The dream continued to grow and on June 28, 1958, the James Hampton family arrived in the city of Mombasa to attempt building an evangelistic ministry serving the people of this area. Then the Ray Milligans, arrived to assist the work at the coast. It was hoped that other areas of ministry could later be developed that would meet the needs of the large number of people.
As early as August 1961, plans were underway for the building of a high school somewhere in the city of Mombasa. The school was to be a co-educational community school and ready to enroll its first class of thirty students in January, 1963. Local boys and girls would be accepted as day students.
In January 1963, the dream came true when the doors of Mombasa Baptist High School were opened with the acceptance of the first thirty-six students. All qualified Baptist students who applied were accepted. Mr. Ray Milligan, was appointed the first headmaster. During the first term the school held classes in a rented building, but by the second term of 1963 land had been found in the Tudor area, plans developed and buildings built. Starting that second term, the school moved into its present location. From the initial days, the school operated as a totally private educational institution but enjoyed the co-operation of the Ministry of Education in the Government for advice and inspection. In March of 1963, the school auditorium was used for an English language Baptist Fellowship.
In 1964, a large residence located near the school was bought and plans were made to remodel it into a hostel in order to house out-of-town Baptist students. By third term twenty-eight out-of-town boys moved into this hostel. Also the main high school buildings were completed and dedicated with the Honorable Mr. Otiende, the Minister for Education, bringing the main address. The school choir led by J.H. Law led several services in song at various places adding to the ministry of the school. The year 1964 also saw the school enter the sport scene for the first time by winning the Coast Volleyball Championship. This was the first time an all- African team had won the tournament at the coast. Coach Milligan beamed as the team was carried through the streets.
The next few years were filled with success and disappointments at the school, as both teachers and students struggled to make the school better all round ministry.1966 was a very memorable year as the first class would take their Cambridge Examination. All but three of that first group received either the school Certificate or the General Certificate of Education. The school was inspected again by the ministry of Education and upgraded to Grade A classification. The Government encouraged the mission to accept another stream into the school the following year because of the need for education in the area. The mission agreed and plans were made for the first term of 1967.Mr.Peter Mtui came to teach Kiswahili this year.
Until this time all non-missionary teachers were on a part time-time basis. In sports, the softball team won the Coast tournament. A big event of 1966 was the Baptist Boy’s Choir singing for the Nation’s President, Mzee Jomo Kenyatta, on one of his visits to the Coast region.
The year 1968 saw the addition of more teachers at the school, including Russell Morris, who would be the new head-master, Jim Musen, and Richard Dreessen.Helen Gilmore, who was working at the Changamwe Baptist Centre, taught a girl’s choir at the school and organized a music club. Clay Coursey came to the school as a full time teacher in 1969.
In 1971, some important changes were made in the curriculum. Jim Musen began teaching Industrial Arts to the Form 1’S and Helen Gilmore began teaching Domestic Science in Form 1 to prepare girls to seat for their domestic science exam as part of the Cambridge Examinations. The other forms were already studying domestic science, but were not planning to take that part of the Exam. Also this year, Richard Dreessen became the acting headmaster.1972 saw the school win the Coast Basketball Championship for the first time. It was not to be the last. The girls also won the championship in table tennis. For the first time, a female student received the award for the being the most outstanding student.
The Robin H ooper Memorial award.1973 saw Ed Horton and Dan Schellenberg added to the staff.
Even though initially approved in 1966, little had been accomplished concerning the addition of another stream at the school. In 1973 the mission agreed to start this stream in first term of 1974.
The year 1974, witnessed more building at the school with the erection of “The Ray Milligan Industrial Education Building.” During the first term of this school year over 50 students made initial decisions for Christ.Jo Von Bryan joined the teaching staff at the school. In 1975 Ed Horton became the new headmaster and the Dale Disons moved to Mombasa to begin teaching at the school. The second stream was finally added and the enrollment of the school was almost double. This move required more teachers and staff.
In 1978 Dr. Frank Hendrickson came as the new headmaster. During the later part of 1979, people started mentioning that the school should consider expanding by adding “A” Level classes. During 1980 and 1981 studies were done and statistics collected in order to make a wise decision about expanding the school to add “A” Level classes. With the encouragement of the Ministry of Education and other local educators, the mission decided to continue talks with education officials hoping for approval to begin the upper classes. The Basketball team won the National Championship during this time.
The major event of the 1980 school year was the Harambee conducted to raise funds to construct the “A” Level classrooms. The guest of honour was Hon. Shariff Nassir. The building was begun and the dream began to take shape towards reality.
In 1981 another dream became a reality with the opening and accepting of the first “A” level classes at the school .Because of costs only the Art stream would be offered and not the science. Since there were not enough buildings to house all of the “O” and “A” Level classes, plans were made to develop a new wing that would be mainly for the upper classes. The school continued to grow and more streams were necessary so a second stream of the “A” Level was begun to matched the two streams going through the “O” Level grades.
In 1985, the final building was completed and “A” level students gladly moved from their temporary classrooms to start studying there .About this same time, permission was granted for the school to accept the third stream of “A” level students. Jack Yates was the headmaster at this time and helped see the new building become a reality. The basketball team finished forth in the National tournament held in Mombasa with Terry Ridenour coaching. He was later that year seconded to the Kenya Basketball Federation t assist in the coaching of the Kenya National Team as they prepared for the upcoming 4th All Africa Games.
Starting in 1986,the Kenya Government began changing its educational policy. The new system was called “8-4-4.” It is intended to streamline the system, helping more students develop better learning habits and skills, insuring that more of them would have skills to use if they did not qualify for the university.
Also, is plan would mean the eventual loss of the “A” level students at the school. Later this same year, the Bashams’ arrived to teach Geography and English and Mixon Cowart transferred from Nyeri to lead in the CRE department. With the third stream of lower level classes and the two streams of upper classes. The same school was again crowded. Because of the loss of one class each year from the old system, the crowding at the school was bearable.
The year 1987 saw more changes at the school with Don Bliss becoming the new headmaster. Plans were early on being made for the silver Anniversary of the school. Twenty-five years of being a Baptist high school at the Coast…just perfect to coincide with the 25th Anniversary of Kenya as an independed Nation. This year also saw the basketball team win the Coast Provincial Tournament for the 3rd time in a row and makes an appearance at the nationals held in Nyeri finishing second.
The teaching staff has changed during the past 25 years. Many teachers have come and gone just as many students have passed through the gates of the school .Beginning with the missionaries as the only full-time teaching staff, today, only four members of our teaching staff are missionaries.
For twenty-five solid and hard-working years many people have dared to dream some very large dreams .Many of these have become a reality and some have fallen by the wayside. He original dream of providing a school to be a ministry in the community has been a real dream come true .What do the next twenty-five years hold for the school? There are already a new group of dreamers who dream of a new chapel / auditorium large enough to accommodate all the students in the school at one time for large programmes.There are dreamers who would like to see more offices for teaching staff and a reading room to go with the well equipped library that is already at the school.
The school now has the 2nd and 3rd best equipped libraries at the Coast. We dream of the day when some of our students will return to teach here and serve as headmasters, serving this city and country in educating young minds. Even though we have heard very good results both in the “O” and “A” levels with our graduating classes, we still dream of the day when we shall break into the TOP 100 and then continue to rise up the scale. Why has Mombasa Baptist High School continued to progress through out all these years? Because of dreamers. As long as there are dreamers, there shall be dreams, then there is hope.
John S. Basham
Headmaster, 1988 |
