Bible Baptist College and School

A bible college is an institution of higher education which focuses in biblical studies. Curriculum is Bible-based and different from that of liberal arts colleges or research universities. Bible schools usually leave out the study of philosophy, unlike seminaries and theological colleges. Bible colleges are also unlike seminaries but similar to theological colleges in that Bible institutes are by and large undergraduate institutions.

The main purpose of these colleges is to prepare people for roles in Christian ministry. The Bible-centered curriculum is generally complemented by structured programs of Christian service. In the United States the origins of the Bible college movement are in the late 19th century. The first such schools in North America were started by A.B. Simpson of the Christian and Missionary Alliance, and D.L. Moody. Many were founded as a conservative response to liberal established theological colleges and seminaries.

Bible schools generally bestow certificates, associate&;s degrees, diplomas, or bachelor&;s degrees, most frequently in biblical studies and Christian ministry. Some Bible institutions provide supplementary training or degree programs in ministry-related fields that also have secular application, such as Christian education, and church music. Still others have set up seminaries and graduate divisions. Many Bible institutes in the US and Canada offer intercollegiate athletic programs and are members of the National Christian College Athletic Association or the Association of Christian College Athletics. Some of these colleges have been increasingly offering distance learning modules online.

Each country has their own governmental requisite for accreditation. For example, the Association for Biblical Higher Education (ABHE) accredits many Bible schools in the United States. These colleges may also be accredited by the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools, by regional accreditors, or by international analogues. Since 2009 in the United Kingdom all Bible universities need to be accredited by either the British Accreditation Council (BAC) or Accreditation Service for International Colleges (ASIC). However, some colleges and schools operate without conventional educational accreditation or government licensing, claiming exemption because of the religious nature of their programs, adducing that an outside party in this capacity would compromise their missions. An instance of this is the West Coast Baptist College.

The Association for Biblical Higher Education affirms that there are over 1,200 Bible schools and colleges in the United States and Canada, which produce a large percentage of North American evangelical missionaries and serve as a primary training center for local church leadership. The South Pacific Association of Bible Colleges states that more than 50% of all Protestant missionaries in the world today are graduates of Bible Colleges. There are more than 2,000 Bible colleges around the world as of January 2009.