alongside a Master of Theology program established in 2018, an Intermediate Theology program, and a one-year Women's Class for the wives of final-year Bachelor students. In 2025 the campus housed 433 boarding students.
Where is the Nha Trang Biblical and Theological Seminary today
That educational lineage continues today at the Institute of Biblical and Theological Studies in Bình Trưng Ward, Ho Chi Minh City. The school began with a 1919 Bible class and the Đà Nẵng Bible School in 1921, relocated to Nha Trang in 1960, and reopened under its current name in 2003.
Do graduates become pastors immediately after finishing seminary
Usually not right away. Graduates first serve at local congregations with the title of preacher (truyền đạo), and only after a period of proven ministry are they examined by the church for ordination as pastors (mục sư). Protestant pastors may marry and have families, unlike Catholic priests.
How does the Institute differ from a Catholic major seminary
A Catholic major seminary trains celibate priests, whereas the Institute of Biblical and Theological Studies trains Protestant ministers, enrolls both female theology students and a training class for the wives of final-year students, and allows its graduates to marry. The two institutions belong to two different branches of Christianity with distinct forms of ministry and life.