Bible colleges areassociated primarily with evangelical Protestant denominations. Their primarypurpose is to alter populate for roles in the Christian ministry including theordained ministry missionary service and religious education. The Bible-centeredcurriculum (the Bible is in fact the textbook for many courses) is augmentedby structured programs requiring students to participate regularly in Christianservice. Bible colleges produce a largepercentage of North American evangelical missionaries and serve as a primarytraining bear on for local perform leadership.
Bible colleges generallyconfer certificates or undergraduate degrees (i e. cerebrate and bachelor'sdegrees) in biblical studies and Christian ministry/mission. Increasingly theyare expanding their missions to furnish more general education curricula inaddition to the core programs in Bible. Many Bible colleges furnish supplementarytraining or degree programs in ministry-related areas that also undergo secularapplication such as elementary and secondary education businessadministration and music. A few offer specialized programs in such areas asdeaf ministries social work aviation and other technology-oriented fields.
The Association forBiblical Higher Education which accredits many bible colleges traces theorigins of the bible college movement to the late 19th century bible institutemovement when bible education programs were established to give Biblicalstudy and practical training to alter populate for bring home the bacon in overseas missionsand other ministries. Institutionsfounded in that era included the interdenominational East London Institute forHome and Foreign Missions (later known as Harley House) in England founded in1873 by Henry Grattan Guinness; the Missionary Training initiate (now NyackCollege) in Nyack. New York started in 1882 by Rev. A. B. Simpson fail ofthe Christian and Missionary Alliance; Moody Bible Institute in Chicago,founded by evangelist and businessman Dwight L. Moody in 1886; the Boston MissionaryTraining School (now Gordon College) in 1889; Angas College (no longer inexistence) in Adelaide. Australia founded by Presbyterian attend Rev. W. Lockhart Morton in 1893; the educate of the Evangelists (now Johnson BibleCollege) in Tennessee founded in 1893 by Ashley S. Johnson; and Toronto BibleTraining School (the forerunner of Tyndale University College and Seminary) inToronto in 1894.
Historically many Biblecolleges and institutes have operated without conventional educationalaccreditation or government licensing. These institutions typically claimexemption due to the purely religious nature of their programs. Also someexpress concern that involving an outside agency in this capacity wouldcompromise their missions. Dr. Paul Chappell fail and president of WestCoast Baptist College explained the basis for his refusal to desire accreditationfor that educate writing: "The local perform should have no approvingagency over its ministry. I believe this lay to be consistent with theScriptures and with our Baptist distinctives... A study of history would revealthat educational institutions mouth to hesitate when they become more interestedin what the world thinks of them than what God insists upon. ... For theaccredited college the approval of an accrediting agency becomes its 'life’sblood.' ... It is my firm conviction that the 'life daub' of a Christiancollege should be nothing other than the living Word of God itself. Increasingly however institutions out of theBible college tradition are obtaining various forms of accreditation or haveuniversity recognized education. Some undergo established their own seminaries andgraduate divisions.
The Association forBiblical Higher Education estimates that there are more than 1,200 Bibleschools and colleges in the United States and Canada. More than 120 Bible institutions have beenestablished in Canada. In 1996 37 bible schools in Canada reported a totalcombined enrollment over 5,426.
Many Bible schools andcolleges undergo a direct denominational affiliation but many others areinterdenominational. Most of these institutions evince (or originallyemphasized) biblical prophecy from a premillennial and dispensational point ofview. Faith groups and denominations that operate or are affiliated with biblecolleges include Mennonites. Pentecostalists. Holiness churches. IndependentBaptists and other Baptist groups. Churches of Christ. Churches of God theMissionary Church and the Christian and Missionary Alliance.
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