THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE BIBLE COLLEGE OR INSTITUTE IN THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA SINCE 1880 AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO THE FIELD OF THEOLOGICAL EDUCATION IN AMERICA.
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University Microfilms 300 North Z e e b Road Ann A rbor, M ic h ig a n 48106 A X e ro x E du catio n C om pany
73-S441
LD3907 noon, Ha r o l d Wats:n, 191U.E3 I93u The development rf the Bible college or Institute In the b n i t e a States end Canada .E6 since lbi.O and its rel a t i o n s h i p to the field of theological education in America 21i4p. table s ,char t s ,f o r m s . Final document (Zd.D.) - N.Y.U., Sc/.ccl of Education, 1950* Bibliography: p . 165-168. C58927
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AP'-' -------'i - r. Sponsoring Committee: Professor Samuel L. Hamilton, Chairman Dean Thomas C. Po." Pollock and Professor Abraham I, Katsh
THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE BIBLE COLLEGE OR INSTITUTE IN THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA SINCE 1880 AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO THE FIELD OF THEOLOGICAL EDUCATION IN AMERICA
HAROLD f . BOON
Submitted in
partial fulfillment of the
requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the School of Education of New York University
1950
PLEASE NOTE:
Some pages may have i n d i st i n e t pr i nt . Filmed as received.
Un i vers ity M i c r ofi lms, A Xerox Education Company
TABLE OF CONTENTS Page
Chapter I
II
III
The Problem and Its Scope ....... ....... ........ The P r o b l e m ..... ............................ .. Statement of the Problem .................... Delimitation ..... o ....................... . Definition of Terms .......................... Significance of the I n v e s t i g a t i o n . Previous Related Studies ...................... Procedure ................. ........ . Survey .......................... . Relationship to the Field of Theological Education In America ......... Historical Development ..... ................... Higher Education ........................... . Public Education ............. . American Academy ............................. . Teacher Training .............. ............. The Sunday School Movement .... .......... R e v i v a l i s m ..... .............. ................. Summary ............ ........ .............. . Missionary Expansion .... ....... East London Institute for Home and Foreign Missions ..... ............ . ......... .... China Inland M i s s i o n ..... ....... ............. Founders of the Bible Institute Movement ...... Albert Benjamin Simpson (1343-1919) The Missionary Training C o l l e g e ...... . Dwight Lyman Moody ............................ . Northfield Seminary ........ ........... Mount Hermon School for Boys ........... Moody Bible Institute ........... A Comparative Study of Forty-Nine Selected Bible Institutes .............. .................. Accreditation .... ............ Entrance Requirements ......... ............ Curriculum .... . Various Coui’ses Offered ..................... Principal Subjects .............. . Graduation Requirements ...... ...... .......... Thesis Requirement ....... ......... . Clinical Training .... .......... . Denominational Affiliation .... . Control of the Bible Institute ........... F a c u l t y ............... ..................... Faculty-Student Ratio According to School Enrollment 1946 ................... .
ii
1 3 O 4 4 4 5 7 8 10 13 13 15 17 18 19
22 23 24 26 28 29 30 35 37 40 41 42 44 46 50 CTO 53 55 59 65
66 6? 69 70
70
Page
Chapter III
IV
(Continued) Full Time Faculty Members ...................... Faculty Degrees ......................... Faculty C o u n s e l i n g ............................ Students .... ........ Distribution of Enrollment ................... Average Are of Students in 45 Bible Institutes and Colleges ..... ........... Married Students .......... ......... Special Students • •• States Represented in Student Enrollment .... Denominations Represented ................... Christian E d u c a t i o n ............ Music ............................. Student Placement ............ Finances and P r o p e r t y ............ Permanent Endowment .............. Productive Endovjment ........ Plant V a l u a t i o n ........... ...................... Tuition Expenditures For Instruction ....... P r o m o t i o n .................................. ....... Libraries Student Aid ....... The Relationship of the Bible College Movement to the Theological Seminary in A m e r i c a ..... Accreditation ........................ The American Association of Theological ..... Schools Entrance Requirements .................. C u r r i c u l u m ............... Graduation Requirements .................. .......... Degrees Thesis Requirement ......... Field V/ork.................................... Denominational A f f i l i a t i o n ........... Control of the S e m i n a r y .............. Faculty ...... *........ Full Time Faculty Members .................... Faculty Degrees ..................... Teaching Loads ............................ Faculty C o u n s e l i n g ........ Faculty-Student R a t i o ........ Students ......................... Distribution of Enrollment ...... Average Age ........... Married Students ........... Special Students ........... States R e p r e s e n t e d ..... Denominations Represented ........
iii
75 75 76 76 73 3l 34 35 37 38 92 93 94 94 96 97 93 99 101 101 102 103 104 105 107 109 112 118 llS 119 119 121 122 124 125 127 123 130 131 133 134 135 136 138 139 140
Page
Chapter IV
V
(Continued) Graduates ....................................... Student Placement ............. .............. Finances and Property .................... Endowment ...... Productive Endowment ........................ Plant V a l u a t i o n . ...................... Tuition ............ Expenditures for Instruction ................ P r o m o t i o n ...... Libraries ..... Student Aid ......
142 143 l44 144 l46 l46 l48 l48 150 151 153
Summary and Conclusions ...........................
156
Bibliography
........
A p p e n d i x ....................
165 «..........
169
LIST OF TABLES Table
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
6. 7.
8. 9*
Page The Different Courses Offered by the Institutes Surveyed and Selected .....
56
Graduation Requirements for a Three-Year Diploma Course in 33 Bible Institutes andColleges ....
60
Graduation Requirements for a Four-Year Degree Course in l 8 Bible Institutes andColleges ....
60
The Degrees Granted by 19 Bible Institutes Colleges .......
64
and
The Denominational Affiliation of 49 Bible Institutes .....
68
Distribution of Male and Female Enrollment in 1946 in 48 Bible Institutes ..............
80
Per Cent of Married Students in 47 Bible Insti tutes and Colleges In the 1346 Student Body Enrol l m e n t ..........
84
Per Cent of Special Students Enrolled in 42 Bible Institutes and Colleges in1946 .........
35
Number of States Represented in 48 Bible Institutes and Colleges ........
8'J
iv
Page
Table 10.
11 . 12.
13. 14.
Number of Religious Denominations Represented in 45 Bible Institutes and Colleges ........... .
88
Vocation of the Graduates of 43 Bible Institutes and Colleges .... .............................
90
Plant Valuation of 40 Bible Institutes and Colleges ........................... ..........
98
Tuition Charges in 4l Bible Institutes and Colleges ............ ............ ...............
99
Amount Spent for Promotion in 1946-47 School Year in 25 Bible Institutes and Colleges .....
102
Library Expenditures in 22 Bible Institutes and Colleges ............... ............. .
103
Program in Semester Hours of Selected Seminaries, 1921-22 ...................
113
The Different Organized Sequence of Courses Offered in 81 Theological Seminaries ..........
116
Denominational Affiliation of 81 Theological ..... . Seminaries
122
19 .
Degrees Earned by Seminary Faculty Members
123
20.
The Faculty-Student Ratio in bO Seminaries ......
15*
16 . 17* l8 .
• • o
132
LIST OF FIGURES Page
Figure 1.
Faculty-Student Ratio According to School E n rollment 1946 in 18 Degree Bible Institutes and Bible Colleges .................. .
o•
73
Faculty-Student Ratio According to School E n rollment 1946 in 25 Non-Degree Granting Bible Institutes and Colleges ....................
74
Full Time Faculty Members Teaching in 49 Bible Institutes and Colleges ................... .
77
4.
Average Age of Students in 45 Bible Institutes .
83
5.
Religious Fields Entered by the Graduates of 43 Bible Institutes and Colleges ................
91
2.
3.
v
CHAPTER I THE PROBLEM AND ITS SCOPE
During the past sixty-five years an educational movement has come into existence which has assumed such p r o portions that it cannot be ignored by leading educators and accrediting agencies.
At least one hundred forty Bible
institutes and Bible colleges are now in existence in the United States and Canada. being founded.
New institutions are constantly
Some of these institutions offer a day school
program only; others offer only evening courses of study; many schools operate both day and evening classes, the former being more thorough than the latter; and still others have the name of a Bible institute but operate only as a correspondence school.
Since the scope of the work and the thoroughness of
Instruction has such a wide variation, it has been very diffi cult to evaluate the work of the individual institutions and the Bible institute movement as a whole. In 1946 The Accrediting Association of Bible Insti tutes and Bible Colleges was organized to help standardize the movement and to establish norms which could be used in evaluating the work of the individual Bible institute.
The
Accrediting Association of Bible Institutes and Bible Colleges after a very rigid examination of all Bible institutes and Bible colleges applying for registration finally approved, in
2 their annual meeting held in October, 19^8* eighteen schools on a collegiate level and twelve schools of an intermediate level.
(For the standards of the collegiate level and inter
mediate level see Appendix p . 190).
The United States Office
of Education is listing the schools accredited by this body in its Official Directory in the same manner as it lists the approved institutions of the American Association of Theolog ical
Schools. The Bible institute movement was a product of the
nineteenth century.
The spirit of revivalism and missions
had awakened many to the spiritual needs of the masses at home and on distant mission fields.
Many young people were sensi
tized to the urgent need, yet were unprepared to respond.
The
lack of universal public education on the secondary level made college and seminary training impossible for many who were willing to give their lives for evangelistic and missionary service. The theological seminaries, with their emphasis on the classical studies, did not tend to foster an aggressive spirit of evangelism among their students; nor did the gradu ates in general tend to respond to the call for pioneer evangelical work at home or abroad, since the larger urban churches were calling for men with college and seminary training. The Bible institute began as an auxiliary means of securing recruits.
It was not meant to compete with nor
duplicate the seminary.
It was largely Intended for laymen
3 In the homeland, and those who would labor among the more Ignorant classes on the mission field. The scope and influence of the American Sunday school was greatly enlarged during the nineteenth century but the effectiveness of this work was much impaired because of poorly trained teachers.
Secular teacher training was poor
enough, but Sunday school teacher training was practically non existent.
Out of necessity the Bible Institute pioneered in
this field. The Problem Statement of the Problem It is the purpose of this study to present a history of the development of the Bible college movement in the United States and Canada and to show the relationship of this movement to the general field of theological education in America. Sub-problems The main problem breaks down into certain specific problems which must be solved as follows; 1. To determine the factors which may have con tributed to the rise and evolution of the Bible college movement and the relationship of these factors to the devel opment of this movement. 2. To make a comparative study of the two groups of Bible institutes; those conferring degrees upon their graduates and those not conferring degrees. 3* To determine any relationships between the Bible
4 college movement and the theological seminary in America as set forth by Robert Kelly in his study, Theological Education in America* Delimitation 1. Bible institutes which conduct only evening schools or correspondence schools, and Bible institutes operat ing exclusively on a secondary level are excluded from this study. 2. The evaluation of the contributions of the Bible college or institute and its place in the total preparation of students for the Christian ministry and religious work shall be noted and recommended as a field for further study. Definition of Terms 1. Bible college or institute:
An institution of
higher education developed for the purpose of training students in preparation for the Christian ministry and religious work without the requirement of a college degree for admission. 2. Seminary:
An institution of higher education,
developed for the purpose of training students in preparation for the Christian ministry and religious work with the basic requirement of a college degree for admission. Significance of the Investigation The Bible college movement is a development of the last sixty-five years.
State boards of education are now
chartering such institutions and granting them the authority to confer degrees.
No study is known to the writer which
5 shows the significance of this educational movement to the broader field of general education in the United States and Canada nor to the particular field of seminary training. Since the turn of the century, Bible institutes have been increasing in numbers and in the size of the student bodies.
Many changes have occurred in organization, operation,
curriculum, and educational recognition since the founding of these institutions. In a changed world situation with its critical cir cumstances there is a need for eliminating waste and duplica tion in preparing leaders for the Christian ministry and religious work.
An objective study is needed to try to d e
termine the effectiveness of proposed functions; and to d e termine, if possible, whether the Bible institute movement is ad Interim and transitory, functioning until certain newer religious groups are able to catch up with the educational standards of the traditional religious bodies; or whether, on the other hand, it has a permanent function which will continue to operate in a field of specialized education. Previous Related Studies No similar study dealing with the development of the American Bible college and its relationship to the field of theological education in America, has yet been found. A thesis by Lenice F. Reed on The Bible Institute Movement in America was completed in June 19^7, at Wheaton College, in partial fulfillment for the requirements of the degree of Master of Arts.
In a letter dated October 23, 19^-6,
6 from Dr. Rebecca R. Price, Chairman, Christian Education Department, under whose sponsorship this thesis was written came the following word:
"Your letter of October llth regard
ing the thesis subjects has been brought to my attention . • . The topic being dealt with here deals only with the origin of the Bible Institute.
The student working on the thesis here
is Mrs. Lenlce Reed and I am sure she would be glad to give you any further information."
This thesis has been carefully
read to see if it duplicates the work of this study.
It is
felt that the above comment of Dr. Price, the sponsor of the thesis, seems to be well founded, and that the thesis does not duplicate this study. Hubert Reynhout, Jr. wrote a thesis as a partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in the Department of Education, University of Michigan, July 19^7 on the subject, Jl Comparative Study of Bible Insti tute Curriculums.
His thesis does not solve the problems of
this study but it has been quoted extensively in Chapter III, since it presents very well the various aspects of the Bible institute curriculum. A study by Charles A. Baugher, A. Determination of Trends in Organization. Finance and Enrollment in Higher Ed u cation in Church-Related Arts Colleges since 1900. was sub mitted in 1937 in the School of Education, New York University, in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the Doctor of Philosophy degree. C. Donald McKaig submitted in partial fulfillment of
7 the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the School of Education of New York University, 19^8 a thesis entitled, The Educational Philosophy of A. £. Simpson. Founder of the Christian and Missionary Alliance.
Simpson was the
founder of the Bible institute movement in America.
In the
course of McKaig's final oral examination, one of the members of the examining committee pointed out that someone should write on the Bible institute movement itself and its relation ship to theological education. The following libraries have been carefully checked for any related studies:
New York University, Union Theological
Seminary, Biblical Seminary of New York, and The Missionary Training Institute.
The Journal of Educational Research has
been carefully examined to determine whether a similar or related thesis or document is now in progress.
The writer has
found none. Several educators In the Bible college movement have been questioned concerning the existence of any similar study of the Bible college movement and Its relationship to the field of theological education in America, but no similar study is known to them. Procedure A historical study was made of higher education as it relates to theological education in America during the nineteenth century to discover, if possible, any significant factors which may have contributed to the rise and evolution of the Bible college movement.
This study was made by means
8 of an examination of the numerous texts in the field of American education, the literature of the various theological institutions, original documents where obtainable, personal letters, and personal interviews. A study of the significant personalities and organi zations was made to determine the part played by each in the founding and development of the Bible college movement. Survey An objective study of the two types of Bible insti tutes was made as follows:
(l) The literature of the various
institutes was studied to ascertain purposes and objectives, denominational affiliation, size of faculties and faculty degrees, curricular offerings and student enrollment.
(2) P e r
sonal visits were made to several institutes throughout the country to receive as much first hand information as possible concerning the Internal operations of the individual institute. As an examiner of the Accrediting Association of Bible Insti tutes and Bible Colleges, it was possible for the writer to visit in an official capacity many institutions on the east coast and critically evaluate the schools from detailed sched ules submitted to the examiners by the institutions being examined.
(3) A questionnaire was sent out to all known Bible
institutes coming within the scope of this study requesting detailed information in the various areas of this study. The data were then examined to determine similarities and differences which have developed in the Bible school move ment to produce the two types of Bible institutes:
(l) those
9 operating in the field of higher education but not conferring any degrees upon its graduates, and (2) those operating in the field of higher education, chartered by state boards of e d u cation, and conferring appropriate degrees upon the graduates. The following areas were included in the study: educational recognition, internal organization, program of study, students and financial operation. The educational recognition of the Bible college or institute was indicated by the existence of a charter, with or without degree granting privileges, from the state board of education; by the registration of the curriculum with state and regional accrediting agencies; and by the exchange of credit on a comparable basis when students transfer to other accredited institutions. The items of internal organization of the Bible college or institute which were compared were the size, method of selection, and the function of the board of trustees; the executive and administrative functions of the officers and faculty; and the ecclesiastical affiliation of individual faculty members, provision for student counselling and student placement• The program of study was considered from the stand point of breadth of curriculum content, requirements for graduation, and provision for clinical or practical training. In the study of students, the following items were compared:
age, status (single, married), home state, denomi
national membership, percentage of special students and trends in enrollment.
10 It was Impossible to secure very much accurate in formation concerning financial operation, but where informa tion was available it was considered as^^-ol 1 ow s z- .^xhdo.wment. funds both permanent and productive; assets of plant
(build
ings, equipment, libraries); income from tuition and student fees; percentage of expenditures for instruction, libraries, and promotion. Prom this objective survey the findings were used to provide the basis for the determination of the relationships which exist within the Bible college movement itself. Relationship to the Field of Theological Education in America Although the requirements for the education of the theological student vary, there have been set up seminary standards which have received general recognition.
Robert L.
Kelly of the Institute of Social and Religious Research p u b lished In 1924 a detailed study of Theological Education in America.
This study was used as a basis for this comparative
study made between the Bible College movement and the theo logical seminary. In his 445 page work, Dr. Kelly presented a histori cal study of the theological seminary, its system of education, Its typical equipment and prevailing methods, the selection of students, its finances and property, and a detailed sketch of one hundred different seminaries.
Significant changes in
the theological seminary since 1924, when Kelly made his study, were included in this thesis.
11 Carter V. Good compiled A Guide to Colleges. Un i versities . and Professional Schools In the United States. 19^5*
The tabulations for professional schools of theology
were helpful in bringing up to date the work of Kelly. Mark A. May directed for the Institute of Social and Religious Research a four volume study entitled, The Education of the American Minister, published in 193^.
This
study was extensively used as a basis for the study of the theological seminary. Hartshorne and Froyd brought out a study in 19^5 on Theological Education in the Northern Baptist Convention. This study was used to indicate trends within the seminary movement. A Survey of Theological Education in the Methodist Church, directed by John L. Seaton, was published In 19^80 This study provided late information on the conditions pr e vailing in the Methodist Church. Having made a comparative study of the Bible college or institute movement itself, the writer attempted to set forth the general relationships that exist between the Bible college and the theological seminary. The relationships found to exist between the class ical education of the theological seminary with its emphasis on a liberal college education as a prerequisite for admission and the Bible college movement with its emphasis on practical religious training in a streamlined program without the require ment of a liberal arts background have been presented and evaluated.
CHAPTER II HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT
Theological education and especially the restricted phase of Bible institute education had its roots in the early years of the new American democracy*
Even before the estab
lishment of the Massachusetts Bay School In 1642, which was the first to receive tax support for public schools in America, came the establishment of Harvard College.
The early settlers,
who at a terrific personal cost to themselves braved the rugged experiences of the new world, had no Intention of falling to provide for the religious worship which they professed to be of prime importance.
The ministry must be perpetuated, for
only by a trained clergy would the religious needs of the colony be met. Higher Education To rely upon the Old World for the recruiting and training of the clergy was not feasible.
"Higher education on
the American continent had its beginning, therefore, in the impulse to bequeath to subsequent generations a worthy minlstry."^
Evidence is still to be read on the Harvard gateway,
in the quaint lines here quoted. After God had carried vs safe to New England & wee had bvilded ovr hovses provided necessaries for ovr livelihood reard convenient places for Gods worship 1. Robert L. Kelly, Theological Education in America, p. 23»
I
13 and settled the civill government one of the next things wee longed for and looked after was to advance learning and perpefcvate it to posterity dreading to leave an illiterate ministry to the chvrches when ovr present ministers shall lie in the dvst . 1 In the founding of Harvard in 1636, higher education in America was definitely theological in purpose.
Students
who were not training for the ministry were admitted but all took the same course.
In addition to the "Divinity Subjects"
offered, the course also included such studies as logic and rhetoric, Latin, Greek, Hebrew, and mathematics.
It was in
the latter part of the eighteenth century that the divinity subjects were no longer required of all students. In the early years of the colonists, although they were all theoretically Congregationalist, sectarian contention was very evident.
Harvard was regarded by many in the Congre
gational body as being too liberal.
In 1 8 0 8 a new theological
seminary was founded by the Congregationalists at Andover. Yale was founded because many Congregational ministers were dissatisfied with what they considered liberal tendencies at Harvard. Concerning the early history of Yale, Ellwood P. Cubberly writes, "President Clapp of Yale declared that 'Colleges are Societies of Ministers, for training up Persons for the Work of the Ministry,' and that
'The great design of
founding this school (Yale), was to educate Ministers In our own Wa y . '" 1. Kelly, qp_. cjt.. pp. 23, 24. 2. Cubberly, op. cit.. p. 703*
14 Kings College
(later Columbia University) was
founded by Episcopalians In 1754 with much the same aim*
The
announcement at the opening of Kings College was as follows; The chief thing that is aimed at in this College is, to teach and engage the Children to love God in Jesus Christ, and to love and serve him in all Sobriety, Godliness, and Richness of Life 1 The training of Christian leaders was the prime co n sideration of Harvard, Yale, and Columbia in their early days. Denominational characteristics were common to all three, yet today, each of these institutions is considered non-sectarian and free from any denominational influences. Enrollment in these institutions was small.
During
the first fifty years, the Harvard enrollment was seldom more than twenty and the president did all the teaching.
In the year
1815, one hundred seventy-four years after the founding of Harvard, and one hundred fourteen years after, the founding of Yale the following schools graduated classes as follows: Harvard, 66; Yale, 69; Princeton, 40; Williams, 40; Pennsylvania, 15; and the University of South Carolina, 37*2 The influence of the Church was not only felt in the area of higher education where the emphasis for many years was on the training of the clergy, but it was also felt in every phase of education, the private instruction in reading and religion by the parents in the home, the apprentice system, the town schoolmasters, and the Latin grammar schools which were the contribution of the larger towns to prepare boys for the 1. Cubberly, op> cit. . p. 703* 2. Ibid.. pp. 657, 703.
15 college of the colony. Public Education The English system of home Instruction, for the prime purpose of teaching children to read the Bible, was continued. The dame school was also carried over Into the new world to meet the need of a frontier civilization.
Some mother, who In
her youth had learned the rudiments of education, would gather into her home the children of the neighborhood and Instruct them at the same time she taught her own.
By paying a small
stipend to the one who taught their children, other mothers were able to devote their time to the many other demands of the household. In 1642 the Massachusetts law relating to the school ing of all children was framed.
It read as follows:
In euery towne ye chosen men shall see that parents and masters not only train their children in learning and labor, but also "to read & understand the pr i n ciples of religion & the capital lawes of this country,” with power to impose fines on such as refuse to render accounts concerning their children. This was the first American act toward the support of public schools by public funds.
In 164-7 the law enacted,
required the maintenance of the Latin grammar schools. provided a heavy burden upon the people.
This
Gradually there was
felt to exist a need for a more practical and less aristocratic type of higher school.
As a result the American academy began
to supercede the old Latin grammar school. In order to prevent the religious town school from 1. Cubberly, op., cit.. p. 326.
16 disappearing and to establish district schools in rural areas, the educational program in New England during the eighteenth century underwent some changes.
The American school of the
"3 Rs" was formed in the smaller places and in the rural districts as an economy measure.
New textbooks of a more
secular nature were printed to take the place of the New England Primer. In the southern Colonies, common schools were not feasible because of the. classes in society and the nature of plantation life.
The upper class of Virginia made no provision
for the education of the masses.
Governor Berkley of Virginia
in 1671 in answer to the question concerning the part the Government should take in public education replied: The same course that is now taken in England out of town; every man according to his ability instructing his children.•• But I thank God there are no free schools nor printing, and I hope we shall not have these for a hundred years; for learning has brought disobedience and heresy and sects into the world, and printing has divulged them and libels against the best government. God keep us from bothJl Mass education was largely confined, in rural areas to the American school of the 3 Rs which provided for all children, but the curriculum included only the common school training.
In the larger centers of population after 1820,
the primary schools were added to the common or elementary schools which brought the educational program down to the needs of the beginners. 1. Clarence Benson, History of Christian Education, p. 102.
17 American Academy The old Latin grammar school with its exclusively college-preparatory program gave way to the American academy. Probably the first such academy was Franklin's Academy, founded in 1751 in Philadelphia. the University of Pennsylvania.
This academy later became The American academy retained
the study of Latin yet offered more practical subjects than the Latin grammar schools.
The academies were usually open to
girls as well as boys.
These schools were primarily inde
pendent institutions, charging tuition and offering a "broad ened Curriculum and religious purpose."'1' The academy movement spread rapidly during the first half of the nineteenth century. By 1800 there were 17 academies in Massachusetts, 36 by 1820 and 403 by 1 8 5 0 . By 1 8 3 0 there were, according to Hinsdale, 950 incorporated academies in the United States, and many unincorporated ones, and by 1 8 5 0 , according to Inglis, there were, of all kinds, 1007 academies in New England, 1636 in the Middle Atlantic States, 2640 in the Southern States, 753 in the Upper Mississippi Valley States, and a total reported for the entire United States of 6 ,0 8 5 , with 12.260 teachers employed and 263*096 pupils e n rolled.^ The colonial Latin grammar school had provided secondary schooling for those of the privileged class.
The
academy in its missionary effort had made such education avail able for the middle class.
Public high schools, however, came
into being to make secondary education available to all.
But
the development of the state supported high school was slowed down by the opposition it received from all sides.
After
years of patient perseverance the high school was recognized. 1. Cubberly, ojo. clt.. p. 6 9 6 . 2• Loc. clt.
18 Teacher Training One of the great problems of the early American educational program was the training of adequate teachers for the public schools.
In the beginning the clergymen were re
sponsible for the Instruction of the more promising candidates for the ministry.
Mothers with slight training in the "rudi
ments of education" taught the children of the community in a very informal way.
Under the Lancaster system, which operat
ed during the early part of the nineteenth century, monitorial schools were opened.
This was a carry over from an English
experiment in education. poor. lem.
Teachers were scarce and pay was
Hence student help was an answer to the teaching p rob Under the plan, one teacher could supervise a thousand
students by having the brightest students selected as monitors to assist in the teaching.
The teacher would teach the
monitors who in turn taught spelling, writing, and arithmetic. By this method the cost per pupil for public education in the City of New York in 1822 was only $1.22 as compared with the private and church school cost of $12.00.per year. The first teacher-training school in the United States where individual teachers received training was opened by Reverend Samuel R. Hall, at Concord, Vermont in 1823*
It
was a private institution and the location was changed three times during the next seventeen years.
The curriculum was
comparable to that of high school with additional lectures in the art of teaching and some opportunity for practice teaching. In 1825 Governor Clinton recommended to the legis lature of New York the establishment by the State
19 of "a seminary for the education of teachers in the monitorial system of instruction." Nothing coming of this, in 1 8 2 7 he recommended the creation of "a central school in each county for the education of teachers." That year (1 8 2 7 ) the New York legislature appropriated money to aid the academies "to promote the education of teachers"--the first state aid in the United States for teacher-training..... On July 3> 1839, the first state normal school in the United States opened in the town hall at Lexington, Massachusetts, with one teacher and three students.... By i860 eleven state normal schools had been estab lished in eight of the States of the American Union, and six private schools were also rendering similar services.1 Of this type of program of teacher education Dr. Arlo Ayres Brown, President of Drew Theological Seminary has written: "No movement in general education was more influential in improving both public schools and in the long run Sunday schools than the teacher-training movement as developed through the State normal Schools."^ The Sunday School Movement A very significant factor in early American educa tion was the Sunday school movement spearheaded by Robert Raikes, a Christian layman.
Mr. Raikes, a printer by trade,
learned the pitiful condition of many children in his home city of Gloucester, England. work every day except Sunday.
These children were forced to They were deprived of the cul
tural advantages of the better class and were posing a serious delinquercy problem.
Failing in other means of meeting their
1. Cubberly, op. cit.. pp. 751-753* 2. History of Religious Education in Recent Times, p. 5^*
20 problem, Mr. Raikes decided to try to educate them.
He
attempted to meet them on their only free day, Sunday, for a period of instruction.
His objective was to provide for
them the teaching they should have received in the common school*
Religion was included with the secular subjects in
much the same way it was included in the program of education provided for those of the privileged class.
The school opened
in 1 7 8 0 with four paid teachers and a five hour session.
They
met from ten to twelve in the morning and from one to four in the afternoon. This program met a real need and, despite much op position, it grew rapidly until, five years later when it had reached London, the Sunday School Society of London was formed. This same year, 1 7 8 5 , the Sunday school movement spread to America.
In 1 8 9 0 the organization known as the First Day or
Sunday School Society was formed in Philadelphia.
The new
organization was destined to become an evangelistic tool of the Wesleyan Revival.
In 1825 the American Sunday School Union
was organized and the new institution was carried by evangel istic missionaries to the frontiers of the new America.1 The Sunday school began as a lay enterprise--!ounded by a layman, taught by lay people, and held in a dwelling rather than a church. While some church leaders, notably John Wesley, were quick to see the value of the Sunday school, it is not surprising that under these conditions it made its way but slowly into the life and work of the church.2 As public education developed, the Sunday school 1. cp. Paul Vieth, The Church and Christian Education, pp. 2l~23« 2. Vieth, o p cit. . p. 24.
.
21
provided less and less in the way of general education.
Its
program became Bible centered with the emphasis placed on Bible study and memorization.
Dr. John H. Vincent, a Method
ist preacher and leader in the Sunday School movement said, "The Sunday school is strong at the heart and weak at the head." He recognized the necessity for better teaching and worked hard to secure it. Since the Sunday school originated as a lay project, since the teachers were more often than not lay people with no educational training whatsoever, and since educational standards were very low with what little education that was offered to the masses going to the boys, the need for teacher training was all too evident.
John S. Hart in the introduction to the
book entitled The Sunday School Teachers 1 Institute. published in 1 8 66 wrote: It is time that some general movement was made in the matter of teacher training. Of the three hundred thousand teachers who are guiding and sustaining the great work of instruction probably less than one tenth have ever had any regular professional training for the business of teaching..... Why should not our theological seminaries make some provision on this subject? A young man goes to a theological seminary for the purpose of being fitted and trained for the pastoral office. In the provi dence of God, and the practical working of Christian institutions at this time, a large portion of the pastor's work, that part of his work too which is most productive of results, lies among the young of his flock. Let the plain, painful truth be spoken. Our Sabbath schools are taught by those who know not how to teach. Of course, there are many brilliant exceptions. I speak only of the general fact..... Our schools will never accomplish what they should do until our teachers know better how to teach and what to teach. Our
22 teachers must themselves be taught. Whoever shall devise the means of doing this effectually will help forward the great cause as much as if they were to put a hundred missionaries in the field . 1 Revivalism The impact of revivalism was felt during the nine teenth century In Europe and America.
In Scotland Robert and
James Haldanes, lay preachers of the early nineteenth century, though banned by the General Assembly, preached from one end of the land to the other.
It was Robert Haldane who educated
300 men as evangelists to carry on this type of work.
The
Revivals under the Wesleys and Whitefield brought a new Inter est in Bible reading and Bible study on the British Isles and in America.
Those who had been affected by the preaching of
the "Methodists" were often moved to take up the pioneer work of these evangels. The local preachers who came from the field, the shop, and the office to fill their appointments on the cir cuit plan, have continued to be one of the mainstays of Methodism.... Vie have seen that in America the evangelist or travel ling preacher did a work which no one else could do. He prepared the way, in many parts of the country only lately occupied, for the organized church and the settled pastor. The pioneers were men specially fitted for their work. Their license to preach, if they carried one, was of less moment to them than their possession of a divine call. They anticipate d the institutions of learning and were not ashamed to be known as "graduates of Brush College and fellows of Swamp University."2 As a result of this pioneer type of evangelism there 1. J. H. Vincent, The Sunday School Teachers1 Institute, p. 7« 2. T. H. Pattison, The History of Christian Preaching, pp. 398, 399.
23 appeared to be a need for some means of training those who would serve in this type of religious work.
The conventional
methods of the college and seminary would not meet the need since those who needed the training would be unable to obtain it.
T. B. Masden, writing in the Evangelical Beacon makes the
following observation: With the revivals during the latter part of the previous century and those of the earlier part of this century, both here and abroad, there came also a renewal of Bible reading and the need of a more systematic Bible study. There seem to have been two leading factors that contributed largely to the establishment of the Bible institute idea; the need for sound, Bible-trained evangelists, preachers, and missionaries, and, conse quently and secondly, the need for institutions that could glVe systematic and well-rounded Bible studies and subjects closely related to the Bible, to evangel ism, and to missionary work. Summary We have briefly reviewed the development of education in early America with a desire to see if there were any factors in the early history which led to the development of the Ame r ican Bible Institute or College*
We have noted that the edu
cational program began with a desire to perpetuate the ministry. It was religious in scope and limited to the more privileged. Common school education began humbly to prepare boys for re ligion and citizenship.
Gradually there was a separation of
church and state in the matter of public education.
With the
expenditure of public funds for the education of the masses, 1. T. B. Madsen, "The Origin of the Bible Institute," The Evangelical Beacon. November 19* 19^6, pp. 6, 7»
24
more persons received a common school education but this training was far from universal.
Few could afford the private
academy, the college, and the seminary.
The training of
teachers was haphazard and sketchy and teachers 1 salaries were meager.
To meet the need of the delinquent children who had
had no opportunity during the week for schooling or any other type of character training, the Sunday school was instituted as a lay project,.
As public school opportunities increased,
the Sunday schools became more and more concerned with Biblical indoctrination. During this period the spirit of revivalism was evi dent.
The Wesleys had been engaged in a mass program of evan
gelism which caught the imagination and hearts of the people. Many of the middle and lower classes were reached by this evangelistic appeal.
Those who felt the "call of God” respond
ed to preach the Gospel.
Conventional methods of securing
college and seminary trained men were set aside.
In a pioneer
ing America, the evangelists pioneered. Missionary Expansion The nineteenth century was a period of missionary expansion.
From the days of William Carey, who since 1792 has
been recognized as the father of organized missions, have de veloped more than one hundred missionary societies.
John
Newton of Olney was associated with Wesley though he himself is not considered a Methodist.
Through his influence Thomas
Scott, a formal clergyman of his day, was inspired.
He began
a preaching mission that had a tremendous spiritual influence
25 on William Carey.
Again through the influence of John Newton,
Claudius Buchanan, a young Scotchman, was motivated to become a missionary to India 0
Through Buchanan’s writings Adoniram
Judson, a student in Andover, volunteered for foreign mission ary service.
Many other stalwarts of the Christian faith
pioneered in distant mission fields. As William Carey became known as the father of "organ ized missions" so John Evangelist Gossner became known as the father of "faith missions."
Gossner was born in 1773» twelve
years later than Carey, near Augsburg, Germany.
Gossner, a
priest in the Church of Rome7 became a disciple of Martin Boos who has been called the Martin Luther of the Period. theme was "Christ for us and Christ in us."
Boos'
This movement,
which centered around Martin Boos, was said to have been a second edition of the German Reformation, though within a narrow circle.Gossner, at this crisis.
His theme
time, passed through a great spiritual
became "Pereat Adaml
Vivat Jesul"
Gossner’s
evangelical zeal caused him to come under the malediction of the Pope.
He was brought before the Inquisition, was sent to
prison and finally withdrew to the Brotestant church.
He later
came under the influence of the German Pietist and Moravian Brethren. Berlin.
Gossner Dr. A. J.
became pastor of the Bethlehem Church in Gordon writes the following of Pastor
Gossner: When three or four artisans came to him for counsel, telling of their burning desire to preach the gospel to the heathen, he firmly refused them his approval. To their request that he would at least pray with them he g£ve heed, however, and before he knew it he had prayed
26 himself into sympathy with them. Then he began to give them training for missionary service, allowing them to come to him after the day's work was over, and to receive such biblical and doctrinal instruction as they most needed. As the innovation of sending out men without university or theological training to the foreign field exposed him to severe criticism, even more so did his determination, reached through much prayer and trial of faith, to thrust them forth in simple and sole dependence on God to supply the means of their support. This was the distinctive feature of the Gossner Mission; and by this he was to give impulse and confidence to many who should come after..... Beginning his new enterprise at a time of life at which many would think themselves justified in slacking labor* he put into the field one hundred and forty-one missionaries— including the wives of those married, two hundred--making himself respon sible under God for the outfit and support of the entire company . 1 East London Institute for Home and Foreign Missions In 1872 the East London Institute for Home and Foreign Missions was established.
In Chapter II of The Story of the
East London Institute for Home and Foreign Missions under the heading "Our Institute, and Why We Founded It," reference is made to the great revivals of 1 8 59 and subsequent years and of the large numbers of Christian young men who were filled with love and zeal and longed to give their lives to the service of Christ, but for whose service in the gospel there seemed to be little opening in these Christian lands. We were deeply impressed with the conviction that a great amount of precious spiritual power was being allowed to run to waste— power which ought for every reason to be turned to account on behalf of heathendom. Many of these men were well adapted for missionary work, and perfectly willing to devote their lives to it; but they were not likely ever to get into it unless they were helped to secure, first, a. suitable training for it, and, secondly, an introduction into it. We realized that the existing agencies, the missionary societies already devoted to the great task of evange lizing the world, were totally inadequate to accomplish 1. A. J. Gordon, Holy Spirit in Missions, pp. 66, 6 7 .
27 it. "It was admitted and confessed by all that they could never overtake the work, and we felt that there was needed, as regards missions, the same change that had passed over the Christian world as regards the home ministry.... The notion that highly cultured and university trained men alone should be sent out to the foreign field, though endorsed by the action of most of the societies, was, we thought, hindering the spread of the gospel. The few experiments that had then been tried of a different course of action had been eminently successful. Highly cultured men are, of course, needed in missionary work, and are essential to its highest prosperity; they are needed to do literary work, to reduce unwritten tongues, to translate the Scriptures; and such ought to be, and sometimes are, best suited to train and teach native evangelists, to lead and organize, and to direct and to originate. But were they the only men needed? Did the ninety percent of the population of China who cannot even read, or the savages of Central Africa or the New Hebrides, demand teachers of a higher stamp than do the working classes in these countries? Should we not esteem it a great waste of resources to insist that all home and city missionaries should be classical scholars? And are not workers of all classes required among the heathen as much as at home. Many a young man came to us for counsel, eagerly long ing to consecrate his life to missionary work, but without either the leisure or the means, or perhaps even the Inclination, for a long and elaborate course of study. Intelligent artisans, young clerks In banks and offices, assistants in shops, the sons of farmers, mates of vessels, shipbuilders, and other skilled m e chanics, tradesmen of all sorts, teachers, and others, were found as willing and anxious to serve Christ among the heathen as ministers and gentlemen could be..... We saw a terrible lack of workers, on the one hand, and an abundant but unutilized supply, on the other; and the question presented itself forcibly to our minds, might we not become a link that should unite the two, a channel through which the supply might flow to the points where it was needed ?1 As a result of this feeling, a training home and simple college for missionary volunteers was opened In East London.
The locality was chosen to give the young missionary
1. H. G. Guinness, The Wide World and Our Work In It. p. 23"26.
28 students practical training in mission work.
The training
was intended to provide for the practical, intellectual, and evangelistic needs of the students. years over 700 applied for admission.
During the first five In the school's report
of the work during this initial period the following is given: "Not one of the men we have been permitted to train for the Master's service has failed to find opportunity for it when he was ready
Former students of the Institute are now
working with about twenty different societies and associations; many have gone out and made their own way, and some are sustained by private individuals . 1,1 A. Bo Simpson, the founder of the first Bible School on the North American Continent was tremendously inspired bjr what he had heard of the work of the East London Institute for Home and Foreign Missions under the supervision of Mr. Guinness. Mr. Simpson refers to this institution in an editorial in his new missionary magazine under the date line, February 1880. This was two years before the founding of the New York Mission ary Training College, later to be known as The Missionary Training Institute*
.
We
shall make reference to this editorial
later in the discussion, A. B. Simpson and the Founding of the New York Missionary Training College. China Inland Mission In Barnsley, England, a young man 17 years old felt the call of God to be a missionary to China.' )
2. Guinness, op. cit.. p. 70.
J. Hudson Taylor,
29 a druggist's son with a Methodist background, sailed for China under the Chinese Evangelization Society on September 19> l853»
Pour years later he resigned from the Mission and
began a work of faith that was to become the China Inland Mission with more than nine hundred missionaries.
Those in
America who were to be the leaders in the Bible school movement, especially A. B. Simpson and D. L. Moody, were profoundly i m pressed by this example of faith and the ability of Mr. Taylor to secure numerous missionary recruits and place them in the inland of China without the requirement of a college and sem inary course.
A. J. Gordon wrote in 1892 of the China Inland
Mission: In answer to prayer it (China Inland Mission) recently received and appointed a hundred missionaries in a single year, an annual reenforcement which not one of our great missionary societies, with a constituency of thousands of churches, has been able to effect. It makes no solicitation for funds, not even the indirect solicitation of publishing the names of donors; it guarantees no stated salary to its workers, teaching them to look directly to God for support. And yet under these conditions, this mission surpasses all others in the field in the number of its laborers, so that with thirty-nine societies operating In China, representing all the largest and strongest Protestant denominations, the China Inland Mission, though one of the youngest enterprises, yet furnishes more than one fourth of all the missionaries now laboring in the empire . 1 Founders of the Bible Institute Movement Two personalities were of particular significance in the inception of the Bible School movement. by the spirit of revival of the day.
Both were motivated
Both were men of vision.
Both were moved by the gigantic task of world evangelization 1. Gordon, op. cit.. p. 73*
30 and recognized the necessity of using “gap men" to meet, the need which they felt never would be met if conventional means were relied upon.
One was a layman, D. L. Moody; the other
was a scholarly Presbyterian Clergyman, Albert B. Simpson. Each about the same time quite independently seemed to arrive at his opinion of the need for practical training to enlist the aid of those who were burdened with a spirit of evangelism but lacked educational background. Albert Beniamin Simpson (1843-1919) Albert B. Simpson was born of Presbyterian parents at Bayview, Prince Edward Island, Canada.
As a babe, he was
baptized by the first Canadian Presbyterian missionary, the Rev. John Geddie.
At the age of seventeen, Albert was approved
for the ministry by the Presbytery.
In 1865 he was graduated
with high honors from Knox College, Toronto.
From 1 8 65 until
l88l, he held Presbyterian pastorates at Hamilton, Ontario; Louisville, Kentucky and the Thirteenth Street Presbyterian Church, New York City.
In l88l he resigned from the Thirteenth
Street Church and began an independent work which later was incorporated as the Christian and Missionary Alliance. It was in the Louisville, Kentucky pastorate that A. B. Simpson launched out in his evangelistic program.
Major
Whittle and P. P. Bliss, the singer, had held a union evangel istic campaign in the city and Simpson felt that the meeting should continue each Sunday evening throughout the winter. Mr. Simpson was convinced that a united Sunday evening Gospel meeting should be continued, and, failing to
31 enlist the cooperation of the other churches, he d e termined to attempt it himself. Public Library Hall, where the revival meetings had been held, \vas engaged for these Sunday evening meetings, and the evening service in Chestnut Street Church was suspended..... From the outset this unprecedented procedure on the part of a fashionable church met approval from the masses and was attended with divine blessing. Conse quently, what began as an experiment continued as an institution." In the late spring, a reporter wrote: "Public Library Hall, seating more than two thousand, has been filled to overflowing with the representa tives of all classes of society."-*• The influence of Moody, Whittle, Torrey and others in the evangelistic field had an effect upon the life and ministry of Simpson.
He could not be content to simply minister
to the needs of his fashionable congregation when he saw the masses--the middle class of people for whom little had been prepared.
After he had removed to New York City, he began an
intensive ministry among this class of people.
The work of
the church flourished with new spiritual activity, but it was not long before the church officers became uneasy.
Their
pastor was reaching out beyond the ordinary confines of their parish and ministering to the needs of those who were socially their inferiors.
They were patient with their young pastor and
perhaps he would learn. But when, one day, the pastor came before the session and asked permission to bring into the church upwards of a hundred converts from the Italian quarter, which he had won while preaching on the streets down in the poor neighborhoods, they felt the time had come to lay upon the young man a firm but kindly hand. They were more than pleased, they explained, that those poor Italians had been won to Christ, but did the pastor think they should come into their fellowship: They would 1. A. E. Thompson, Life of A. B. Simpson, p. 53*
32 not be the social equals of the rest of the members, and would likely not feel at home anyway. Could he not find a spiritual home for them among others of their own kind? Mr. Simpson said he thought he could (and he subsequently did) but this experience opened his eyes to the futility of trying to carry out his plans through the medium of a regular church— at least that church. He accepted the rebuff graciously, but he began to dream again, and his dream did not include Thirteenth Street Church.1 It seems that A. B. Simpson had always been inter ested in the work of foreign missions.
His mother had never
let him forget the fact that the "holy hand of John Geddie," the pioneer Canadian missionary had been placed upon his brow at his infant baptism.
As a mere boy, the story of Rev. John
Williams, the missionary martyr, had profoundly stirred him. The new missionary impulse felt currently among the churches on both sides of the Atlantic, personal con tacts with missionary minded Christians, and, above all the new anointing which he had received from God sharpened up his missionary interest till it glowed like a hot point. A world of reasons, of information, of practical missionary truth broke around him, sweep ing away apathy, answering every objection and compelling him to be a missionary.^ Simpson began to publish a missionary magazine en titled, The Gospel in All Lands.
In the second issue dated
March, 1880, he wrote an editorial citing the need for a missionary training college.
In the article he refers to
three such European schools, one in Germany under Dr. Krapf, one in Upsala, Sweden under Dr. Fjillstedt, and the East L o n don Institute for Home and Foreign Missionaries under H. G. Guinness (an account of which we have previously written). Simpson writes: 1. A. W. Tozer, Wlngspread. pp. 68, 69* 2. Ibid.. p. 55»
Mr.
33 Is there not room for a missionary training college in every great church in this land, where young men may prepare at home for foreign work, and study the history of missions, the methods of mission work, and the languages in which they expect to preach the Gospel to the heathen. The work of Foreign Missions is no longer a matter requiring only zeal, self-sacrifice, and love for souls It has become a great, complicated, and wonderfully wise development of the experience of fifty years. It touches the world's intense and busy life at every point, and comes in contact with all the forms of human thought and culture. It includes the college and school of technology, the printing press and m e d i cal mission, as well as the preaching of the evangelist and the teaching of the pastor. It often calls its messengers to stand before kings, and claims from them the wisest statesmanship and the finest tact. A good Missionary Training College would prevent many a subse quent mistake; it would save future years of prepara tion, and it would cherish into mature and abiding impulses many a transient dream of missionary enthusi asm. 1 Mr. Simpson noted the interest that the Seminaries were taking in the field of missions and commented on the p r o posed Inter-Seminary Missionary Convention to be held in the fall of l880.
In the May issue of The Gospel in All Lands.
Simpson writes: We hope this Convention will, among its many questions, thoroughly discuss the establishment of a Specific Missionary Training College, to prepare persons who may not be able to take a full scholastic course, for Missionary Service We want our best scholarship and talent in the mission field, but we want all who can go; and with a destitution so imperative, the Church of God should be willing to welcome the humblest "pren tice hand," and dispense with full technical preparation wherever she finds the other qualifications for humble usefulness . 2 In November l 8 8 l, Simpson resigned from his church and began an independent ministry in the City of New York.
1. Simpson, The Gospel in All Lands. March 1 8 8 O. 2. Tozer, o p cit.. p. T62. "
.
One
month before he launched his new program he wrote another editorial for his missionary magazine entitled "Lay Mission aries."
His views were much the same as those expressed by
Guinness for he argues that all classes of people must be reached on the mission field.
The Oriental philosopher should
be ministered to by those thoroughly trained but among the ignorant and degraded, "missionaries with courage, faith, love, patience, and tact" could be very useful.
In closing he writes
The main prerequisite is a good training college where they can spend one or two years in specific preparation for mission work. May God speedily raise up such an institution, and touch many a humble heart in this land with the kindling call of the great commission. A. B. Simpson's missionary zeal and evangelistic appeal won him several ardent followers and It was not long before many of his new independent group were making th em selves available for missionary service.
The need for the
unevangelized areas of the world was burdening his heart. Young people were offering themselves for missionary service. Many had not had the advantages of a good secular education, since high school and college were available to so few.
To
take the time to prepare them for college and then wait seven more years to complete college and seminary seemed prohibitive. He had seen the way Hudson Taylor had secured recruits for China.
He had studied the methods of the European missionary
training schools.
Since no one had made such provision in the
States, he would train his own young people for missionary service at home or abroad. 1. Simpson, Gospel in All Lands. Oct. l 88l, p. 1S7 .
35 The Missionary Training College The first Bible school on the North American Conti nent had a humble beginning.
The rear platform of the old
Twenty-third Street theater in New York City housed the school and wooden benches and crude tables provided the educational facilities.
Two teachers taught 12 students.
Interest in
the new project was evidenced and money was made available so that in July 1883, details were published for the formal organization of the Training College. It Is proposed to open, in a few months, a Training College for Home and Foreign Missionaries, to be located in this city, and fitted to give a specific and thorough preparation for Evangelistic and Mission ary Work, to earnest and consecrated persons who do not wish to take a regular course of study in a Theological Seminary. It will be somewhat similar in character and design to the "East London Institute for Home and Foreign Missionaries," in London, under the care of Rev. H. G. Guinness. It will not aim to give a scholastic education, but a thorough Scriptural training, and a specific and most careful preparation for practical work. It will receive students of both sexes, and at the close of the terms of study will give a Diploma and Certificate to all graduates..... The aim of the Institute will be to qualify consecrated men and women who have not received, and do not wish to receive, a regular scholastic education. Therefore, an ordinary English education will be accepted as a sufficient qualification for entrance, and where this is defective, supplementary lessons will be given in the English branches The students will be afforded the utmost opportunity for testing and putting in practice the principles they study, by being e m ployed in actual Mission work as leaders of meetings, visitors, etc., in the wide field afforded by a great city. -Of course, tuition and all the advantages of the College will be free. On October 1, 1883, The Missionary Training College was opened at 446 Eighth Avenue.
Both day and evening classes
1. A. B. Simpson, "Editorial," The Word. Work, and World, July 1883, p. 112.
36 were offered*
Of the forty students who enrolled the first
year in the day school, thirty completed the first year's work.
The course of study was three years and included
literary, theological, and practical studies, with particular emphasis placed upon the study of the Bible.
Two years later
the curriculum was revised under the three major departments. I. Literary Department 1. English Language and Literature 2. Rhetoric and Public Speaking 3. Logic 4. Mental and Moral Philosophy 5* Natural Science 6. Ancient and Modern History 7. Geography; with special reference to Bible Lands and Mission fields. II. Theological Department 1. Christian Evidences 2. Bible Exposition 3. New Testament Greek Systematic Theology 3. Church History 6. History and Biography of Christian Work 7. Pastoral Theology III. Practical Department 1. Christian Experience; with special reference to Enduement of Power 2. Exercises in Sermon Outlines and Bible Readings 3. Evangelistic Work and the conducting of Religious Services 4. Personal Work for Souls 5. Foreign Missions 6. Sunday School VJork 7. Mission VJork in City Missions two nights every week 1 8. Vocal Music1 The first Bible College in America was a product of its times.
It reflected the lack of universal public educa
tion in the secondary field.
It was born of necessity.
nineteenth century was a period of revival and missions. 1. Simpson, The Word. Work. World. Oct. l885» P* 270.
The The
37 seminaries were not producing men fast enough who had a pioneer evangelistic fervor to meet the need to which these revivalists had been sensitized.
In fact, the scholarly
approach of the more liberal seminary did not foster such an evangelistic spirit.
The project was not meant to be a dupli
cation of existing educational procedures nor was the thought to run competition to the seminary.
In fact, the original
urge was to train laymen to assist others more carefully trained in the great evangelistic program. tions were few.
Teacher training institu
Sunday school work was suffering because of
a lack of trained personnel.
Although this phase of the need
was more on the heart of D. L. Moody than of A. E. Simpson, it did figure in the total preparation of the students of Simpson's school. Dwight Lyman Moody Into a large New England family, Dwight Lyman Moody was born February 5> 1837 > the sixth of nine children.
After
the death of his father, when Dwight was only four, his mother insisted on rearing the family together in spite of the fact that she was left with practically nothing.
In Moody's early
experiences he learned the value of courage and strength. D. L. Moody's early Influence In the realm of r e ligious education was such as to inspire simple faith and to give an Insight into the Bible. His mother was a religious woman— that quiet, home religion that characterizes New England. About the only books in the home were a Bible and a book of devotions. Every morning Mrs. Moody read to her
38 children from these. On Sunday all the children were sent to the Unitarian church, over a mile away, and they stayed through Sabbath-school.1 At seventeen, Moody left home and finally ended up in Boston where he got a job in his uncle's shoe store.
It
was in this store that his Boston Sunday school teacher talked to Moody about spiritual things. I found Moody in the back part of the building wrapping shoes. I went up to him at once, and putting my hand on his shoulder I made what I afterwards felt was a very weak plea for Christ. I don't know just what words I used, nor could Mr. Moody tell. I simply told him of Christ's love for him and the love Christ wanted in return. That was all there was. It seemed the young man was just ready for the light that then broke upon him, and there, in the back of the store in Boston, he gave himself and his life to Christ.2 This simple direct appeal, no doubt, set an example for Mr. Moody's method of soul-winning.
His one major desire
seemed to be to speak to someone every day about Christ and his method was direct and in a spirit of love. After two years in Boston he moved to Chicago where he met with marked success in the shoe business.
Success in
a new environment did not make him forget Christian work.
He
promptly placed his church letter with the Plymouth Congrega tional Church.
He then began renting pews and was successful
in filling them every Sunday with young men who had no church connection.
So energetic was he at this new task that he soon
was paying for four and five pews. Mr. Moody became very much interested in Sunday school work and in 1 8 5 8 he rented North Market Hall where he 1. Moody and Pitt, The Shorter Life of D. 2. W. R. Moody, S.* Moody, p. 4l.
h*
Moody, p. 15*
39 started a Sunday school of his own.
Of this he says:
I thought numbers were everything, and so I worked for numbers. When the attendance ran below one thousand it troubled me, and when It ran to twelve or fifteen hundred I was elated. Still none were converted, there was no harvest.^ While Mr. Moody
was conducting his
Sunday school,
another crisis occurred which changed the entire
course of
life.
of girlscame
A young man who had been teaching a class
to him and said that he could no longer teach.
his
He had become
a victim of consumption and there was no help for him.
He
made the confession that in spite of teaching the class for some time he had never led one of them to Jesus Christ. caused him great concern as he faced death.
This
Mr. Moody offered
to drive him around to the girls' homes so he could tell his story.
In a short time he had won them all to Christ.
More
than that, Moody had learned an unforgettable lesson of the great need of soul-winning.
Writing about this experience
he says: I was disqualified for business; it had become di s tasteful to me. I had got a taste of another world, and cared no more for making money. For some days after, the greatest struggle of my life took place. Should I give up business and give myself wholly to Christian work, or should I not? God helped me to decide aright, and I-have never regretted my choice. D. L. Moody joined the Young Men's Christian Associ ation in 1 8 5 ^ and was one of its first officers. 1869 he served as president of the Association.
From l865~ During his
administration, the first Y. M. C. A. building in the United States was built— Farwell Hall. 1. Moody Still Lives, p. 21. 2. Fitt, op., cit. . p. 23*'
40 Moody's constant soul-winning in Sunday School and Y. M. C. Ao produced many excellent Christians who were unattached to any church, and expressed no choice. He felt obliged to provide them a church home. Assisted by a council of elders and deacons from several churches, he organized the Illinois Street Church in 1863, which was housed in a frame building costing 20,000 dollars. It was destroyed in the great fire of 1 8 7 1 , but within a few weeks had been replaced by a wooden structure known as the North Side Tabernacle. The panic of 1873 delayed the new brick Chicago Avenue Church, but the ground floor was occupied in 1 8 7 4 . Many children throughout the United States contributed their pennies, paying for bricks at f;ive cents each, to start the church. Royalties from the Moody and Sankey hymn books sold in Great Britain, and waived by the evangelists, enabled its completing early in the year 1 8 7 6 . From 1872 to 1 9 0 0 , the church took its name from its location, but after the Founder's death, it was renamed the Moody Church.1 Moody's fame as an evangelist seemed to get Its start in the British Isles.
Having made a brief trip to Eng
land in 1872 for the purpose of increasing his Bible knowledge at the Dublin Mildmy Conference, Moody made contacts and was Invited to return for a series of meetings.
In 1873, Moody
returned to Britain and for two years had tremendous success in his evangelistic ministry.
In October 1875, he began an
American campaign which extended over a period of four years. Brooklyn, Philadelphia, New York, Augusta, Chicago, and Boston were stirred by his simple Bible messages. Northfleld Seminary “These 'Mighty Six Years' in England and America bring us up to the summer of 1 8 7 9 , when D. L. Moody began an entirely new phase of his career, symbolized by the employment 1. Houghton & Cook, Tell Me About Moody, p. 20.
4l of his father's trowel In laying the cornerstone of the first building, Northfield Seminary."1 An early catalogue states the purpose for the open ing of Northfield Seminary. designed to promote the Christian education of young women. The instruction, discipline, and i n fluence are such as, it is believed, will secure the best results in the development of character and be the most fitting preparation for a life of conse crated service. He felt that education should not be merely mental drill but the determining of relative values. the value of extracurricular activities.
He also stressed
Most of all, he b e
lieved that every student should have a knowledge of the English Bible.
He would say, "A man who knows his Bible can
never be said to be illiterate; and a man ivho is ignorant of the Bible can never be said to have a broad culture. Mount Hermon School for Bovs The Mount Hermon School for Boys was founded on the same principles as Northfield Seminary.
The two features that
distinguished it were the importance of Bible Study and the regard for the worth of service. Northfield Seminary and Mount Hermon were schools on the high school level for girls and boys to enable them to get an education in a Christian atmosphere at low expense.
It has
always been a policy of the schools to insist on student p a r ticipation in the home and farm duties. 1. R. E. Day, Bush Aglow, p. 193. 2. W. R. Moody, The Story of the Northfield Schools, p. 443. 3. Ibid., p. 7.
42 Moody Bible Institute In 1886 the Chicago Evangelization Society was organized.
This was the forerunner of what is now known as
the Moody Bible Institute.
Moody felt that the only way to
meet the spiritual need of Chicago and America was to train thousands of "common people" and send them out to "preach the Word." On January 22, 1 8 8 6 , Moody delivered his historic address in the Chicago Avenue Church on "City Evan gelization"; "I believe we have 'gap m e n , 1 men who are trained to fill the gap between the common people and the ministers. We are to raise up men and women who will be willing to lay their lives alongside of the laboring." This was followed by the formal d e cision, in February 1886, to organize The Chicago Evangelization Society.^ In order to get an accurate picture of the reason for the launching of the Moody Bible Institute, let us note the
letter that D. L. Moody
he broke ground
wrote to someof his friends when
for the new Institute Building.
Dear Friend:--I have now reached a crisis in my life. For ten years I have felt that more personal work must be done by men and women who were trained for it, if we ever reach the people who do not come under the influence of the Gospel. I have known there were plenty of men and women in the land who have ability, who are ready and willing to devote their lives to do just this kind of Christian work, but could not do so, because they lacked experience and proper training. I had this work and this class of Christians in mind when I established my schools at Northfield, although I intended them for preparatory schools for a Bible Institute in a great city. This I have established in Chicago, for the sole purpose of preparing men and women for the intermediate spheres of Christian work which lie between the ministry and the laity. My 1. R. E. Day, op. clt.. p. 264.
^3 plan is to have part of the day given to study and part to practical work among the poor and destitute of Chicago, under the direction of competent leaders. I shall have the ablest Bible teachers to be had in this country and Europe, and the most competent lectur ers on special subjects, none perhaps longer than three months at a time. The buildings have been purchased and built at an out lay of $100,000, which is provided for. The students are coming from all sections of the country. The calls for trained workers are already pressing upon us and I am fully convinced that this movement is one of great importance in its relation to the proper solution of reaching the vast multitude of non-church-goers in all our cities. I say this after years of careful study of this problem in this country and Europe.1 Fourteen years before the organization of the C h i cago Evangelization Society, later known as the Moody Bible Institute, Miss Emma Dryer began a work among the women around the North Side Tabernacle in Chicago.
Miss Dryer was dean of
women at the Illinois State Normal College.
In 1882 she r e
signed her position to devote her full time to the work of training women to be Bible readers and city missionaries. Later her work gave way to the larger work of the Institute.
1. Houghton & Cook, op. clt.. p. 6l, 62
CHAPTER III A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF FORTY-NINE SELECTED BIBLE INSTITUTES
During the first decade of the Bible institute movement in America (1882-1 892) ten Bible institutes came into existence.
In the next decade ten more were organized.
Thirteen schools were organized during the third decade and fourteen schools were founded in the fourth decade.
During
the fifth decade a marked increase in the number of new schools was evidenced with the establishment of at least fortysix new Bible institutes.
This indicates a trend toward an
ever increasing mimber of Bible schools. Reynhout, in his study of Bible Institute curriculums points out that 167 Bible institutes are known to have been founded by 1946 of which at least 27 have been discontinued* The number thought to be functioning is 140.
Replies from i n
quiries Indicate that 120 are actually functioning. 120 schools, 98 maintained a day school program.
Of these
The remaining
22 schools had only an evening school program. To each of these 98 institutes conducting a day school program was sent a questionnaire and a cover letter from Professor S. L. Hamilton, Chairman, Department of Re li gious Education, School of Education, New York University (See Appendix p.
170).
Questionnaires were also sent to all
members of the Evangelical Teacher Training Association.
This
45 Association lists 84 Bible schools affiliated with their teacher training program and such other Institutions of higher learning which conduct courses in religious education similar to the Bible institutes.
A second and third letter were sent
to schools failing to return the questionnaire. schools sent in replies.
Sixty-two
Of these 62 schools replying 49
schools came within the scope of this study. operating on a high school level.
Some schools were
Some were strictly in the
field of liberal arts; one had a correspondence program only. The 49 selected schools seem to represent a cross section of the entire Bible institute movement.
Included in
the 49 schools are the largest and many of the smallest schools. Two schools which had their beginning as Bible institutes are now moving into the liberal arts classification, but they were included In this study because they seemed to indicate a trend within the movement itself.
These schools are Gordon College
of Theology and Missions, and Eastern Nazarene College. The tabulations of the questionnaires have been placed in Appendix p. 172.
There are no tabulations in the
appendix concerning the matter of finance, since the question naire stated that the information would be used for tabulation only and no figures would be associated with any particular institution. The 49 selected institutions were divided into two groups for a comparative study.
Nineteen of the schools
offered degree courses while thirty schools had no degree courses, but in the main offered a three-year course of study
46 leading to a diploma. In this chapter the following major items will be studied in the light of the completed questionnaires of the 49 degree and non-degree Bible institutes:
Accreditation;
Entrance Requirements; Curriculum; Graduation Requirements; Denominational Affiliation; Control of the Bible Institute; Faculty; Students; and Finance. Accreditation Because the Bible institute movement has spread so rapidly that today there are at least 98 day schools with many more night schools in existence, the problem of accreditation has become more and more acute.
The various conservative
ecclesiastical groups, including the National Association of Evangelicals and the American Council of Christian Schools, undertook to find some means of providing for the standardiza tion of the Bible institutes and colleges for the purpose of accreditation.
In October 1947 their efforts were merged into
the Accrediting Association of Bible Institutes and Colleges. According to the constitution of this new accrediting associ ation, the purpose was stated as follows: Section 1. To bring into cooperative association Bible Institutes and Bible Colleges with similar ob jectives and conservative and evangelical doctrine. Section 2. To define, evaluate, establish and main tain general academic standards; to institute, main tain and publish a list of those schools accredited according to the standards set by the Association, and to develop and foster such procedures as will facilitate interchange of student credits; and strengthen the position of students undertaking addi tional work in other schools.
47 Section 3« To maintain records of administrators, faculty, curricula, and physical equipment of various schools so that inter-correspondence may be expedited.1 Forty institutions made formal application for membership into the new accrediting association as charter members, thus indicating the felt need for some sort of specialized accrediting association which would tie together the Bible institutes in a manner similar to that already in existence for theological seminaries. Since the Bible institute movement is a type of educational institution in a field of specialization which does not conform to existing educational procedures as set up by national and state accrediting associations, many Bible institutes have been denied any type of accreditation by the regular accrediting associations.
It was felt that If the
new Accrediting Association of Bible Institutes and Colleges would place the standards high enough and would do a thorough piece of work In the matter of examination before placing schools on the approved list, the general recognized agencies would be more Inclined to make provision for the accreditation of such institutions and the registration of their curriculums. The United States Office of Education has agreed to publish the list of "approved schools" of the Accrediting Association of Bible Institutes and Colleges in their annual directory of institutions of higher learning.
This would be an opening
wedge In the matter of recognition. 1. See Appendix p. 1 8 3 .
48 In our special study of 49 Bible institutes and colleges which are reportedly doing work beyond the secondary level, we requested information concerning accreditation of the individual institution by the State, the State University, and the Regional Association.
We also asked for information
concerning the registration of the curriculum by the State Education Department.
The following information was obtained
which seems to be representative of the entire Bible institute movement. Nineteen schools or 39$ of the total indicated that they were accredited or approved by their State Education Department.
This number included both schools which conferred
degrees and schools which did not confer degrees.
Of the nine
teen degree granting institutions included in the study, 12 or 63$ were accredited by their State.
Four schools were accred
ited by their State University in addition to that of the State.
One was accredited on a junior college level; the other
three were on a four-year degree granting basis.
Two schools
were members of their respective regional association, one as a junior college, the other as a four-year degree granting i n stitution.
In order to meet the requirements of the regional
association, the curriculum offerings had to be enlarged to include a wider choice of major and minor subjects than is ordinarily offered in a strictly Bible institute program. Twenty-three institutions or 48$ of the schools re porting indicated that their curriculums were registered with their State departments.
One institution failed to answer
49 this iteir so that the percentage is based on 48 schools i n stead of the total of 49 schools included in the entire study. Of these 23 schools with registered curriculums, 11 were d e gree granting institutions and 12 were non-degree granting i n stitutions.
Hence 30$ of the Bible institutes granting degrees
do not have their curriculums registered by or with their State departments. The ability of students from the Bible institute or college to transfer credit to accredited colleges was felt to be an indication of the academic standing of the individual Bible institute since many colleges accept students from non accredited schools on a provisional basis and if the students make good during the first year, actual credit is given for the work completed in the sub-standard school. from the 49 schools were as follows? credit; 6 no credit.
The answers
7 full credit;
36 partial
The seven, indicating full credit re
ceived in the transfer to accredited schools, should not give one the impression that all accredited colleges and universi ties would give theil students full credit but that certain accredited schools have given their students full credit for work which corresponds to the offerings of the accredited college.
Seventy-three per cent of the Bible institutes and
colleges indicated that only partial credit was obtainable in accredited colleges.
Those schools which are able to meet the
requirements of existing educational accrediting agencies are best able to help the student transfer credit.
If the Bible
institute movement Is to continue in the field of higher
50 education, it must face the increasing demand of prospective students and religious groups for a standardized type of train ing Vv'hich will afford the graduate the proper type of educa tional recognition for the effort and money expended. Entrance Requirements The Bible Institute Movement emphasizes specialized training for Christian work.
In the early history of the
movement, the Bible institute appealed to laymen to take special training in the Bible and kindred subjects so that they might carry on the evangelistic program which was largely the outgrowth of the spirit of revival in the latter part of the nineteenth century.
Because education was not compulsory
and many children were denied the opportunity of attending high school and college, the Bible institute movement met a real need for Bible training.
In addition, some background
courses were offered to help prepare the students for Christian work.
There seemed to be no thought of competing with the
traditional classical educational program for the training of ministers.
The Bible institute was for those who because of
age and lack of background could not qualify for such work but could do much to further the evangelistic program of the day. Little emphasis was placed on educational require ments for the purpose of admission, in the early days of the movement.
Much more emphasis was placed on Christian character
than educational background.
V'ith the increased emphasis on
compulsory education in recent years, very few young people are unable to secure a high school diploma.
Consequently there
51 is a decided trend in the Bible Institute Movement to require, in addition to satisfactory Christian experience, a high school diploma. In our study of forty-nine Bible institutes and col leges, eighty-six per cent of these schools indicated on the questionnaire that they required high school graduation for admission to their regular courses.
Fourteen schools, however,
admit students to a special course and if they are permitted to finish they are given a special certificate instead of the regular diploma.
Hubert Reynhout, Jr. writes:
Educational Standards. Thus it would seem that, at an increasing rate, the educational standards of the whole Bible institute movement are being raised. Some schools which began as Bible institutes without any particular academic requirements for entrance or graduation degrees have themselves graduated into the full-fledged four-year college, requiring defi nite high school graduation as the minimum academic qualification for entrance, and granting college degrees to those who satisfactorily complete the four years of work. Other institutes continue to offer lower-than-college courses while at the same time offering college courses and degrees.1 The Bible institute differs from the theological seminary in that the seminary requires four years of college work before matriculation into the seminary.
Some of the
Bible colleges which are also entering the field of the theo logical seminary and are granting seminary degrees are placing a requirement of either junior or senior college for entrance to these seminary courses.
Six of the forty-nine schools
studied indicate such a requirement for the seminary degree. This is a departure from the original Bible institute program x 1. Reynhout, op., cit.. p. 13.
52 and seems to indicate that the Bible institute in some in stances has entered the seminary field.
It also se ms to
indicate that one reason the Bible institute has entered the seminary field is that the seminary today has a more liberal Christian philosophy than the Bible college which holds to a conservative theological position. Curriculum The Curriculum of the Bible Institute and College has been studied in detail by Hubert Reynhout, Jr. in his thesis entitled A Comparative Study of Bible Institute Curri culums . July, 19^7*
Mr. Reynhout surveyed the catalogues
of 9 8 Bible Institutes and then selected 20 schools as being representative of the whole.
In the "Source and Scope of
this Study," Mr. Reynhout writes: The general study of Bible institute curriculums Is based almost entirely on the catalogues of the various schools, and catalogs were received from most. Apart from the catalogues themselves, mater ial for the analysis of curriculums has been obtained from reading on the subject as noted in the biblio graphy, personal letters from more than half of the selected 20 schools written to, personal conversa tion with Bible institute personnel and students, and the author's experience in the field. This study confines itself to the Bible institutes of the United States and Canada, and makes no attempt to include institutes of other lands. In addition, the curriculums of evening schools and abbreviated courses are also omitted as being superfluous. Regular full-time Day School set-ups are studied. Due to the large number of Bible schools, and the great deal of similarity among many of them, a large part of this study has been particularly confined to 20 institutes selected because of their age, the clarity of their catalogues, and their general representative quality. These selected institutes are:
53 Baptist Bible Seminary, Johnson City, New York Bible Institute of Los Angeles, Los Angeles, Calif. ♦Bible Institute of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pa. Cleveland Bible College, Cleveland, Ohio Fort Wayne Bible Institute, Fort Wayne, Indiana Kansas City Bible College, Kansas City, Missouri London Bible Institute, London, Ontario, Canada Lutheran Bible Institute, Chicago, Illinois ♦Metropolitan Bible Institute, North Bergen, N. J. Mid-west Bible and Missionary Institute, St.Louis, Mo. Missionary Training Institute, Nyack-on-Hudson, N. Y. Moody Bible Institute, Chicago, Illinois National Bible Institute, New York, New York ♦Northwestern Schools, Minneapolis, Minnesota ♦Omaha Bible Institute, Omaha, Nebraska Philadelphia School of the Bible, Philadelphia, Pa. ♦Prairie Bible Institute, Three Hills, Alberta, Canada Providence Bible Institute, Providence, Rhode Island Toronto Bible College, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Trinity Seminary and Bible Institute, Minneapolis, Minn . 1 , Various .Courses Offered The Bible Institute movement exists to offer conse crated young people specialized training in the Bible and Christian education.
These courses are designed to meet the
need of those who contemplate full time Christian service, and those who plan to remain in secular employment but who d e sire special training as Christian laymen so that they may be better Sunday school teachers, young people's leaders, etc. For this portion of the study we are utilizing the findings of Hubert Reynhout, Jr. in his study of Curriculumso
1. Reynhout, op. cit.. pp. 8, 9» ♦Schools with the asterisk before them are schools which are not included in the general study of the 49 Bible institutes and colleges because they did not return the questionnaires sent them. A second request and questlonnare were mailed to each of the five schools but no answer was received. The other fifteen schools are I n cluded, however, in the 49 schools studied since they returned completed questionnaires.
Many Bible institutes offer but one course of study to prospective students; this is generally an al l purpose Bible-Christian Worker's Course, usually labeled the General or the General Bible Course, designed to give an all around education for a wide variety of Christian service opportunities. There are, however, also many institutes which offer from two to eight different courses of study, all built upon and growing out of the General Course idea, but containing educative helps for special types of Christian service. Table IX^indicates the great variety of courses offered by the 98 institutes surveyed, possessing Day School courses. Altogether, 82 of these institutes, 84 per cent, definitely offer the General Bible Course. Of the remaining 16 institutes, 13 offer more particularly specified courses, and 3 do not indicate just what their courses are, whether one or more, and whether general or special. Of the total 15 different courses of study offered by the 98 surveyed institutes, there are 6 courses that are offered in the curriculum of lb or more of these institutes and which take on, therefore, a special Importance. They are: the General Bible Course, the Missionary Course, the Christian Education Course, the Theological Course, the Pastor's Course, and the Bible Music Course. Schools offering the Theological Course do not offer the Pastor's Course, which leads one to suppose that they really are one and the same course. When put together we have the Theological-Pastor's Course offered by 33 institutes, and it becomes second In importance on the basis of number of schools which offer it. The special courses offered by 6 or less of the 98 surveyed institutes are generally special adaptations of the more important courses. They have their own significance in the schools in which they are offered but they are not otherwise particularly important to this study. The several special courses more generally offered indicate a real attempt on the part of Bible Institutes to give some special training to prospective candidates to particular branches of Christian work. The Mission ary Course is designed to train particularly foreign missionaries of the church. This course is given with two or three adaptations. The Christian Education Course is designed to train educational directors and teachers for the church. This is also seen with adap tations. The Theological and Pastor's Course is designed to prepare ministers for the Church. The Bible Music Course is designed to prepare directors of Church music, ee Table 1 , p. 5 6 , of this thesis.
55 evangelists who wish to use music greatly, and such leaders for the church. The importance of music is readily apprehended on seeing it offered in four courses: in the pure and simple Music Course, and then in combination with Bible, Christian Education, and Missionary Courses.1 In commenting on the comparison of the 20 selected schools and the 98 surveyed institutions, Reynhout points out that since the 20 selected Institutes exceed the surveyed 98 institutes in percentage offering the various courses it would appear that the 20 selected institutes have a more complete setup.
It should be pointed out, however, that the 98 sur
veyed schools include the 20 selected schools in the tabula tion. ^ Of the 98 surveyed schools over half of them offer only one course--the General Bible Course. it is called the Christian Worker's Course.
In some catalogues Pour courses are
offered by a fairly large per cent of the schools, but few schools offer more than four c o u r s e s . ^ Principal Subjects To ascertain the principal subjects offered in the Bible Institute, Reynhout enumerated all the courses offered in the 16 selected institutes which offer a General Course. These numbered 117 titles. Of the total 117 titles listed, 57 > or nearly half, are offered in each case by one institute only. There are 18 other titles listed that are offered by two institutes each, and 13 by three. There may be some exceptions, due to overlapping of subject titles and 1. Reynhout, op., cit.. p. 24, 25 2 . Ibid., p . 25. 3. Ibid., p. 25, 26.
56
CURRICULUM ♦TABLE I THE DIFFERENT COURSES OFFERED BY THE INSTITUTES SURVEYED AND SELECTED
The Courses General Bible Missionary Christian Education Theological Pastor's Bible Music Christian Education Music Missionary Medical Music Bible (Church) Secretary Missionary Aviation Jewish Missions Christian Education Missionary Missionary Music Bible Language (Modern) Not Indicated
♦Reynhout, o p » clt». p. 25
9 8 Surveyed 20 Selected Institutes______ Institutes Number Per ... w Cent - Number Per C< 82 80 16 30 30 11 55 28 28 11 55 6 30 17 17 16 16 5 25 6 30 15 15 6 6 3 15 5 3 5 15 4 4 2 10 2 2 2 10 2 2 2 10 1 1 1 5 0 0 1 1 0 2 2 0 1 1 1 5 3 3
57
so forth, but generally the subjects offered by four or less institutes are less essential in the general esteem than the subjects offered by five or more i n stitutes. All together, there are 26 subjects listed that are offered by five or more institutes, that is by 25 per cent or more of the selected 20 institutes. These 26 subjects, then, may well be considered p r i n cipal in a Bible institute curriculum They are: Biblical Introduction Bible Analysis Bible Atlas (Geography) Bible Synopsis (Synthesis) Child Evangelism Child Study Christian Evidences ' Church History " Cults Doctrine English Ethics Greek
Homiletics Life of Christ Missions (General) Music New Testament Old Testament Pastoral Theology Pedagogy Personal Evangelism Public Speaking Sunday School Administration Systematic Theology Typology^
The academic standards for the recently formed Accred iting Association of Bible Institutes and Bible Colleges are set forth for two types of Bible Institutes; one Is a collegiate level and the other is an intermediate level where the work offered is not considered to be on a college level.
The
academic standards for the collegiate level read:
The overall curriculum shall be so arranged as to include the minimum requirements set forth by the American association of Theological Schools In 1940 for entrance into seminaries. These are as follows: English (8-12 hrs. including Composition and Literature), Bible or Religion, Philosophy (4-6 hrs. including at least two of the following: Introduction to Philosophy, History of Philosophy, Ethics, Logic), History (4-6 hrs.), Psychology (2-3 hrs.), a foreign language (12-16 hrs. including at least one of the following: Latin, Greek, Hebrew, French, German), Natural sciences (4-6 hrs. Physical or Biological), Social sciences (4-6 hrs. Including at least two of the following, Economics, Sociology, Government or Political Science, Social Psychology, Education). 1. Reynhout, op. cit. . pp. 28, 29*
58 Some latitude will be allowed an institution in its curriculum, so long as the above stipulations are complied with. The criterion will be the degree to which the purpose of the Bible College is being realized and the soundness of the educational p r a c tices that prevail. A Bible College may offer degree courses in other fields such as music, religious education, missions, etc., provided that the recognized academic standards for such courses be maintained, together with the Biblical content approved by the evaluating committee of this association. At least 30 hours of residence work shall be done at the institution which gives the degree. The class hours shall be not less than 5 0 minutes in length; laboratory periods shall meet two hours for each credit hour. The semester shall consist of 1 8 weeks and the term of 12 weeks . 1 The curriculum for the Bible institute on the lower level does not include as much in the way of liberal arts as does the collegiate level. of the total in the
The curriculum must include one-third
study of the Bible, either in English or
in the original tongue.
In addition, courses in Doctrine,
General Missions, Personal Evangelism, Church History, Apo l o getics, Christian Pedagogy, Public Speaking or Homiletics and English (unless a suitable examination proves this unnecessary).^ These standards for the collegiate and intermediate level were adopted at a meeting of representatives from approx imately 40 Bible Institutes and colleges in the United States and Canada in October 19^7*
Forty Bible institutes and colleges
made application for accreditation on one level or the other and during the spring term 19^3 an examination was made by a 1. See Appendix, "Academic Standards for Bible Institutes and Bible Colleges on the Collegiate Level," p. 190. 2. See Appendix, "Academic Standards for Bible Institutes and Bible Colleges on the Intermediate Level," p. 198*
Chief Examiner for the entire country and Canada and one additional regional examiner for each levelo
The writer nerved
as the regional examiner for all Bible Colleges on the east coasts
Since the academic standards Indicated above were a
part of the criteria for examination it would indicate that the trend in the principal subjects of the curriculum would be in the direction of a wider range of liberal arts subjects. The fact that 40 schools were willing to submit to an examina tion would seem to indicate that they are now meeting or expect to meet in the very near future the curriculum standards laid down by the Accrediting Association of Bible Institutes and Bible Colleges. Graduation Requirements The tabulations on the questionnaires returned for this study by 49 Bible Institutes and Colleges were not uni form on the question of credit hours required for the three year diploma course and the degree courses.
There was a vari
ation in the number of hours required because of the differ ences in quarter and semester hours.
The length of the school
year and the number of minutes in a class hour also differed. The catalogues of the schools in question were consulted but in some instances no additional information was obtainable. After eliminating the questionable tabulations, the following tables were constructed for 33 institutes offering a three year diploma course and l8 institutes offering a four-year degree course.
60
TABLE 2 GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS FOR A THREE-YEAR DIPLOMA COURSE IN 33 BIBLE INSTITUTES AND COLLEGES
HOURS REQUIRED. 86 90 91-95 96-100 1 0 1 -1 0 3 106-110 111Total
NUMBER
£SR,Qm 1 10 5 12 l 3 1 33
3 30.3 15.2 36.4 3 9*1 3 100.
TABLE 3 GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS FOR A FOUR-YEAR DEGREE COURSE IN 18 BIBLE INSTITUTES AND COLLEGES
HOURS REQUIRED
NUMBER OF INSTITUTES
120 121-125 126-130
3 4 11
Total
18
PER CENT 16.7 22.2 6 1 .1 100.
6l In the three-year diploma course as tabulated in Table 2 only one school required less than 90 semester hours and only one school required more than 110 semester hours with approximately 82$ requiring between 9° and 100 credits for the three-year diploma.
In the four-year degree course, all
1 8 schools required between 120 and 130 hours for their re
spective four-year degree.
The five-year degree courses were
not included in the tabulation but where this information was supplied the required hours ranged from 156 to 160 hours. There is a marked lack of uniformity in the matter of a graduation award for the work completed in a Bible Insti tute or College.
There are two, three, four, and five year
courses offered.
Some non-degree granting institutions offer
diplomas for two, three, or four years of work.
Others offer
diplomas for the certain non-degree courses and degrees for the four and five year courses.
Four, institutions have devel
oped seminaries offering the B. D. degree.
One institution
reported on the questionnaire the conferring of an A. B . , Th. B . , and a B. A. in Bib. Ed.
From the questionnaire it was
noted that the school operated without any charter from the State, had no accreditation by a State University, or Region al Association, but the curriculum was registered by the State.
It also Indicated that its graduates were able to
transfer partial credit to some accredited colleges. There is a wide diversity among the many Bible institutes in graduation requirements, and the possession of a diploma or a degree from one school only indicates that the student has passed the work required of that one, but it gives no definite indication of what sort of work
62 he has had to do, nor of how much time he has spent in doing it.... Most Bible institutes give school diplomas to students who complete the work assigned in any given course. In addition to granting such diplomas, 24 of the 93 surveyed institutes also offer courses of study leading to some sort of degree. Some of these Institutes give no indication that their degrees are recognized any place outside of their own circles; they do not claim asd— may not possess any academic certification. Of the selected 20 institutes, there are spven that offer courses leading to academic degrees in addition to the diploma courses, and of these seven granting degrees, four state in their catalogues that they are chartered, registered, or authorized by the state educational department to confer degrees.l Reynhout reported that he found 24 degrees granting Bible Institutes when he checked the catalogues of 98 Bible Institutes.
In our study, 19 Institutions returned question
naires indicating that they were granting degrees.
Conse
quently about 80 per cent of all Bible Institutes granting degrees are included in this study.
From these 19 Institutions
studied, 15 different earned degrees were conferred.
One
school reported the conferring of honarary degrees as well. Five schools confer an unqualified A. B.degree.
Two of these
schools offer a liberal arts program in addition to their Bible Institute curriculum.
The remaining three are Bible
Institutes doing specialized work. offre restricted A. B. degrees.
Three additional schools
Two confer the A. B. in
Biblical Education and one the A. B. in Theology.
Nine insti
tutions confer the Bachelor of Religious Education for a fouryear degree.
One school confers a Bachelor of Bible; one
school a Bachelor of Christian Education; and one school a 1. Reynhout, op. cit.. pp. 19> 20.
63 Bachelor of Speech.
In music, three schools confer the
Bachelor of Sacred Music and one also confers a Bachelor of Music Education in addition to the Bachelor of Sacred Music degree. There is a wide difference in practice in the con ferring of the Bachelor of Theology. the granting of this degree.
Fifteen schools reported
Nine schools grant it upon the
completion of five years work but six schools require only four years to complete the requirements for this degree.
There
is now a great deal of discussion among the several schools to try to standardize the Th. B. degree and bring it more in line with the prevailing practice of theological seminaries.
In a
statement from the director of Higher Education for the U n i versity of the State of New York, we were Informed that the trend in educational circles is to standardize the B. D. de gree for seven years work and the Th. B. for five years work. There seems to be no sound educational procedure for the con ferring of the Th. B. degree upon the completion of four years work but that is the practice of six of the fifteen schools now conferring this degree as reported in our study.
Two of
the Bible Colleges offer restricted Master of Arts degrees — M. A. In Sacred Literature and M. A. in Biblical Education. Four of the schools studied have offerings which include the Bachelor of Divinity degree.
Each school requires a minimum of
seven years for this degree.
Hence this is in line with the
standard practice of theological seminaries. In viewing the whole procedure of granting awards
64 for the work completed In the Bible institute, there seems to be a great deal of confusion.
Many of the institutions now
granting degrees operated for several years without granting any degrees.
The oldest Bible institute, The Missionary
Training Institute at Nyack, began in 1832.
Until 1902 there
was no formal graduation from the prescribed course and no formal diplomas were given.
But after 1902 formal graduations
were held with a signed diploma given the student for the work completed.
It was not until 1943 that the Missionary Training
Institute requested and obtained an educational charter from the State of New York.
In 1945 this charter was amended to
provide degree granting privileges.
Kence the oldest Bible
Institute had operated continuously for more than sixty years without a charter, the registration of curriculum, nor the authority to confer degrees. TABLE 4 THE DEGREES GRANTED BY 19 BIBLE INSTITUTES AND COLLEGES Degrees Offered Number of Institutes Degrees Offered Number of Institutes Degrees Offered Number of Institutes
A.B.
A.B. in A.B. in Bib. Ed. Theol.
5 B. Bible 1
2
1
B.Ch.E.
9
1
1
B.Sp.
B.Mus. 1
1
M.S. in Bib.Ed.
B.R.E.
M.A. in Sac.Litt. 1
B.S.M.
B.M.Ed.
3 Th.B.
Th.M.
15
1
B.D. Hon. 4
1
Other Bible Institutes have had similar experiences. The pressure for some type of recognition for work completed
65 by the student had become increasingly strong until institu tion after institution has yielded.
Eecause of the highly
specialized field of study in these Bible institutes, many accrediting bodies have not known how to deal with them.
It
was not generally conceded to be sound educational procedure for these institutions of specializations to confer the recog nized liberal arts degrees.
Kence all sorts of degrees are
conferred. The newly formed Accrediting Association of Bible Institutes and Bible Colleges is now working on this very problem.
Its leaders are attempting to find the degrees which
seem appropriate for the programs of study pursued to gain them.
They hope that by making the correcc choice of degrees
and the setting up of uniform standards for the various schools in the Accrediting Association that, in time, the degrees may receive the proper recognition by other accrediting bodies. Thesis Requirement In the questionnaire submitted, the question was asked if a thesis were required for a degree. there was a wide variation of replies.
In the responses
Eight schools said no.
Two schools said a thesis was required for the music degree only.
Four schools require the thesis for the Th. B. degree.
One school requires it for the B. D. degree.
One school r e
quired it for a M. S. Litt. and one school requires it for a Th. M. degree.
One school said a thesis was required for de
gree courses but there Is no statement in the catalogue describ ing such a requirement.
With the exception of the two institu
66 tions which require a thesis for a four-year music course, and one institution which requires a thesis for a Th. B. (four-year course), all other thesis requirements are for five or more years of required work. Clinical Training: One characteristic of the Bible Institute Movement is the emphasis placed upon clinical training.
Almost without
exception the Bible Institutes promote what is usually termed a Practical Christian Work Department.
This department seeks
to provide a practical outlet for the students so that Bacon's theory that "knowledge should be bounded in by experience" might be realized. A typical description of this type of practical Christian work is found in the catalogue of the Grace Bible Institute, Omaha, Nebraska. The only way to train for Christian service is to do it. Omaha affords many splendid opportunities for such e x perience. Each student will receive assignments for several hours of practical Christian work each week. The studies of the classroom will be carried out in meetings held on the street, in hospitals, jails, factories, churches, Sunday Schools, missions or wher ever there are souls needing salvation. A special effort will be made that students of the theological course will have the opportunity to supply pulpits in various churches in and near Omaha, and thus receive invaluable practical experience while studying. The Grace Bible Institute will also cooperate closely with the S. 0. S. Fellowship, an organization sponsor ing Bible and tract distribution, street car and road side billboards, summer Bible camps, and other mission ary projects, thereby giving interested students an additional outlet for Christian work activities; and with the "Go-Ye Mission" in the Ozarks. During the summer months students will therefore have the oppor tunity of serving the Lord in mission work in the
67 Ozarks, and will receive additional experience in soul-winning and missionary service.^ The returns from the questionnaire show that this clinical training is a requirement for graduation in 36 of the 49 schools studied.
Twelve of the schools indicated that
this practical training was not a requirement for graduation even though it is emphasized and given a prominent place in the school program.
One school failed to indicate whether
or not they required the practical training for graduation. From the 48 replies concerning clinical training, 75 per cent of the schools require it as a part of graduation requirement. Denominational Affiliation Reynhout in his study of Bible Institute Curriculum has given in Appendix B the following information concerning the denominational status of 111 Bible Institutes which are known to be functioning and which have indicated their status. These schools represent both day schools and evening schools; schools on a secondary level run in conjunction with a private religious high school such as an academy, and schools on a collegiate level. denominational.
Of the 111 Bible Institutes, 66 were inter The remaining 45 schools were operated by 11
different denominations from the following denominations: Baptists 9; Assembly of God 8; Mennonite
7;
Holiness 5; Luther
an 4; Christian and Missionary Alliance 4; Pentecostal 3; Evangelical Free Church 2; Christian Reformed 1; Church of Christ l; Covenant l.2 1. The Grace Bible Institute Catalogue. 1946-1947* P« l4. 2. Reynhout, op_. cit.
68 Our study has been restricted to only day schools operating in the field of higher education.
In the following
table of the denominational affiliation of 49 Bible Institutes, the denominational status is much the same as Reynhout reports for the group as a whole. TABLE 5 THE DENOMINATIONAL AFFILIATION OF 49 BIBLE INSTITUTES DENOMINATION
NON-DEGREE INST. DEGREE INST. TOTAL
Interdenominational Baptist Christian & Miss. Alliance Mennonite Assembly of God Nazarene Evang. Free Church Lutheran Brethern in Christ
19 3 1 3 0 0 1 2 1
11 1 3 1 1 1 1 0 0
30 4 4 4 1 1 2 2 1
30
19
49
In this table 30 of the 49 schools were operated as interdenominational institutes, or 60^ of the total.
There
was no difference between the non-degree and the degree school since the percentage for each was 60 per cent.
In the remain
ing 40 per cent, eight different religious groups were indi cated with 4 schools being the largest number from any one denomination. Although many of the schools seek to operate on an interdenominational basis so that they may have a wider base from which to draw students, yet they do have a decided theo logical position.
There seems to be little doubt about the
fact that all of the Bible Schools studied are very conservative
69 in their doctrine in contrast to the liberal theological views of many of the typical theological seminaries.
But
within this conservative point of view, the two extreme po s i tions of Calvinism and Arminianism are strongly maintained. There are, however, a number of schools which attempt to ma i n tain a middle position between the two extremes. Hartshorne and Froyd in their recent study of "Theo logical Training of Baptist Pastors" have stated that 21.6$ of the entire ministry in the Northern Baptist Convention received its training in Bible Institutes.
Many of these Baptists were
trained in Interdenominational schools such as Moody and Los Angeles Bible Institute. It seems safe to conclude that many schools which maintain a decided denominational position and appeal in p a r ticular to a certain
denomination for its
money and students
advertise themselves as interdenominational and maintain a self-perpetuating board of directors or a board of trustees which is not appointed by the church so that others of "like faith" may feel free
to come and study in their institutions.
Control of the Bible
Institute
The control of the Bible institute or college is usually vested in a group known as trustees, directors, or governing board.
The Bible institute differs from the theo
logical seminary in that the seminary is usually tied very closely with a particular denomination whereas according to our study sixty per cent of the Bible institutes are inter denominational.
According to the figures supplied t h r o u g h
70 questionnaire concerning the control of the Bible Institute from the 49 schools reporting, the following information was received.
Thirty-one Institutions elected their own control-
ing body.
Four institutions Indicated that the trustees were
self-perpetuating but were not from one particular denomination. Eleven institutions reported that all their trustees were elected by the church body which controlled their school. Two institutions replied that some trustees were elected by the church control body and some were elected by the insti tution.
In this way the church had a voice in the policies
of the institution but the overall control was in the hands of a joint body. The customary procedure seems to be for the presi dent of the institution to be a member of the board of trustees as the only representative from the faculty on the board of trustees.
But to this practice there are many exceptions.
The presidents of some institutions are also the presidents of their board of trustees, and in several cases faculty members are also members of the board of trustees. Faculty Facultv-Student Ratio According to School Enrollment 1946 In the questionnaires returned by the several schools, the number of full time faculty members was listed with the average weekly teaching load.
There was a wide range
in what was considered an average weekly full time teaching load. hours.
One school listed a full time teaching load as four At the other extreme two Canadian Schools listed the
71 average as 28 and 30 hours respectively.
Eecause It
was
Im
possible to ascertain whether these two Canadian schools I n cluded study periods as a part of their program, they were excluded from the study.
In order to arrive at as accurate
an estimate of the total weekly hours taught by each faculty member, the full time faculty members as listed in the ques tionnaire were multiplied by the average weekly teaching load given for each school.
The part time teachers had been added
together to give the equivalent of a full time teacher.
To
find the total student weekly hours of classes, the total en rollment was multiplied by an average weekly student load of 16 hours per semester.
The average of 16 hours was arrived
at by dividing the total number of required hours for gradua tion by the number of semesters required to complete the course. It must be pointed out that many students would take more than 16 hours because many students graduate with more than the
minimum number of required hours. a conservative overall average.
But 16 hours seemed to be The total student hours for
each school were divided by the total faculty hours and the result indicated the faculty-student ratio. constructed.
Two graphs were
The first showed the faculty-student ratio a c
cording to school enrollment in 19^-6 in 17 degree granting Bible institutes and Bible colleges.
In the smallest enroll
ment grouping (50-100), three schools were listed.
The
faculty-student ratio varied from seven students to twentyfive students per teacher.
In the next three groupings (100-
200), the spread was much more restricted with a variation
from 14 to 17 students per full time faculty member.
As the
enrollment increased, the faculty-student ratio increased with a spread from 20 to 42.
Of the three largest institu
tions in this group, the one with the lowest faculty-student ratio has also entered the liberal arts field.
This was
Eastern Nazarene College, which began as a Bible institute but later enlarged its offerings to meet the needs of the students.
It xvas one of the three degree granting institutions
which reported a permanent endowment in the financial report. Many of the other institutions, however, have a productive endowment from living donors.
Gordon College, which started
as a Bible institute, is now expanding its curriculum in much the same way as Eastern Nazarene College in order to meet the demands of the New England Association. The second figure Indicates the Faculty-student ratio according to school enrollment 1946 in 25 non-degree gUttting Bible Institutes.
The average enrollment Is much
lower in the non-degree granting Institutions than in the d e gree granting schools.
Twelve non-degree schools had 100 or
less in enrollment as compared to three in the degree group. Only one school in the non-degree group reported over 303 students and she had 1471 students. student-teacher ratio above 25* ratio of 44 or above.
Nine schools had a
Four of these schools had a
One exceeds all others by reaching a
peak of 82 students for one faculty member.
The mid-score for
the twenty-five non-degree granting Bible Institutes is a faculty-student ratio of 23*
Hence 50$ of these schools have
more than 23 students for each faculty member.
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GRACE BIBLE INSTITUTE
N
P
B.R.E. ,T
INTERCESSION CITY BIBLE COL.
X
P
KANSAS CITY BIBLE COLLEGE
X
X
P
A.B.jTh. B.A.In E None
LANCASTER SCHOOL OF BIBLE
X
X
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N
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y
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X
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X
MOODY BIBLE INSTITUTE
N
X
X
MOUNTAIN VIKH BIBLE SCHOOL MULTNOMAH SCHOOL OF BIBLE
N
NATIONAL BIBLE INSTITUTE
X
PACIFIC BIBLE COL.OF AZUSA
X
X
'None
PEACE RIVER BIBLE INST.
N
N
N
None
PHILADELPHIA SCHOOL OF BIBLE
X
X
P
None
PRACTICAL BIBLE TRAINING SCI-I.
N
N
P
None
N
P
None
PROVIDENCE BIBLE INSTITUTE ST.PAUL BIBLE INSTITUTE
X
N
P
SIMPSON BIBLE INSTITUTE
x
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SOUTHERN CALIF.BIBLE COL.
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X
P
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N
N
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TRINITY SEM. & BIBLE INST.
X
P
’WASHINGTON BIBLE INSTITUTE
N
P
B.R.E. B. D. Hon None
VESTERN CANADIAN BIBLE INST.
N
P
None
N
N
None
TORONTO BIBLE COLLEGE
IINNIPEG BIBLE INSTITUTE
N
N
------'
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14
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173 NAMES AND ADDRESSES OF THE FORTY-NINE BIBLE INSTITUTES AND BIBLE COLLEGES STUDIED IN SURVEY
1.
Atlanta Bible Institute, 759 West Peachtree St. S.E. Atlanta, Georgia.
2.
Baptist Bible Institute of Cleveland, 3273 Hough Avenue, Cleveland 3 , Ohio.
3.
Baptist Bible Seminary, Main and Baldwin Street, Johnson City, N. Y.
4.
Bethany Bible Institute, Hepburn, Saskatchewan, Canada.
5«
Bible Institute of Los Angeles, 553 South Hope Street, . Los Angeles, Calif.
6.
Birmingham Bible Institute, 1709 North 7th Avenue, Birmingham 1, Ala.
7.
Briercrest Bible Institute, Caron, Saskatchewan, Canada.
8.
Buffalo Bible Institute, 829 Delaware Avenue, Buffalo, N. Y.
9.
Chicago Evangelistic Institute, 1754 Washington Blvd. Chicago 12, 111.
10. 11.
Christian Training Institute, 10810 - 7 8 th Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Cleveland Bible College, 3201 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland 15, Ohio.
12.
Columbia Bible College, Columbia, S. C.
13.
Dallas Bible Institute, 2016 Commerce Street, Dallas 1, Texas.
14.
Eastern Nazarene College, Wollaston Park, Quincy, Mass.
15.
Emmaus Bible School, 8 l Harcourt Avenue, Toronto 6 , Canada.
16.
Elim Bible School, Altona, Manitoba, Canada.
17.
Fort Wayne Bible Institute, 3820 S. Wayne Avenue, Fort Wayne 6 , Ind.
1 8 . Free Church Bible Institute and Seminary, 4211 N. Hermitage Ave., Chicago 13, 111*
174 19*
God's Bible School, Mt. Auburn, Cincinnati 10, Ohio.
20.
Gordon College of Theology and Missions, Boston 15, Mass.
21.
Grace Bible Institute, 1515 South 10th Street, Omaha 8 , Nebraska.
22.
Intercession City Biblical College, Intercession City, Fla.
23*
Kansas City Bible College, 7444 State Line Road, Kansas City, Missouri.
24.
Lancaster School of the Bible, 128-130 N. Mulberry Street, Lancaster, Penna.
25*
London Bible Institute, 518 Queen's Avenue, London, Ontario, Canada.
26.
Los Angeles Baptist Theological Seminary, East Sixth and South St. Louis Streets, Los Angeles 33, Calif.
27*
Lutheran Bible Institute, Y.M.C.A., 19 S. LaSalle St., Chicago, 111.
28.
Lutheran Bible Institute, 1619 Portland Avenue, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
29*
Messiah Bible College, Grantham, Penna.
30.
Midwest Bible and Missionary Institute, 514 Culver Way, 3964 Washington Blvd., St. Louis 8 , Mo.
31*
The Missionary Training Institute, Nyack, New York.
32.
Moody Bible Institute, 153 Institute Place, Chicago 10,
111
.
33*
Mountain View Bible School, Didsbury, Alberta, Canada.
34.
Multnomah School of the Bible, 703 N. E. Multnomah Street, Portland 12, Ore.
35»
National Bible Institute, 340 West 55th Street, New York 19, N. Y.
36.
Pacific Bible College, Azusa, California.
37*
Peace River Bible Institute, Sexsmeth,
38.
Philadelphia School of the Bible, 1721 Spring Garden Street, Philadelphia 30, Penna.
Albe r t a ,
Canada.
175 39*
Practical Bible Training School, Bible School Park, Broome Co., New York.
40.
Providence Bible Institute, 100 State Street, Providence, R. I.
41.
St. Paul Bible Institute, Englewood at Hamline, St. Paul, Minn.
42.
Simpson Bible Institute, 101 West 5 8 th Street, Seattle Wash.
43*
Southern California Bible College, 450 Avenue 64, Pasadena 2, Calif.
44.
Temple Missionary Training School, 117 E. Rudislll Blvd., Port Wayne, Ind.
45.
Toronto Bible College, 12-16 Spadina Road, Toronto 4, Ontario, Canada.
46.
Trinity Seminary and Bible Institute, 243 40th Avenue South, Minneapolis, Minn.
47*
Washington Bible Institute, 1445 Rhode Island Ave. S.W., Washington, D. C.
48.
Western Canadian Bible Institute, 1720 Broad Street, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada.
49.
Winnipeg Bible Institute, 102 Marjorie Street, St. James, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
7,
176
WHEATON COLLEGE "For Christ
and His
Kingdom"
Wheaton, Illinois Office of Director of Christian Education October 23, 19^6
Mr. H. V/. Boon, Registrar Missionary Training Institute Nyack, New York Dear Mr. Boons Your letter of October 11th regarding the thesis subjects has been brought to my attention. I do not believe there is any complication since a master's thesis is not copyrighted. At any rate, the topic being dealt with here deals only with the origin of the Bible Institute. The student working on the thesis here is Mrs. Lenice Reed and I am sure she would be glad to give you any further information. With good wishes for the year at Nyack. If Miss Bethge is still with you, will you extend my greetings to her? She was one of our Christian Education majors at Wheaton. Sincerely, (S)
Rebecca R. Price Rebecca R. Price
177 ACCREDITING ASSOCIATION OF BIBLE INSTITUTES AND BIBLE COLLEGES 100 State Street* Providence 8, Rhode Island December 21, 19^9 Rev. Harold Boon Missionary Training Institute Nyack, New York Dear Mr. Boon: In reply to your inquiry of December 10 I am pleased to make the following statement concerning the matter of faculty counselling as practiced in our Bible Institutes and Bible Colleges. Bible Institutes and Bible Colleges have generally realized the importance of faculty counselling in the shaping of Christian character. Practically every one of the schools has such an officer or officers devoted particularly to the counselling of young men and women with respect to 'their individual financial, spiritual, and academic problems. Also, in nearly all of the schools there is a constant effort made to bring the teacher into direct contact with the individual student although due to the rapid growth of classes in the recent post war years this has been done less and less. At the present time there is in evidence a tendency to do more vocational counselling and to appoint special officers for this purpose. Also I think there is increasing emphasis upon academic counselling because it would appear that more Bible Institute and Bible College students are seeking to transfer to colleges, universities or seminaries as they further their education. However the entire program is not organized in most schools as thoroughly and carefully as it should be and one of the definite goals of the new Accrediting Association of Bible Institutes and Bible Colleges has been to encourage the schools in this effort. Permit me to mention the fact that here at Providence Bible Institute for an enrollment of 4$5 Day School students we have 5 officers, 3 men and 2 women, devoting their time to this matter of individual counselling of students in financial, spiritual, and academic matters. We do not yet have a definite vocational guidance program but we have made at least an effort in this direction through our missionary course where students are privileged to talk with representatives from at least 18 different societies to learn something of their policies and practices and to decide with the help of the director of our missionary department what missionary board would be most suited to their own talents and taste. This
178 is only a small part, however, of ivhat should be done for those in our religious education department, our pre-pastoral training department, and in our General Bible Course from which students generally transfer to secular schools, and in our Bible music department. I hope this will be of some help to you in the preparation of your thesis. Permit me to take this opportunity to congratu late you on the splendid work you have done. Sincerely yours, (S)
TERRELLE B. CRUM Secretary-Treasurer
179 List of Schools and Delegates Present at Constitutional Meeting of AABIBC, Winona, Indiana, October l4-l6, 19^7* Day Evening School School Atlanta Bible Institute, Atlanta, Georgia Dean Congdon Baptist Bible Inst, of Cleveland, Cleveland, Ohio. Dean Amsler Bible Institute of Los Angeles, Los Angeles, Calif. Dean Sutherland Bible Institute of Penn., Philadelphia, Penn. Pres. Mierop and Dean Whiting Bible Stan'dard Training School, Eugene, Oregon Pres. Powers ' Buffalo Bible Institute, Buffalo, N. Y. Pres. Reisinger Carver Bible Institute, Kansas City, Missouri Pres. Foote Central Bible Institute, Springfield, Missouri Educational Sec'y Riggs and Edith Flower Note: Denom. has 7 schools notlisted here Chicago Evangelistic Institute, Chicago, 111. Pres. Jessop and Dean Hahn Cleveland Bible College, Cleveland, Ohio Dean Osborne Columbia Bible College, Columbia, S.Carolina Pres. McQuilkin Denver Bible College, Denver, Colorado Vice Pres. Davis and Norton Fort Wayne Bible Institute, Fort Wayne, Ind. Pres. Witmer and Dean Gerig Frankfort Holiness College, Indiana Pres. Storey Grace Bible Institute, Omaha, Nebraska Pres. Suckau Grand Rapids School of the Bible and Music, Michigan. Registrar Garvin Kansas City Bible College, Kansas City, Mo. Pres. Wilson and Dean Ramsey London Bible Institute, London, Ontario Pres. Bedford Martinsville Bible College, Martinsville, Va. Miss Ashworth Mennonite Brethren Bible College, Winnipeg Pres. Toews Metropolitan Bible Institute, N. Bergen, N. J. Principal Nikoloff Missionary Training Inst., Nyack, N. Y. Pres. Mosley and Registrar Boone Moody Bible Institute, Chicago, Illinois Acting President Culbertson
50
75
23
200
910
300
226
351
100 40
118
100 600 1425 230 215 365 l82
42
300
288
80
71
84
12 120 50
70
550 926
900
180 Day Evening School School Multnomah School of the Bible, Portland, Oregon. Pres. Aldrich National Bible Institute, New York, N. Y. Dr. Erie Griffith Northwestern Schools, Minneapolis, Minn. Dean Hartill and Mr. Bergeson Open Bible Institute, Des Moines, Iowa Dean Mitchell Pacific Bible College, Azusa, California Pres. Haggard Philadelphia School of the Bible, Phila., Pa. Pres. Roe and Dean Mason Pilgrim Bible College, Kernersville, N. C. Pres. Surbrook Providence Bible Inst., Providence, R« I. Pres. Perrin and Dean Crum St. Paul Bible Institute, St. Paul, Minn. Pres. Strohm Southeastern Bible Inst., Lakeland, Fla. Pres. Graves Southwestern Bible Institute, Pres. Collins Temple Missionary Training School, Fort Uayne, Ind. Pres. Neighbour Bible Seminary of Costa Rica, San Jose, Costa Rica. Pres. Kenneth Hood Totals Grand Total Number school s i Number delegates:
43 46
308
100
200
300
740
i3o
80
35
130 235
213 125 400
650
300 150 625 38 40 10137
3770
13, 907
l3l Enrollment in Sixty Theological Seminaries Holding Membership in the American Association of Theological Schools Fall Semester 1943 No.
Name of Seminary
1 . Berkeley Bapt. Div. School 2 . Chr Div Sch Pac Berkeley 3° Pacific School Rel Berkeley 4. San Fran The Sem San Anselm 5. Starr King Sch Min Berkeley 6 . Iliff Sch Theol Denver 7. Berk Div Sch New Haven 8 . Hartford Sem Found Htfd 9. Columbia The Sem Decatur Ga 1 0 . Gammon The Sem Atlanta Ga 11. Bethany Biblical Sem Chgo (Est) 12. Chgo Luth The Sem Maywd 111 13. Chgo Theol Sem Chicago l4. Evan Theol Sem Napervl 111 15. C-arrett Bible Inst Evnstn 111 1 6 . McCormick The Sem Chicago 17. Meadville Theol Sch Chicago 1 8 . Northern Bapt The Sem Chgo 19- Seabury VJ The Sem Evnstn 111 2 0 . V/artburg The Sem Dubuque la 21. Cent Bapt The Sem Kan C. Kan 22 . Asbury Theol Sem kilmore Ky 23. Col Bible Lexington Ky 24. Louisvl Pres The Sem Lou Ky 25. S Bapt Theol Sem Louisvl Ky 26 . New Orleans Bapt The Sem 27. Bangor Theol Sem Bangor ..Me 23. Nestminstr The Sem Westm Md 29. And Nw The Sch Nwtn Ctr Mass '30. Epis Theol Sch Cambridge Mass 31. New Chrh The Sch Cmbrdg Mass (Est) 32. Calvin The Sem Grd Rpds Mich 33. Westrn The Sem Holland Mich 34. Luther The Sem St Paul Minn 35. N V; Luth Theol Sem Mpls Minn 36. Eden The Sem Webstr Grvs Mo 37. Blmfd Col The Sem Blmfd N J 38. Drew Univ Madison N J 39. New Brunswk Theol Sem N Br N J 40. Princeton Theo Sem Prnctn N J 4l. Biblical Sem N Y New York 42. Colgte Roc Div Sch Rchtr N Y 43. General Theol Sem New York 44. Union Theol Sem New York 45. BonBrake The Sem Dayton Ohio
Total Male Female Enrollment 90 51 54 105 7 67 57 114 102 44 21 21 6o 68 301 155 15 265 79 84 l8l 222 52 77 764 243 60 6l 117 94 8 51 60 l8l 48 77 176 270 31 330 86 92 154 412 77
.56 —— 10 27 3 4 —
91 5 5 60 _ _
20 -47 39 3 33 ---------------
29 59 6 3 _ _
92 5 1 29 — —
1 — — —
12 12 136 — 46 83 11 — 128 1
146 51 64 132 10 71 57 205 107 49 81 21 80 68 348 19^ 18 348 79 84 210 28i 58 80 764 335 65 62 146 94 8 52 60 181 48
89
18 8 405 31 376
169 103 154 540 78
182 Enrollment in Sixty Theological Seminaries Holding Membership in the American Association of Theological Schools Fall Semester 1948 No.
Name
46. Crozer Theol Sem Chester Pa Div Sch Prot Epis Chrh Phil 48. E Bapt Theol Sem Phila 49. Luth Theo Sem Gettysburg Pa 50. Luth Theo Sem Phila 51. Morav Col Bethlehem Pa 52. Pittsbgh Xenia The Sem Pit 53. Luth The Sem Columbia S C (Est) 54. The Sem Evan Ref Chr Lan Pa 55. Austn Pres The Sem Aus Tx 56. S. W. Bap The Sem Ft Worth Tx 57. Prot Epis The Sem Alxdra Ya (Est) 58. Union The Sem Richmond Va 59. Mission Hse Col Plymouth Wis 6 0 . Nashotah House Nashotah Wis hi*
Total Male Female Enrollment 37 65 226 68 96 401 67 33 54
2 5 56 1
81 786 125
—
150 149 43
----
1 7 - -
4 366 — —
53 .
—
39 70 282 69
96 402
74 33 58
81 1152 125 150 202 48
183 CONSTITUTION AND B Y “LAWS OF THE ACCREDITING ASSOCIATION OF BIBLE INSTITUTES AND BIBLE COLLEGES ARTICLE I
NAME
The name of this organization shall be "The Accrediting Association of Bible Institutes and Bible Colleges." ARTICLE II
PURPOSE
Section 1. To bring into cooperative association Bible Institutes and Bible Colleges whose objectives are similar and who are conservative and evangelical in doctrine. Section 2. To define, evaluate, establish and maintain general academic standards; to institute, maintain and publish a list of those schools accredited according to the standards set by the Association, and to develop and foster such p r o cedures as will facilitate inter-change of student credits; and strengthen the position of students undertaking additional work in other schools. Section 3» To maintain records of administrators, faculty, curricula, and physical equipment of various schools so that inter-correspondence may be expedited. ARTICT.E III
TENETS OF FAITH
1. We believe that there is one God, eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 2. We believe the Bible to be the inspired, the only infallible, authoritative Word of God. 3. We believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His vicarious death and atonement through His shed blood, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and In His personal and visible return in power and glory. 4. We believe that man was created in the image of God, that he was tempted by Satan and fell, and that, because of the exceeding sinfulness of human nature, regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely necessary for salvation. 5. We believe.in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit by Whose indwelling the Christian is. enabled to live a godly life, and by Whom the Church Is empowered to carry out Christ's great commission.
134 6 . Me believe in the bodily resurrection of both the saved and the lost; those who are saved unto the resurrection of life and those who are lost unto the resurrection of damna tion. ARTICLE IV
MEMBERSHIP
The membership of this Association shall consist of those Bible Institutes and Bible Colleges which shall conform to the standards of membership and which shall be accepted into member ship by vote of the Association. ARTICLE V
OFFICERS
Section 1. The Executive Officers of this Association shall be the President; two Vice-Presidents (one from each Commission) and a Secretary-treasurer. Section 2. The Executive Committee shall be composed of the officers of the Association, the retiring President, as an ex officio member, and the Vice-Chairman and the Secretary of each Commission. Seetion 3» The officers of the Association shall be elected by and from among the Association in its annual meeting for a term of two years, only the Secretary-treasurer being eligible to succeed himself. ARTICLE VI
COMMISSIONS
Section 1. Authorized delegates of each member school shall constitute Commissions for their respective educational groups as follows: (1) The Commission of Collegiate Schools (2 ) The Commission for Intermediate Schools Section 2. Each commission shall be organized with at least two officers: a Vice-chairman, and a Secretary, elected by the Commission for a two-year period at the time of the annual meeting of the Association, only the Secretary being eligible to succeed himself. ARTICLE VII Section 1.
MEETINGS
Regular meetings
Regular meetings of this Association shall be held annually, the time and place to be determined by the Executive Committee. Notification of all regular meetings shall be made by mail by the Secretary to all members at least six months prior thereto.
135
Section 2.
Soeclal meetings
Special meetings may be called by the Executive Committee at any time, provided that the purpose of the meeting shall be stated In the notices calling the same* Such notices shall be mailed at least one month before the date of such meeting. The right of initiative in calling a special session shall be granted each member of the Association. A petition for same, stating the reasons therefor and signed by at least 20$ of the membership of the Association, may be filed with the Secretary at any time and shall be considered sufficient reason for such a call, whereupon the Executive Committee shall call the special session, setting the time and place. ARTICLE VIII
AMENDMENTS
Amendments to the Constitution may be made at any regular meeting of the Association, provided that the proposed amendment shall be submitted to the membership 60 days prior to the meet ing at which it is to be considered. A two-thirds vote of all members present shall be necessary for adoption.
136 BY-LAVvS
Procedure of Establishing the Association 1. In order to inaugurate the Association, over-all pro visional membership will be granted to schools until January 1, 1950, by a temporary procedure as follows: a. Schools will make application to the Secretary for provisional membership and submit such data as de sired by the Examining Committee. b. The Examining Committee is authorized to act on such applications and grant provisional membership. c. Schools that have obtained provisional membership may thereafter apply for full accreditation, when the regular procedures for investigation and d e termination of applications will be followed. d. An accrediting fee of $75*00 will be charged for provisional membership to be paid upon application; if application is not approved, $ 5 0 . 0 0 will be re funded. This $75*00 fee covers the membership fee for the first year and covers only the cost of pro visional membership as outlined procedure above. e. As soon as a school, accepted with provisional membership, applies for full accreditation, it shall pay an additional fee of $ 5 0 . 0 0 to cover the cost of final examination procedure. If a school applying on the collegiate level is denied membership on that level, the $2.5*00 not subject to refund may be applied to an application on the Intermediate level. ARTICLE I Section 1.
MEMBERSHIP
Requirements for Membership
Adherence to the Doctrinal Standard and Constitution and By-Laws of this Association; compliance with the Academic Standard of its respective level, and payment of the required fees are primary requirements for membership. Each member school shall subscribe annually to the Doctrinal Standard in writing. Section 2.
Application Procedure
The school seeking accreditation shall send its application
13? together with the entrance fee to the Secretary of the Associ ation on suitable forms and give such data as shall be pr e scribed by the Examining Committee. If the application warrants a review in the judgment of the officer's of the Association, an investigation will be made of the applicant school by examiners, 'who shall report their finding and make their recommendations to the Examining Com mittee. Final action on recommendations of the Examining Committee will be taken by the Association at its annual ses sion. In the selection of examinees by the Executive Committee, consideration shall be given to the level of the school being examined so that one examiner is identified with the level of the school under review. Section 3*
Termination of Membership
Membership in the Association may be terminated by: (a) voluntary withdrawal in writing, (b) action of the Associ ation upon recommendation of the Examining Committee based upon proof that such member no longer conforms to the standards of the Association, (c) failure to pay the annual membership fee 'within one year after same is due. ARTICLE II Section 1.
OFFICERS
Nomination and Elections
a. Officers of the Association. A Nominating Committee shall be appointed by the Executive Committee who shall submit a slate of two or more names for each officer of the Associa tion. These, with any other names nominated from the floor, shall be voted upon singly until a candidate receives a majority vote, which shall constitute an election. b. Officers of the Commissions. The Collegiate and Inter mediate Commissions, meeting in separate sessions, shall nominate from the floor and elect by ballot their respective /ice-Chairman, Secretary, and other representatives as needed. Section 2.
Duties of officers
The officers of the Association and of the Commissions shall have those rights and perform those duties which are customary for their respective offices. The Executive Com mittee shall have the right and authority to represent the Association in all matters during the interim between sessions of the Association. The Executive Committee and/or the officers of either Commission shall call and conduct their own meetings as the need and their best judgment shall dictate.
133
Section 3»
Vacancies
Any vacancies which may occur on the Executive Committee shall be .filled by the vote of the remaining members until the next annual meeting with the exception of the office of President which shall automatically be filled by the VicePresident of the Collegiate Commission until the next annual meeting. Section 4.
Qualifications
All officers of the Association and of the Commissions shall be officially and actively connected with a Bible Insti tute or Bible College which holds membership in the Association. ARTICLE III
REPRESENTATION AND VOTING PRIVILEGE
Section 1. Member institutions shall be entitled to representation and voting privileges at meetings of the Association on the following basis: One delegate for each school with 25 to 200 full-time day students Two delegates for each school with 201 to 400 full-time day students Three delegates for each school with over 401 full-time day students A full-time day student is defined as one carrying no fewer than twelve hours per week. In computing number of students, those in summer school, evening school classes, and correspondence school shall be excluded. Each delegate shall have one vote. not be permitted.
Proxy voting shall
Section 2. Each member institution shall submit to the secretary' of the Association the name (or names) of its duly appointed representative (or representatives) at least fifteen days in advance of each annual or special meeting. Section 3» Additional visiting representatives from member institutions, or visitors from non-member institutions, may attend the open sessions of the Association meetings but they shall not have the privilege of the floor or of voting. ARTTCT.E IV Section 1.
MEETINGS
Time and place of Meeting
The annual meeting shall be held the second week in October. The exact date and place of meeting shall be set each year by the Executive Committee.
139
Section 2.
Quorum
Those delegates present at a duly called meeting of this Association shall be considered a quorum. A majority of the Executive Committee shall constitute a quorum for its me e t ings . Section 3®
Parliamentary Law
All business meetings of this Association shall be con ducted according to the accepted rules of parliamentary p r o cedure. ARTICLE V
STAMPING COMMITTEES
The following Standing Committees shall be appointed by the President: 1. Committee on Educational Aids, consisting of a Chair man and one representative from each Commission. The duties of this committee shall include the recommendation of textbooks, visual aids, reference works, other published or unpublished materials, and specialized equipment useful in attaining the highest educational objectives. 2. Auditing Committee, consisting of two members, ’whose duty shall be to audit the accounts of the Association prior to the annual meeting. ARTICLE VI
ACCREDITATION STANDARDS
Section 1. Final authority in determining accreditation standards shall reside in the Association. Section 2. Proposed changes in or additions to the accreditation standards shall first be voted upon by the group affected, namely, intermediate level Bible Institutes, collegi ate level Bible Institutes, and collegiate level Bible Colleges, but shall not become obligatory until passed by the Association. Section 3* A code of ethics covering comity, relationship of member schools, transfer of faculty members or students, advertising accuracy, adherence to catalogue statements, and kindred subjects shall be prepared by each Commission for ap proval by the Association, prior to enforcement by the Associ ation. ARTICLE VII
AMENDMENTS
These By-Laws may be amended by a two-thirds vote at any duly called meeting of this Association.
190 ACADEMIC STANDARDS FOR BIBLE INSTITUTES AND BIBLE COLLEGES ON THE COLLEGIATE LEVEL The standards herein set forth compare favorably in a broad and general manner with those of liberal arts colleges as set forth in the "Accrediting Manuals" of the various regional as s o c i a tions. This has been done without compromising our specific purposes in education in order to facilitate the granting, of credit to Bible Institute and Bible College graduates by liberal arts colleges. It should be noted that these standards are in every instance "minimum standards". Our first aim must always be the glory of God, which translated into the language of education, means the highest academic standards within our power to attain c o n sistent with the sound development of Christian character and faithful preparation for a Spirit-filled ministry as we t r a n s mit our heritage in the Word of God to the next generation. There is no desire to enforce these standards in arbitrary fashion; they are to be administered by the Commission on A c crediting Institutions by way of stimulus and encouragement.
I
DOCTRINAL STANDARD
Bible Institutes and Bible Colleges holding membership in the accrediting organization shall officially subscribe in writing, annually, to the following doctrinal statement: 1. be believe that there is one God, eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, 2. be believe the Bible to be the inspired, the only i n fallible, authoritative Lord of God. 3. be believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His vicarious death and atonement through His shed blood, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and In His personal and visible return in power and glory. 4. be believe that man was created in the image of God, that he was tempted by Satan and fell, and that, because of the exceeding sinfulness of human nature, regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely necessary for salvation. 3- he believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit by Those indwelling the Christian Is enabled to live a godly • life, and by Whom the Church is empowered to carry out Christ's great commission.
191 6 . V'e believe In the bodily resurrection of both the saved and the lost; those who are saved unto the resurrection of life and those who are lost unto the resurrection of damnation.
II PROGRAM OF STUDIES l). The Bible Institute A standard Bible Institute diploma signifies the successful completion of a minimum of 90 semester hours. The semester is normally understood as 18 weeks; the term as a 1? v;eek quarter. It is understood that class hours are at least 50 minutes in length. This does not refer to laboratory periods which normally require two hour’s for'* one credit hour. Many schools will, wish to continue to exceed these minimum r eq ui re ments. Because of the diverse curricula offered by Bible Institutes attention is here centered upon the General Bible Course and no attempt is made to deal with more specialized curricula such as Bible Music, Christian Education, Missionary Courses, etc., except as the "core curriculum" of Biblical subjects is cor.mon to them all. In the General Bible Course a minimum of 1/3, or 30 semester hours, of the total minimum of 90 semester hours required for graduation must be devoted to the content and exposition of the Bible text itself. Exegesis of the original text may be counted when this is beyond the level of grammar stud*.. In the General Bible Course a minimum of 1C) hours of the total minimum of 90 semester hours for graduation is required in the fields of Doctrine or Biblical or Systematic Theology. In the General Bible Course the remaining 50 hours out of a minimum of 90 semester hours should include the following subjects: Missions, Evangelism, Apologetics, Church History, Christian Education (or Pedagogy), Public Speaking, and English. It is also re c o m mended that the curriculum include some additional liberal arts subjects that are important in the field of general education. Relative to the "core curriculum" of subjects common to s p e c i alized curricula such as those of Christian Education, Music, Missionary, P a st or s1 Courses, etc., a minimum of 1/3, or 30 semester hours, out of the total minimum of 90 semester hours shall be required in the fields of Bible and Doctrine (or Biblical or Systematic Theology). 2). The Bible College The Bible College is distinguished from the Bible Institute in two particulars: (l) it offers a course of at least four years, leading to a bachelor's degree, which is described below;
192 (2) it gives a larger place in its curriculum for those s u b jects commonly associated with the liberal arts subjects that are important in the field of general education. Relative to the "core curriculum11 of subjects commonly a s s o ciated with the liberal arts college. In spirit and purpose these two types of Bible schools are identical. At least 120 semester hours of accredited Bible college work (exclusive of physical education) shall be required for the bachelor's degree. The following is the list of required subjects and also a list of electives which are recommended. (a) Required Bible Sub je cts . The currbLculum shall include at least 30 semester hours in the direct stud;/ of the Bible and 10 semester hours in Biblical or systematic theology. (b) Required Liberal Arts Sub.iects. The curriculum shall include basic subjects generally required for a standard bachelor's degree: English, history, science. (c) Recommended electives (or required subjects from the school's point of view) in fields related to Bible and Christian service. Evangelism, church history, Christian pedagogy, public speaking, missions, homiletics, Christian service. (d) Recommended electives (or required subjects from the school's point of view) in Liberal Arts subjects and general education. New Testament Greek, philosophy, logic, psychology, sociology, music, a modern language such as Spanish or French. The overall curriculum shall be so arranged as to include the minimum requirements set forth by the American Association of Theological Schools in 1940 for entrance into seminaries. These are as follows: English (8-12 hrs. including Composition and Literature), Bible or Religion, Philosophy (4-6 hrs. including at least two of the following: Introduction to Philosophy. History of Philosophy, Ethics, Logic), History (4-6 hrs.), Psychology (2~3 hrs.), a foreign language (l2~l6 hrs. including at least one of the following: Latin, Greek, Hebrew, French, German), Natural sciences (4-6 hrs. Physical or Biological), Social sciences (4-6 hrs. i n cluding at least two of the following: Economics, S o c i ology* Government or Political Science, Social Psychology, Education). Some latitude will be allowed an institution in its curriculum, so long as the above stipulations are complied with. The .
193 criterion will be the degree to which the purpose of the Bible College is being realized, and the soundness of the educational practices that prevail. A Bible College may offer degree courses in other fields, such as music, religious education, missions, etc., provided that the recognized academic standards for such courses be maintained, together with the Biblical c.ontent approved by the evaluating committee of this association. At least 30 hours of residence work shall be done at the i n stitution which gives the degree. The class hours shall be not less than 50 minutes in length; laboratory periods shall meet two hours for each credit hour. The semester shall co n sist of 13 weeks and the term of 12 weeks.
3). Evaluation of Courses and Credits for both Bible Institutes and Bible Colleges Bible Institutes and Bible Colleges seeking accreditation must furnish to the Examining Committee materials showing the c o n tent of each class taught. In most cases this would be u n d e r stood to consist of a syllabus and copy of the textbooks used. The distribution of student grades is also an important factor and will be taken into account by the Examining Committee. Transcripts from various colleges are to be furnished for repre sentative students who have gone on to these other institutions of higher learning in order that the grade of work done by the student in the school seeking accreditation may be compared with the grades attained in later college work. Tra nsfer credit granted to students for work done elsewhere must be by means of validation unless the student comes from another fully accredited school.
Ill
FACULTY
In all cases teachers shall be competent in their respective fields, mature, and skilled in teaching. The minimum requirement for Faculty members shall be five years of collegiate level work (or collegiate and graduate work, e.g., the M . A . , two years liberal arts and three years' seminary training, etc.) Exceptions may be made in the case of teachers eminently qualified for their position and in the case of well qualified persons already employed in teaching. The degree held by the faculty member must be from an institu tion that is sound in its educational standards and ad m i n i strative practices.
194 A faculty member’ Is defined as anyone who teaches one or more subjects; teachers of highly specialized subjects and non teaching administrative officers (president, dean, registrar, superintendents of men and women, etc.) need not be considered members of the regular faculty for purposes of accreditation unless the Bible Institute or Bible College -wishes to do so. Institutions seeking, accreditation must assume their ethical responsibilities in providing for the financial welfare of faculty and staff members. The method of their selection, the nature of their appointment, rate and causes of turnover and any other relevant factors are to be considered by the E x a m i n ing Committee of the accrediting organization. The establishment of some satisfactory form of retirement a l l o w ance for faculty and staff workers is strongly recommended to all schools. The ratio of one faculty member to 25 students shall be the minimum standard for accredited Bible Institutes and Bible Colleges to strive to reach and maintain. The w o r d ing of the standard in this way makes legitimate allowance for sudden rapid growth on the part of the student body for 'which additional faculty members may not be Immediately procurable. The matter of counselling students both by faculty members and other personnel such as superintendents of men and women, is regarded as of primary importance in the Bible Institute and Bible College movement. In general the full-time teaching load should not be mor’e than 15 semester hours for full-time faculty members. This teaching load Is to be reduced in proportion as administrative duties are increased. It is expected that by unity, mutual regard, and Christian cooperation among themselves the faculty' will take the l ea de r ship in creating and maintaining that spiritually healthful atmosphere in which the Christian student does his best work and realizes his highest spiritual development.
IV
REQUIREMENTS FOR ADMISSION
As a general practice an Institution seeking accreditation must require for admission the satisfactory completion of a. course in a secondary school approved by a recognized accrediting agency or the academic equivalent of such a course. However, a limited number of students (not to exceed 10# of the total), may be admitted who have not completed their high school course provided that those among this number who seek to obtain the standard diploma or degree shall pass the customary GEDT tests or otherwise complete their high school work. V
LIBRARY
The library shall be under the supervision of a member of the faculty or other person duly appointed who has received adequate
195 training in Library Science. All Bible Institutes and Bible Colleges seeking accreditation must have a minimum of 5*000 ■ properly catalogued books adapted to the school's purposes. The number of books shall be increased as the number in the student body increases. There shall be a sufficient annual appropriation in the school's budget to maintain the library in an up-to-date condition; or its monetary equivalent shall be accounted for through a satisfactory system of accession which may be in force at the particular school, if this accession system is deemed adequate by the Examining Committee for the school's particular needs. The type and the number of p e r i odicals received as well as bound volumes shall be taken into account by the Examining Committee.
VI
ADMINISTRATIVE CONTROL
The control of the Bible Institute or Bible College should be vested in a legally constituted board with a chief executive officer. Those serving on the board, as well as faculty m e m bers, should be men of high purpose and proved Christian character. The faculty should be so organized under the president of the Institution as to provide for the full representation of all educational interests, and the free and open consideration and determination of educational policies. Regular meetings should be held and accurate records of their business kept.
VII
FINANCIAL ORGANIZATION AN D RESOURCES
Before approval an Institution must present evidence of financial stability7. Ordinarily this requirement can be satis fied by evidence: 1. That employees are receiving incomes adequate for meeting moderate living expenses. Due allowance will be made in cases where services are donated. 2. That the Institution has a substantial equity in the property used, or a long term lease under conditions which can be reasonably fulfilled. 3. That financial accounting and property inventories are in accord with sound business procedures. 4. That the accounts of the Institution are periodically approved by reputable auditors. 5* That the business practices of the Institution are in harmony/ with the highest standards of Christian ethics.
VTII
STABILITY
Following are the criteria for determining permanence and stability:
1. The school shall have completed at least 7 years of c o n tinuous operation as a Day School f o l l o w i n g the date of its incorporation as a Bible Institute or Bible College and immediately preceding its application for membership. 2. Information is to be furnished relative to the date of first operation as an Institute and the continuity of opera. tion since that date. 3. Dates at which the various diploma or degree courses were added, interrupted, or discontinued are to be given. 4. Yearly enrollments, excluding summer session, evening school, extension courses, etc., must be furnished for the past 7 years. 5. Names of administrative heads during the past 7 to 10 years, with the period of service for each, must be p r o vided. 6. The percentage of turnover in the teaching staff each year for the past 5 years is to be given.
IV
PHYSICAL PLANT
The buildings and grounds of the Institution are to be co n sidered with respect to ownership, condition, upkeep, and fitness for work offered, as well as planning and possibilities for expansion with the growth of the Institution. Moreover, the properties must correspond to the advertisements in the school's catalogue and bulletins. Safety measures are required; s a n i tary conditions must prevail. X
DISCIPLINE
The By-Laws of the Accrediting Association carry provisions to deny membership or to exercise discipline with respect to those already members in the organization who are guilty of divisive or unethical practices.
XI
CONDITIONAL & PROVISIONAL MEMBERSHIP
Conditional membership, carrying accreditation, may be granted by the Association to a school upon recommendation by the Examining Committee, if in their judgment the general pattern of the school's standards is satisfactory and there is s u f ficient evidence that a particular deviation will be corrected within a reasonable length of time. Provisional membership, not accreditation, is being granted to all charter member schools until the opening of the school's fall term 1950 or until such time as the Examining Committee visits the school and brings a report to the Ass'n. Then, if the school's standards have been found satisfactory its p r o visional membership will become full accreditation by vote of the Ass'n at its next regular meeting.
197 If a charter-member school fails to meet the requirements of the standards by the end of the provisional period (opening of fall term 1930), it will forfeit its provisional membership unless granted a period of - race at the discretion of this E x a m ining Committee and the Ass'n. For further information address: Dean Terrelle B. Crum, Sec-Treas., Accrediting Association of Bible Institutes and Eible Colleges, 100 State Street, Providence, Rhode Island.
19 3 ACADEMIC STANDARDS F O R BIBLE INSTITUTES AND BIBLE CALLEGES ON THE INTERMEDIATE LEVEL It is recognized that some Bible Institutes, because of p a r ticular circumstances, or due to a different objective, do not find the standards governing schools on the collegiate level, suited to their purposes® V’itb this in mind, the fo ll ow ing outline of standards was drawn up bp representatives of such Institutes to meet their specific needs. The outline was then approved by the entire Association. It should be noted that these standards are in every instance 11minimum standards." our first aim must always be the glory of God, which translated Into the language of education, means the highest academic standards within our power to attain consistent with the sound development of Christian character and faithful preparation for a Spirit-filled ministry as we transmit our heritage in the hord of God to the next g en er a tion. There is no desire to enforce these standards in arbitrary fashion; always they are to be administered by the Commission on Accrediting. Institutions by way of stimulus and e nc our ag e ment . I
DOCTRINAL STANDARD
Bible Institutes holding membership in the accrediting o r g a n i zation shall officially subscribe in writing, annually, to the following doctrinal statement: 1. he believe that there is one God, eternally existing, in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 2. he believe the Bible to be the inspired, fallible, authoritative lord of God.
the only i n
3. he believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, In His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, In His vicarious death and atonement through His shed blood, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and in His personal and visible return in power and glory'. 4. Ve believe that man was created in the image of God, that he was tempted by Satan and fell, and that, because of the exceeding; sinfulness of human nature, regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely necessary for salvation. 9. he believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit by whose indvellinp; the Christian is enabled to live a godlylife , and by V.’hom the Church is empowered to carry out Christ's great commission.
199 o. V'e believe in the bodily resurrection of both the saved and the lost; those who are saved unto the resurrection of life and those who are lost unto the resurrection of damnation. II
COURSES OF STUDY
l). Length of Semester, Term and Class Period A semester shall consist of a minimum of 15 weeks, a term shall consist of a minimum of 10 weeks. Both are exclusive of v a cations. A class period shall be 50 minutes In length. This does not refer to laboratory periods which normally require two hours for one credit hour. Sixty and ninety semester hours shall constitute a minimum for two and three year diploma courses, respectively. 2). The Curriculum a. Bible Ma.ior Course One-third or 30 hours in the three-year course and 20 hours in the two-year course, must consist in the direct study of the Bible itself, either In English or in the original tongue; a minimum of 10 hours of the total minimum of 90 semester hours, or a minimum of 6 hours of the total m i n i mum of (50 semester hours, whichever is required for g rad ua tion, shall be in the field of Doctrine (and/or Biblical or Systematic Theology)* The remaining hours must include the following subjects: General Missions, Personal E va nge l ism, Church History, Apologetics, Christian Pedagogy, Public Speaking or Homiletics, and English (unless a suitable examination proves this subject to be unnecessary). b. Special Courses Considerable latitude will be allowed in the choice of subjects to make up the curricula of specialized courses, such as Music, Christian Education, or others of like nature, providing that one-third of the total hours required c o n sists in direct Bible study or Theology. 3). Evaluation of Courses and Credits Bible Institutes seeking accreditation must furnish to the Examining Committee, materials showing the content of each class taught. In most cases this would be understood to c o n sist of a syllabus and copy of the textbook used. Transcripts from various colleges are to be furnished for representative students who have gone on to these other in st i tutions of higher learning In order that the grade of work done by the student in the school seeking accreditation may be compared with the grades attained in later college work.
200 Transfer credit granted to students for work done elsewhere must be by means of validation unless the student comes from another fully accredited school. 4). Graduation Award Schools in this category may offer diplomas. be permitted to confer degrees.
Ill
They will not
FACULTY
Seventy-five per cent of the faculty shall be graduates of Colleges, Bible Institutes or Bible Colleges, or regularly ordained ministers. At least twenty-five per cent of the faculty shall have baccalaureate degrees from schools of known soundness in educational practices. In all cases teachers shall be competent in their respective fields, mature, and skilled in teaching. (Administrative officers need not be counted in determining these proportions, unless the school elects to do s o . ) In general, the full-time teaching load should be no more than l6 semester hours for the full-time faculty members. This teaching load is to be reduced In proportion as administrative duties are Increased. Institutions seeking accreditation must assume their ethical responsibilities in providing for the financial welfare of faculty and staff members. The method of their selection, the nature of their appointment, rates and causes of turnover and any other relevant factors are to be considered by the E x a m ining Committee of the accrediting organization. The establishment of some satisfactory form of retirement allowance for faculty and staff workers is strongly recommended to all schools.
IV
REQUIREMENTS FOR ADMISSION
A minimum of sixty p e r cent of students admitted shall be high school graduates, or shall have attained an equivalent level of education.
V
LIBRARY
All Bible Institutes seeking accreditation on the "Intermediate Level" must have a minimum of 2,000 properly catalogued books, adapted to the school's purposes. The number of books shall be increased as the number of the student body increases. There shall be a sufficient annual appropriation in the school's
201 budget to maintain the library in an up-to-date condition; or its monetary equivalent shall be accounted for through a satisfactory system of accession which may be in force at the particular school, if this accession system is deemed a d e quate by the Examining Committee for the school's particular needs. The type and the number of periodicals received as well as bound volumes shall be taken into account by the Examining Committee.
VI
ADMINISTRATIVE CONTROL
A school shall be structurally and financially sound, under the management of legally responsible Trustees, operated notfor-profit, and managed according to approved business and administrative practices. Those serving on the board, as well as faculty members, should be individuals of high purpose and proved Christian character.
VII
FINANCIAL ORGANIZATION AND RESOURCES
Before approval an institution must oresent evidence of financial stability. Ordinarily this requirement can be satis fied by evidence: 1. That employees are receiving incomes adequate for meeting moderate living expenses. Due allowance will be made in cases where services are donated. 2. That the Institution has a substantial equity in the property used, or a long term lease under conditions which can be reasonably fulfilled. 3* That financial accounting and property inventories are in accord with sound business procedures. 4. That the accounts of the Institution are periodically approved by reputable auditors. 5. That the business practices of the Institution are in harmony with the highest standards of Christian ethics.
VIII
STABILITY
The criteria for determining permanence and stability are enumerated below: 1. A school must have a student body of not less than 25 full-time students in accredited courses, and shall have been in operation for at least three years. 2. Information is to be furnished relative to the date of first operation as an Institute and the continuity of operation since that date. 3. Dates at which the various diploma courses were added, interrupted, or discontinued.
202 4. Yearly enrollments, excluding summer session, evening school, and extension courses, must be furnished for the past 7 years. 5. Names of administrative heads during the past 7 to 10 years, with the period of service for each, must be furnished. 6 . The percentage of turnover in the teaching staff each year for the past 5 years is to be given. (It is understood, of course, that the above figures, in items 4, 5* and 6, do not apply in case the school in question has been in operation for a briefer period than these figures sp ecify.)
IX
PHYSICAL PLANT
The buildings and grounds of the Institution are to be c o n sidered with respect to ownership, condition, upkeeo, and f i t ness for work offered, as well as planning and possibilities for expansion with the growth of the Institution. Moreover, the properties must correspond to the advertisements in the school's catalogue and bulletins. Safety measures are required; sanitary conditions must prevail.
X
DISCIPLINE
The By-Laws of the Accrediting Association carry provisions to deny membership or to exercise discipline with respect to those already members in the organization who are guilty of divisive or unethical practices.
XI
CONDITIONAL & PROVISIONAL MEMBERSHIP
Conditional Membership, carrying intermediate accreditation, may be granted by the Association to a school upon recommenda tion by the Examining Committee, if in their judgment the general pattern of the school's standards is satisfactory and there is sufficient evidence that a particular deviation will be corrected within a reasonable length of time. Provisional Membership, not accreditation, is being granted to all charter member schools until the opening of the school's fall term 1950 or until such time as the Examining Committee visits the school and brings a report to the Association. Then, if the school's standards have been found satisfactory, its provisional membership will become full intermediate ac cre di ta tion, i.e., full membership, by vote of the Association at its next regular meeting. If a charter-member school fails to meet the requirements of the standards by the end of the provisional period (opening of fall term 1950) it will forfeit its p r o v i sional membership unless granted a period of grace at the
discretion of the Examining Committee and the Association. XII
CORRESPONDENCE AND EVENING S C H OOLS
No recognition is being accorded schools that offer courses by correspondence on l y . or that operate exclusively as evening schools. It is possible that in the future suitable standards may be drawn up for such courses, but they are not in view; in the above "intermediate Standards."
For further information address: Dean Terrelle B. Crum, Secretary-Treasurer Accrediting Association of Bible Institutes and Bible Colleges 100 State Street Providence, Rhode Island
204 ACCREDITING ASSOCIATION OF BIBLE INSTITUTES & BIBLE' COLLEGES Following is the list of schools officially received into accredited membership at the annual meeting, October 1 9 “21, 1943, Chicago, Illinois. Full accreditation is given on two levels: Collegiate, and (b ) Intermediate. Membership on either level is granted as Class 1 (unlimited) or Class 2 (limited as to time).
(A)
(A )
COLLEGIATE LEVEL
Bible Institute of Los Angeles, Class 2 Central Bible Institute, Class 2 Chicago Evangelistic Institute, Class 2 Cleveland Bible College, Class 2 Columbia Bible College, Class 1 Denver Bible Institute, Class 2 Ft. Bayne Bible Institute, Class 2 Grace Bible Institute, Class 2 Messiah Bible College, Class 2 Minnesota Bible Colle ge ,•Class 2 Missionary Training Institute, Class 2 Pacific Bible College (Azusa), Class 2 Pacific Bible Institute (Fresno), Class 2 Providence Bible Institute, Class 2 Rockmont College (Bible Major), Class 2 (This course only and for only 2 years pending establishment of serarate 4 yr. Bible institute division) Simpson Bible Institute, Class 2 Southern California Bible College, Class 2 Southwestern Bible Institute (Bible College Division), Class 2 (B) INTERMEDIATE LEVEL Atlanta Bible Institute, Class 1 Buffalo Bible Institute, Class 1 Emmaus Bible School, Class 2 Glad Tidings Bible Institute, Class 2 Kansas City Bible College, Class 1 Kentucky Mountain Bible Institute, Class 2 Metropolitan Bible Institute, Class 2 Multnomah School of the Bible, Class 2 North Central Bible Institute, Class 2 Open Bible Institute, Class 2 South-Eastern Bible Institute, Class 2 Southwestern Bible Institute (Bible Inst.DIv.),
Class 2
For further information address the Secretary-Treasurer: Dean Terrelle B. Crum Providence Bible Institute, 100 State Street, Providence 8, Rhode Island