| Zion Bible College | |
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Zion Bible College logo |
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| Motto | Zion, the joy of the whole earth! |
| Established | 1924 |
| Type | Private |
| Religious affiliation | Assemblies of God USA |
| President | Rev. Dr. Charles Crabtree |
| Students | 250 |
| Location | Haverhill, MA, USA |
| Former names | Mount Zion Bible School, School of the Prophets, Zion Bible Institute |
| Website | www.zbc.edu |
Zion Bible College (ZBC) is a Bible college in Haverhill, Massachusetts. ZBC's sole purpose is to teach and train students for excellent Pentecostal ministry in fulfillment of the Great Commission.
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The School of the Prophets was founded in 1924 by Rev. Christine Gibson at East Providence, Rhode Island.[1] It was also at one time named Mount Zion Bible School. Later, as the Zion Bible Institute, it was closely associated with Zion Gospel Temple, originally a Holiness congregation founded in the late 19th century by Rev. Alphaeus Cleveland and subsequently pastored by Rev. Christine Gibson. The congregation later affiliated with the Pentecostal revival and is to this day an independent Pentecostal church. The nearby Zion Faith Home, Inc., a retirement home for missionaries, was also connected with the school and church for many years while the campus was located in East Providence, Rhode Island.
In 1985, Zion Bible Institute relocated to the former campus of Barrington College in Barrington, Rhode Island. At the time the Institute was under the leadership of Dr. N. Benjamin Crandall, president from 1985 to 2000. The centerpiece of the campus was the former Peck Mansion, a building listed on the registry of historic sites for the state of Rhode Island. Renamed as the Gibson Memorial Building in honor of the Institute's founder, it housed the President's Office, a variety of additional offices, and the library.
Following Crandall, Rev. George Cope served as president from 2000 to 2005. The college became affiliated with the Assemblies of God USA in 2000. In 2001, it was accredited by the Association for Biblical Higher Education.[2] In 2007, former assistant superintendent of the Assemblies of God, Reverend Charles Crabtree, accepted the position of president.[3]
In 2007, David Green, CEO and founder of the Hobby Lobby chain of hobby stores, purchased the former Bradford College campus in Haverhill, Massachusetts. The 18-acre (73,000 m2) campus was given to Zion Bible College, and Zion was to fund the repairs and upgrades that were necessary before the shuttered Bradford College campus was reopened.[4] The college reopened on their new campus in the fall of 2008.
The campus, formerly that of Bradford College, is located in the Bradford section of Haverhill.
The only degree granted by the college is a bachelor's degree in Biblical studies.[5] For this major students complete core coursework in Biblical studies and Systematic Theology. Each student is required to specify a second major in an area of ministry. These second majors are in Church Ministry, Youth Ministry, Children and Family Ministry, Music and Worship Ministry, World Missions, Urban Ministry, and Pastoral Ministry.[6]
In 2006, ZBC launched a program called "Catalyst", in which students participate in "hands on" ministry at a local church. This program was to serve as a college-based alternative to the Master's Commission program founded by Lloyd Zigler. Six core churches participated in the program, which ended after the Spring 2011 Semester. ZBC also offers a one year certifiate program.[6]
It is accredited with the Association for Biblical Higher Education[7] and officially endorsed by the Assemblies of God USA.
Chapel is held Monday through Thursday. Attendance is mandatory for all fulltime students. On one Friday per month, there are class prayers. Each class (freshman, sophomores, etc.) meets in a specified location to pray with one another and handle class business.
Each student is required to complete S.P.I.C.E (Student Participation In Campus Experience) hours. S.P.I.C.E. assignments include grounds, cleaning crew, security, audio/visual, and mailroom, among others. All fulltime students are required to participate in the S.P.I.C.E. program. A fulltime, on-campus student must complete five hours per week. A fulltime married student or off-campus student must complete three hours per week.[8]
There is a dress code for class attendance, chapel attendance, and leisure time.[9] Men are required to wear the following to class and chapel: any oxford style dress shirt or collared shirt with a Nero collar, mock turtle neck and turtle neck with dress slacks, corduroys or jeans without holes or ragged hems and most types of shoes (sneakers, dress shoes, sandals, etc.). Students may wear t-shirts on their personal time, but are requested to not wear the following: Sweat pants (other than in the Fitness Room or for the purpose of exercise), spandex pants, tank tops or muscle shirts, shorts above the knee, ear and body rings, and tattoos (including removable tattoos and henna).
Women are required to wear the following to class and chapel: a modest dress, skirt, pants, or jeans with a modest blouse and most types of shoes (sneakers, dress shoes, sandals, etc.). Female students are asked to refrain from wearing any form-fitting clothing, tank tops, multiple and dangling earrings (no longer than 2”), body rings, tattoos (including removable tattoos and henna), shorts above the knee, black (or excessively dark) nail polish, low-riding pants, and any clothing that displays bare midriffs or exposed cleavage.
The dress code is monitored daily by the faculty and staff for compliance. Any student who is found to be noncompliant is required to change their clothing before attending class, chapel, or school functions and may be fined by the Resident Director or Resident Assistants.[8]
Students are required to live on campus while attending Zion Bible College. The only exceptions to this rule are given to married students or students living with their parents or legal guardians (called off-campus students). On occasion, off-campus may be required to live on campus for at least one academic year.
There is one dormitory for men (Tupelo East) and one for women (Tupelo West). There is currently no on-campus housing for married students. Non-married students are held to nightly campus curfew, room curfew, and weekly room inspections. A violation of curfew is punishable by fines or more severe curfew restrictions.[8]
There are several traveling teams at Zion. These teams provide ministry opportunities to the students attending Zion Bible College. The teams are overseen by Zion Bible College staff, but the teams are made up of students. These teams can provide music, dramatic presentations, and special speakers to churches, camps, and other organizations.
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