Boise Bible College

Boise Bible College (BBC) is an accredited institution of higher learning which specializes in training students to serve in variety of ministry careers. Located in Boise, Idaho, BBC serves churches primarily in the western United States.

History

BBC was founded in 1945 as a ministry of First Church of Christ in Boise, and housed in the basement of the church building at the corner of 18th and Eastman Streets. Orin Hardenbrook served as its first president.

Kenneth Beckman, minister of First Church of Christ and a member of the college faculty, became president of the college in 1949. He served in this capacity (while still preaching and teaching) until 1973. Even after stepping down as president and later retiring from preaching, Beckman continued to teach an introductory theology course taken by most first-year students until 2009. In 1995 he was awarded the first honorary doctorate granted by BBC.

In 1974 Boise Bible College separated organizationally from its founding church, becoming an independent institution. J. Richard Ewing was appointed president, the first man to serve in that capacity on a full-time basis. Ewing made it his mission to strengthen the college's faculty and curriculum, and he guided BBC through the process of receiving accreditation through the American Association of Bible Colleges (now called the Association for Biblical Higher Education) in 1988.^{[citation needed]}

Dr. Charles Crane became president in 1990. His tenure was marked by a tripling in enrollment and substantial improvements in the college's financial stability and campus facilities. Dr. Crane retired on June 30, 2007.

Terry Stine became the new college president in 2007. Stine previously served at BBC's missions professor and is the longtime director of Niños de Mexico, a mission for children in Mexico City.^[1]

Religious affiliation

Boise Bible College is affiliated with congregations of the Christian churches and churches of Christ, which are a part of the Restoration Movement. Because these churches have no denominational structure or hierarchy, BBC operates independently as a non-denominational college. Approximately two-thirds of BBC's student body and the vast majority of its support come from Independent Christian Churches and Churches of Christ, but the college admits students from all Christian denominations.^[2]

Campus

The Library/Classroom Building at Boise Bible College (Fall 2005)

The campus of Boise Bible College is located in Garden City, a small town which is nearly surrounded by the western suburbs of Boise. It is a 16-acre (65,000 m²) site situated in a residential neighborhood.

Two buildings date to the construction of campus in 1974. One is the Multipurpose Building ("MPB"), housing a gymnasium, cafeteria, student lounges, and music facilities. The other is a small dormitory, which also contains the Head Resident's apartment and at one time housed the chapel and three classrooms. (A twin to this dorm was demolished in 2006 to make way for a larger dormitory.)

Two new buildings were added to campus in the early 1990s. An Administration Building opened in 1993; prior to this time all college offices were located in the lower level of one of the dormitories. The Library/Classroom Building was completed in 1995, which allowed the library to move from its cramped quarters in the MPB into a modern facility and provided needed classroom space for the growing student body and expanding programs of the college.

To accommodate growth several construction projects began in the mid-2000s. The first phase of a new residence hall was opened for the Fall 2006 semester; the remaining phases (a Student Center and an additional dormitory wing) are planned for the near future. A wing was also been added to the Library/Classroom Building. This addition, including a new chapel, two auditorium-style lecture halls, and additional classroom space opened for the Spring 2007 semester.^[3]

Student body

BBC currently enrolls between 200-225 students. Approximately 1/3 of these students come from the Boise metro area, and another 1/3 from western Oregon. Most of the remaining 1/3 come from elsewhere within the Pacific Northwest and the western United States, with a few students from other regions of the U.S. and from overseas. Recent international students have come from Great Britain, China, India, Pakistan, Zimbabwe, Poland, New Zealand and Australia. About half the students live on campus (varying from year to year).

Degrees and programs

Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science (128 credit hours)^[4]

• Christian Ministries (with majors available in Adult Ministry, Children's Ministry, Christian Education, Family Ministry, Intercultural Studies, Preaching, Small Groups, Worship Ministry and Youth Ministry)
• Biblical Studies
• Helping Professions (designed for students who plan to enter a graduate-level Christian Counseling program)
• Christian Teaching (designed for students who want to achieve teacher certification)

Associate of Science (64 credit hours)^[5]

• Bible
• Christian Education
• Church Leadership
• Christian Music
• Intercultural Studies
• Worship Arts

Bible Certificate (28 credit hours)^[6]

References

External links

• Boise Bible College homepage

Coordinates: 43°39′28″N 116°17′26″W / 43.657797°N 116.290583°W / 43.657797; -116.290583