Bible College Stories

Bob Jones University

dan — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 03:09:11 +0000

Bob Jones University (BJU) is a private, for-profit, non-denominational Protestant university in Greenville, South Carolina.

The university was founded in 1927 by Bob Jones, Sr. (1883–1968), an evangelist and contemporary of Billy Sunday. The current president, Stephen Jones, is the great-grandson of the founder and the fourth member of the Jones family to serve as president.

Moody Bible Institute

dan — Sat, 08 Jan 2011 23:23:18 +0000

Moody Bible Institute (MBI) was founded by evangelist and businessman Dwight Lyman Moody in 1886. The campus, located in the heart of Chicago on the Near North Side, has remained at the same location chosen by Moody 120 years ago. MBI consists of three major ministries: education, broadcasting and publishing.

Unhappy Preacher

dan — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 23:22:05 +0000

I too went to CCCB; at least I did until recently. My story does not
involve baptism, as I have been a member of 6 different denominations, and
immersed in all of them. No, mine has to deal with the ability to voice
your opinion and call sin what it is. The school does have their elite, and
quite obviously plays favorites. It is also evident that in spite of their
attempts to appear otherwise, they tolerate racial, age, and handicap
discrimination. My friend has a speech impediment, and has been told
numerous times that he has not been called into his ministry. I too was
told that I needed to rethink my calling. And, many times I felt ostracised
because of my being older than the other students. Then, just before asking
me to leave, they told me if I had been more social, I would not have felt
this way. I was constantly in the lobby and always talking to the guys. How
much more social can you get, short of crawling into their beds with them
(which would have been more wrong)? Anyways when I expressed my opinion on
an incident that happened, I was asked to leave campus and again was told
it was all my fault that I was unhappy at the school.

CCCB really needs prayer (and maybe a good exorcism) that the
administration will open their eyes before noone wants to come to school
here. This, and other incidents throughout the years, have given the
school a bad reputation in the community. No wonder every time I asked
about it in chatrooms, everyone pretended not to know about it.

Pensacola Christian College

Aedan — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 14:14:21 +0000

Pensacola Christian College (PCC) is an unaccredited, fundamentalist, Independent Baptist college in Pensacola, Florida, founded in 1974 by Arlin Horton. The student body is around 4,700.

Josh: A Proud Moderate

dan — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 12:04:32 +0000

My experience was much the same as Brendan's. I was like, "Whoa, what now?" Although, over time I came to appreciate the "little Bible college that could" that Central was (free tuition is cool), I just learned to distance myself from the elitists. I also learned that arguing and intellectual-bullying doesn't ultimately convince anyone of anything. It gave me a great sense of peace to learn that lesson and just "let go". Since then, I've become quite the proud moderate, but I don't feel the need whatsoever to make other people think the way I do. It's like computers - I like Intel, you like AMD - hey, it's still a computer that runs Windows XP just fine.

Ready to be an adult

dan — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 19:09:01 +0000

I did not go to Florida College, but I came very close. I was planning on going to FC and then transferring to Truman State University in Missouri. I applied to and visited both schools. Compared to Truman's library, FC's was tiny and pathetic. Truman seemed to have a much more rigorous academic program. With the scholarships that Truman and the state of Missouri offered me, I was able to go to school for almost nothing. FC's out of state tuition and meager scholarships would have put my family in serious debt.

But the most important reason that I didn't go to FC was that I was ready to be an adult. It seemed to me that if I went to FC I would be treated like a child. FC had dress codes, curfews, mandatory chapel services and a general sense that critical thinking was discouraged. By the time I graduated high school, my parents had given me a lot of freedom and responsibility and encouraged me to think for myself. Going to FC or any conservative religious school would have been a big step back for me.

I almost changed my mind during my last trip to FC summer camp. A lot of my friends were headed to Florida in just a few weeks and I was concerned about falling out of touch with them and missing out on the spiritual benefits of a Christian college. I was caught up in the emotion of the camp experience. By the end of my bus ride home I realized that FC was not for me. I went to Truman and I've never regretted it.

My first month at CCCB

brendoman — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 17:47:18 +0000

My story starts the same way many folks' probably does. I was looking for a cheap way to go back to school so on a lark I typed "free bible college" into Google. Central was the first result that came up. It looked good enough from the website so I applied and quickly received notice that I was accepted and could start in the fall. Eager to get out of the house and back to school, I was overjoyed and began packing up for the big move. At the time, Central's website didn't have some of the theological and doctrinal information it has now. If it had, I might never have gone. See, I was not a member of an Independent Christian Church and I didn't share some of their key beliefs, mainly those about baptism. If I had at least been aware of them, it would have saved me a lot of grief once I got there. Even now these beliefs are semi-hidden on the website and kind of vague. Many students not familiar with the non-denominational denomination probably don't even give them a second look or realize the ramifications and what they are about to get themselves into.

My first few weeks at Central went smoothly enough. I was 21 years old and forced to live in the dorms, but that was something I knew ahead of time. I also knew about all the various rules they had and the curfew for freshman, so I was prepared for those. What I wasn't prepared for was being told I was going to hell by a large number of students because I hadn't been immersed. When I first heard this I honestly thought it was a joke. I quickly realized it wasn't as I learned about other beliefs of those who were part of the Christian church. I was quickly labeled "faith only" and many of my fellow students made it their mission to "save" me. I tried my best to keep a low profile and not stir the pot too much so I wouldn't be noticed. Some of my other fellow "faith only" students weren't so lucky. One student who was a member of a pentecostal church was regularly accosted by large groups of "concerned" students trying to show him the error of his ways. He eventually left school. I would see this happen countless times over my three years at Central. If a student didn't align himself exactly with the unspoken official school doctrine, they were ganged up on until they either caved or were forced out. Those that manged to do neither were practically excommunicated from the social groups at school, but naturally this led to another social group being created. These groups were quickly labeled things like "problem people" (a label assigned to my particular group by a high level administrator at the school) and great efforts were made to force them in line or get out.

I quickly realized that Central wasn't a normal college. Free thought wasn't encouraged, it was discouraged. It was much more like indoctrination and training for a career in a very specific job field, that of a minister in an Independent Christian Church. If this is what you want to do, then Central probably is the place for you to go. But if it isn't, you might want to rethink your decision. No doubt some people will question my motives for doing this and will attack me. That is fine. I'm just trying to help that person out there that might not be exactly sure what they are getting into, just like I was. I think it would have saved me a lot of trouble. I'm not saying I hate Central or regret going there. If that was true, why would I have stayed and got my diploma? I guess hindsight has just given me a little more perspective and I want to share that.

I have more stories to tell and will be posting them in the future. But this site isn't about me. It's about you. If you have a story you would like to share, please sign up and do so. It doesn't have to be about Central. It can be about any Bible College. You don't have to use your real name. We just ask that you be honest. We also encourage open dialog which is why we have comments on the site. All we ask is that you keep it civil and on-topic. Thank you.

Florida College

dan — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 17:12:56 +0000

Florida College is a small, accredited, coeducational Christian college located in Temple Terrace, Florida, in the Tampa metropolitan area. Degree programs include the Bachelor of Arts in Biblical Studies, the Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies, the Bachelor of Arts in Music, the Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education, as well as an Associate of Arts degree.

Since its founding as a junior college in 1946, Florida College has drawn its staff, faculty, and the majority of its students from non-institutional Churches of Christ (Restoration Movement); it is also recognized among these churches as an important training center for ministers. The college maintains no official connection with any religious body, however, for doctrinal reasons. This gives it some unusual characteristics as religious colleges go – Florida College accepts no direct contributions from any organized religious body, and the members of its board serve as individuals rather than as official representatives of any religious body.

The high emphasis Florida College places on its Christian heritage is expressed in its tradition of daily chapel services. All members of the board of directors and all faculty members are required to be active members in a Church of Christ. All students are required to receive daily instruction in Biblical topics. Course materials in the natural sciences generally endorse Young Earth creationism.

Central Christian College of the Bible

dan — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 16:44:27 +0000

Central Christian College of the Bible is supported by the Independent Christian Church. Enrollment is around 500. CCCB offers full-tuition scholarships to all students.