MIT President’s Greetings
April 1, 2023

Mingalaba, my beloved Myanmar Institute of Theology community!
I am very honored to greet you as Myanmar Institute of Theology’s 10th president and 4th woman President. I thank God for this amazing privilege to serve Christ in this way, and I’m looking forward to linking arms with all of you so that together we can develop MIT and fulfill God’s will for our school at this particular time of both crisis and opportunity.
We must never forget that all that we are and hope to do for Christ and His Kingdom rests upon the shoulders of those who went before us. I am particularly thankful for the service and sacrifice of the previous nine presidents, for all they have done to sustain, strengthen, and advance our institute, and for their outstanding contributions to society. My heartfelt appreciation goes to all the former and current Trustees and Executive Committee members, all the former and current full-time and part-time faculty and staff members, alumni/ae, current students, well-wishers, churches, and partner organizations locally and abroad. Your hard work, prayers, and unfailing support for MIT throughout these years have made MIT what it is today, and your continued involvement is key to MIT’s future as well.
Over the past 96 years, MIT has grown tremendously in numbers from three persons to over 7000 alumni/ae and it stands firm and tall by God’s grace and with all of your support. MIT is realizing its vision “to be the leading ecumenical theological institution and become a premier Christian University in Myanmar and Asia,” and we continue to diligently pursue our mission “to equip committed men and women to serve God and people in the church and the world”. MIT serves Christ by educating and producing servant-leaders, who will be committed to advancing the cause of Christ among the churches and in society.
MIT’s primary goal is to provide high-quality higher education to prepare men and women for life and for meaningful service in the church and society. MIT has a unique role in this, because of the dearth of quality educational opportunities in Myanmar and because of MIT’s resources, diversity, and opportunity to teach and equip some of the best and brightest students in the country. Its priority is to help meet the long-term, ongoing need of the church by preparing future ministers and leaders for Christian service. At the same time, beyond education and practical training, and preparing the next generation of ministers and leaders, MIT is also committed to the spiritual formation of its students. Our prayer and desire are that MIT graduates will become faithful followers of Jesus Christ, and will be able to serve as resilient, effective agents of change in many different spheres of church and society. Moreover, we prepare and equip students to work in society in many different kinds of professions.
MIT is a Christian Institution that has a big concern for social and religious issues in our country as well. Educating people to study and master these issues is one of our objectives, and equipping them to translate their knowledge into action is another one of our main goals. MIT’s motto is “Ye are the Light of the World.” This means that MIT is training people from diverse communities to reflect the light of Christ throughout Myanmar and beyond through how they live and how they serve in the church and in their communities. MIT holds fast to Christian faith, traditions, and values while praying and working with Jesus who taught us to pray, “thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
This institute gave birth to who I am today. Many students and alumni/ae make MIT proud and serve in different areas of society with the dream of transforming the world. Moreover, MIT’s like-minded friends and partners are also working hard to fulfill MIT’s vision and mission. Today, the Theology and Liberal Arts programs, our centers, departments, library, and offices all exist to serve the purposes of MIT. Through these programs and resources, MIT is extending its influence beyond our own campus to reach the whole society in our country and in other parts of the world.
To serve God as President at MIT will not be an easy task. Only by God’s guidance and with all your support, will I be able to lead our collective effort to fulfill the vision, mission, and objectives of MIT. I, together with the administrative team, faculty, staff, students, alumni/ae, and all of you, will try my best to pursue MIT’s vision, faithfully serve its mission, be governed by its values, and diligently focus on its priorities and objectives. I may be the designated leader of this Institute, but the true leader is the Triune God, who is the source of light, grace, justice, and peace. By His guidance, protection, and provision, we will continue to stand firm in this stormy situation, shine a light in the darkness, and offer a channel of blessings to the church, society, and the world.
As the Triune God is leading our Institute, I am confident in our future. I am also confident in you, that by working together, MIT will become even brighter in the darkness. To paraphrase what the Apostle Paul said to the Philippian church, I, too, am sure that He who began a good work in you (and in us) will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ (Phi 1:6 RSV).
I thank MIT’s Trustees for entrusting me with this special position and responsibility, and I thank all of you in advance for your great support and collaboration. It now falls to us to work together to carry on the good work which our God began in each and every one of us and at MIT as a whole.

Let me introduce you to the administrative team as follows:
President: Dr. Naw Eh Tar Gay
Vice President: Rev. Dr. Marip La Rip
Academic Dean: Rev. Dr. Saw Augurlion
Dean of Liberal Arts Program: Rev. Mang Tungg Thang
Registrar: Rev. Naw May Paw
Treasurer: Sayama May Zar Maw
Dean of Students (Theology): Rev. Dr. Thomas Cung Bik
Dean of Students (LAP): Sayama Aye Min Khaing

With gratitude, let’s go forward together toward a better future.
In Christ’s Service

Naw Eh Tar Gay, Ph.D
President and Professor of New Testament Studies
Myanmar Institute of Theology
Seminary Hill, Insein, Yangon, Myanmar

Ye are the light of the world (Matthew 5:14)