FATEB is the first university level evangelical seminary designed to serve all seventeen countries of French-speaking Africa. This school's history is worth documenting as an effort by African leaders who can justly take the main credit for its existence. Founded in 1974 and assisted by Western Christians, FATEB has been training African church leaders for half a century. It stands today as a testament to the value of global partnership and theological education in the task of developing Christian leaders. This history describes the trials and successes of building an educational institution in one of the most challenging contexts of the world.