Patty Silverman (right), associate professor of Public Relations at Lee University, advises a student.
PREPARING FOR SERVICE:
DIVISION OF EDUCATION
Louis F. Morgan
SCRIPTURE ADMONISHES us to study so we may correctly explain God’s truth and not be ashamed before Him (2 Timothy 2:15, paraphrased). Paul emphasized teaching in his instructions to Timothy: “[T]he things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others” (2 Timothy 2:2 NIV 2011). The Church of God is committed to fulfilling this biblical mandate by training students in educational institutions and programs throughout the world.
Our founding pastor, R.G. Spurling, was self-taught, but well-studied, especially for his time and place. His understanding of church history and Scripture is evident through his writings. When A.J. Tomlinson joined our church and became a prominent leader, he emphasized the importance of education. “I see the need of…a preparatory school where workers could be trained for the field,” announced Tomlinson at the 1911 Assembly. “It is and should be the business of the Church of God to send the gospel to every creature during our lifetime. A few months’ training would be of great value to workers who have just enlisted in the service.”
The year before, Memphis-pastor L.P. Adams addressed the Assembly on the importance of education, and, following Tomlinson’s appeal in 1911, a committee was formed to determine a school location. With little progress made, Tomlinson gave another plea at the 1917 Assembly, where M.S. Lemons reported the beginning of a school “for the training of young men and women for efficient service on the field.”
Our founding pastor, R.G. Spurling, was self-taught, but well-studied, especially for his time and place. His understanding of church history and Scripture is evident through his writings. When A.J. Tomlinson joined our church and became a prominent leader, he emphasized the importance of education. “I see the need of…a preparatory school where workers could be trained for the field,” announced Tomlinson at the 1911 Assembly. “It is and should be the business of the Church of God to send the gospel to every creature during our lifetime. A few months’ training would be of great value to workers who have just enlisted in the service.”
The year before, Memphis-pastor L.P. Adams addressed the Assembly on the importance of education, and, following Tomlinson’s appeal in 1911, a committee was formed to determine a school location. With little progress made, Tomlinson gave another plea at the 1917 Assembly, where M.S. Lemons reported the beginning of a school “for the training of young men and women for efficient service on the field.”
A Bible School Begins (Lee University)
On January 1, 1918, the Church of God Bible Training School (BTS, now Lee University) began in an upper room of the church’s publishing house. Nora Chambers, a minister since 1910 who had studied at what is now Holmes Bible School in South Carolina, served as teacher to 12 students. The Bible served as the principal textbook, but students also studied geography, spelling, English, and Hurlburt’s Teacher Training Course. Reflecting upon that first term, J.B. Ellis later noted, “[A]s we listened to the beautiful flow of language and beheld the grace with which [students] accomplished their task, we were made to exclaim in our hearts, ‘Behold what great things God hath wrought’” (Evangel, April 13, 1918, 2).
With increased enrollment and development of new programs, additional well-trained teachers were needed. A few ministers, such as L.P. Adams, M.S. Lemons, Nora Chambers, Sam C. Perry, J.H. Walker Sr., and Zeno C. Tharp had attended school, but it was not until 1933 that the church received its first minister who had completed college. R.R. Walker, a graduate of Mississippi College, was a Baptist pastor and school principal in Morgantown, Mississippi, where he was baptized in the Holy Spirit and joined the Church of God. Impressed with his credentials of having a bachelor’s degree, the church secured him as principal of the high school division at BTS in 1934. (Later known as Lee Academy, the high school division operated until 1965.) Walker also was instrumental in the development of the two-year junior college program at BTS in 1941.
Understanding that God gifts people for service in various vocations, BTS began to expand its programs. In 1930, the commercial/business and music programs were added to serve students wanting Bible training in addition to preparing for their vocation outside the church. A junior college was added in 1941. Having relocated from Cleveland to Sevierville, Tennessee, in 1938, the school returned to Cleveland in 1947 after purchasing the former Bob Jones College campus.
Adopting the name Lee College, the school continued to develop new majors and academic programs. In 1969, Lee became an accredited four-year Christian liberal arts college, while maintaining its commitment to biblical training. Beginning in 1986, Paul Conn’s 34-year presidency and leadership helped transform Lee into one of America’s leading Christian universities. In 1995, Lee began its first of several graduate programs and was designated a university in 1997. Doctoral programs were first offered at Lee in 2019. Mark Walker was appointed as president in 2020 when Paul Conn transitioned to a new role as the university’s chancellor. More than 5,000 students from most states and more than 50 countries enroll annually, where they choose from more than 140 majors. Lee’s mission continues to focus on developing men and women for Christian service in various fields of study.
On January 1, 1918, the Church of God Bible Training School (BTS, now Lee University) began in an upper room of the church’s publishing house. Nora Chambers, a minister since 1910 who had studied at what is now Holmes Bible School in South Carolina, served as teacher to 12 students. The Bible served as the principal textbook, but students also studied geography, spelling, English, and Hurlburt’s Teacher Training Course. Reflecting upon that first term, J.B. Ellis later noted, “[A]s we listened to the beautiful flow of language and beheld the grace with which [students] accomplished their task, we were made to exclaim in our hearts, ‘Behold what great things God hath wrought’” (Evangel, April 13, 1918, 2).
With increased enrollment and development of new programs, additional well-trained teachers were needed. A few ministers, such as L.P. Adams, M.S. Lemons, Nora Chambers, Sam C. Perry, J.H. Walker Sr., and Zeno C. Tharp had attended school, but it was not until 1933 that the church received its first minister who had completed college. R.R. Walker, a graduate of Mississippi College, was a Baptist pastor and school principal in Morgantown, Mississippi, where he was baptized in the Holy Spirit and joined the Church of God. Impressed with his credentials of having a bachelor’s degree, the church secured him as principal of the high school division at BTS in 1934. (Later known as Lee Academy, the high school division operated until 1965.) Walker also was instrumental in the development of the two-year junior college program at BTS in 1941.
Understanding that God gifts people for service in various vocations, BTS began to expand its programs. In 1930, the commercial/business and music programs were added to serve students wanting Bible training in addition to preparing for their vocation outside the church. A junior college was added in 1941. Having relocated from Cleveland to Sevierville, Tennessee, in 1938, the school returned to Cleveland in 1947 after purchasing the former Bob Jones College campus.
Adopting the name Lee College, the school continued to develop new majors and academic programs. In 1969, Lee became an accredited four-year Christian liberal arts college, while maintaining its commitment to biblical training. Beginning in 1986, Paul Conn’s 34-year presidency and leadership helped transform Lee into one of America’s leading Christian universities. In 1995, Lee began its first of several graduate programs and was designated a university in 1997. Doctoral programs were first offered at Lee in 2019. Mark Walker was appointed as president in 2020 when Paul Conn transitioned to a new role as the university’s chancellor. More than 5,000 students from most states and more than 50 countries enroll annually, where they choose from more than 140 majors. Lee’s mission continues to focus on developing men and women for Christian service in various fields of study.
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Distance Education
To assist students unable to leave homes, families, and jobs for on-campus study, the church established a correspondence course in 1919, with hundreds participating. In the 1930s and 40s, BTS conducted regional Bible and music schools in various states during the summer months. Later, the church established a more structured external studies program in 1976 at Lee College. In recent years, the need for distance learning has increased, and the church has established learning centers and extension campuses globally. With a growing trend for online learning, the church began an Internet Degree Program in partnership with Patten University in 2006, and this program was incorporated into Lee University’s online distance program in 2011. |
This Music and Bible School in Appelton, Maine, was one of many
distance education opportunities the Church of God has offered. |
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Ministerial Training
Committed to the initial vision of training ministers, the church created ministerial development programs in the 1970s as part of its Project ’70 initiative. Bible Institutes for Ministerial and Lay Enrichment were started in 1971, and a Department of General Education was established in 1974 with Robert White as director.
The Division of Education was established in 1999 to supervise ministerial development and the advancement of postsecondary education. The General Education Board coordinates these educational policies and programs. It seeks to advance postsecondary education by evaluating our educational institutions and assigning them levels of certification. Through Ministerial Development and the School of Ministry, the church offers specialized resources and training for ministry:
Committed to the initial vision of training ministers, the church created ministerial development programs in the 1970s as part of its Project ’70 initiative. Bible Institutes for Ministerial and Lay Enrichment were started in 1971, and a Department of General Education was established in 1974 with Robert White as director.
The Division of Education was established in 1999 to supervise ministerial development and the advancement of postsecondary education. The General Education Board coordinates these educational policies and programs. It seeks to advance postsecondary education by evaluating our educational institutions and assigning them levels of certification. Through Ministerial Development and the School of Ministry, the church offers specialized resources and training for ministry:
- Calling And Ministry Studies (CAMS)--Started in 2006, this four-month program utilizes seminars, coursework, and personal reflection to assist ministerial candidates in identifying their call to ministry and its meaning and purposes. In the United States, it is required before applying for the exhorter ministerial rank.
- Certificate In Ministerial Studies (CIMS)--First introduced in 1998, this ministerial training curriculum consists of DVD video lessons—taught by leading Church of God pastors and professors—textbooks, and study guides. Learning centers are located both nationally and internationally as meeting sites for these classes.
- Ministerial Internship Program (MIP)--Developed in 1970 by Robert Fisher and implemented as a national program in 1978, this nine-month ministerial training includes an internship with a pastor at a local church, seminars, and group study. In the United States, it has been required for advancement from exhorter to ordained minister since 1982. State boards were created in 1992 to assist with ministerial development, and more than 17,000 interns have completed MIP since its inception.
- Mobilize--This local church program began in 1994 to motivate and train congregational leaders through mentoring by the local pastor. It offers two levels of certification—one for personal enrichment and one for studying a specific ministry area.
Serving as general overseer at the time, Raymond Culpepper prayed for every intern at the 2012 Commissioning service.
Beginning with International Bible College in Canada in 1936, Bible schools have been established outside the United States through efforts of missionaries and amalgamations. Some early locations were Canada (1936), El Salvador (1941), South Africa (1951), Chile (1953), Nigeria (1955), the Philippines (1956), Namibia (1956), Costa Rica (1957), Paraguay (1957), Brazil (1961), England (1963), Israel (1965), Mexico (1966), Peru (1966), Ghana (1967), and Panama (1969).
Some noted schools in the United States which have closed or been incorporated into other institutions include Northwest Bible College in the Dakotas (1934–1987), Pacific Northwest Bible School in Washington (1944–1947), West Coast Christian College in California (1949-1992), and East Coast Bible College in North Carolina (1976–1999). East Coast was incorporated into Lee University as its Charlotte Center campus for ministerial training. Also, there were two training centers in Texas for Hispanic missionaries and leaders—International Preparatory Institute in San Antonio (1947–1954) and Spanish Institute of Ministries (1975-2006) in Houston and Dallas. That training is now provided through USA Hispanic Educational Ministries.
In addition to Lee University, other widely recognized educational institutions are:
Some noted schools in the United States which have closed or been incorporated into other institutions include Northwest Bible College in the Dakotas (1934–1987), Pacific Northwest Bible School in Washington (1944–1947), West Coast Christian College in California (1949-1992), and East Coast Bible College in North Carolina (1976–1999). East Coast was incorporated into Lee University as its Charlotte Center campus for ministerial training. Also, there were two training centers in Texas for Hispanic missionaries and leaders—International Preparatory Institute in San Antonio (1947–1954) and Spanish Institute of Ministries (1975-2006) in Houston and Dallas. That training is now provided through USA Hispanic Educational Ministries.
In addition to Lee University, other widely recognized educational institutions are:
- Mt. Zion Bible College--Located in Kerala, India, this school was first started in 1927 by Missionary Robert F. Cook, prior to his joining the Church of God. It was reopened in 1951 through the efforts of Dora P. Myers, a Lee College professor who sensed God calling her to India, with assistance from missionaries C.E. and Ellen French and native worker T.M. Varughese. It serves as a key ministerial school in India.
- Bethel Theological Seminary--Tracing its beginning to the Bethel School of Evangelism established in Jakarata, Indonesia, by Ho L. Senduk in 1956, this school evolved into Bethel Seminary and began a teacher education division and other degrees recognized by the government. As the 1968 YWEA project, new seminary facilities provided a more stable location and contributed to growth and continued development.
- European Theological Seminary (ETS)--Founded in 1958, ETS has been located in the Black Forest area of Kniebis, Germany, since 2002. With a mission to serve all of Europe, ETS began extension schools of Christian ministry in 1982, has offered courses for a graduate degree since 1999, and provides instruction in German and English.
- Asian Seminary of Christian Ministries (ASCM)--Founded by Arthur Pettyjohn in 1973 in Pasay City, Philippines, ASCM expanded its degree program in 1980. Robert R. Seyda became the school’s first full-time president in 1986 and led in relocating it into a YWEA-funded facility in Makati City. Hubert Black assisted with the addition of a graduate program, and advancements during Miguel Álvarez’s tenure included an external studies program, additional graduate degrees, and accreditation for many of its programs. Through Scott Rains’s leadership, a doctoral program was initiated in 2008 and an extension program has been established in India. In 2019 the school relocated to Manilla through the leadership of Marc Morris.
- Pentecostal Theological Seminary (PTS)--Beginning with 18 students in 1975 in Cleveland, Tennessee, as the Church of God Graduate School of Christian Ministries (and later Church of God School of Theology), it was one of the first graduate schools in the Pentecostal Movement. In addition to offering several master-level programs, a doctoral program has been added. Also, PTS offers short-term sessions to help full-time ministers and working students pursue graduate education. PTS serves hundreds of students from across the globe.
Missionary Teacher Dora P. Myers (sitting front center) and the Mt. Zion Bible College at Kerala, India
- Seminario Ministerial Sudamericano (SEMISUD, South American Seminary)--Through the leadership of James M. Beaty, William Alton, and Bill Watson, SEMISUD began as a Bible Institute in 1982 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Osvaldo Pupillo and Máxima Saavedra supervised its first 38 students, and by 1984, it was a residential seminary. During David Ramirez’s 20-year presidency, SEMISUD added undergraduate and graduate programs, relocated to Quito, Ecuador, and began the Intensive Ministerial Development Program. It also initiated a distance education program, which now serves students throughout Ecuador and Central and South America. In 2011, Miguel Álvarez established a partnership with Lee University to cosponsor multiple graduate programs. Today, a doctoral program is provided through a partnership with the Pentecostal Theological Seminary.
- Patten University--Located in Oakland, California, Patten was founded in 1944 by Bebe Patten as Oakland Bible Institute. It received accreditation in 1980 and was renamed Patten College. Offering undergraduate and graduate courses, Patten affiliated with the Church of God in 1997. The university underwent significant transition in 2012, and the Patten Education Foundation continues to explore avenues for ministerial development in the western United States.
- Eurasian Theological Seminary--Located in Moscow, Russia, this fully accredited, four-year Bible college serves Russian-speaking countries. Founded in 1998 by Rodolfo and Alma Girón, the school now includes undergraduate degrees in theology and ministry and diplomas/certificates in church ministry and counseling. It also has extension campuses in Armenia, Belarus, Moldova, Mongolia, Russia, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan.
Christian Day Schools
Beginning in 1959, Christian day schools became popular in the Church of God. Our earliest church-sponsored schools were Pathway Christian School (Ponoma, California), Azalea Garden Christian School (Norfolk, Virginia), and Parkview Christian Academy (Newport News, Virginia). David Tilley and Hubert Black provided structure, networking, and academic uniformity to this endeavor, which at its peak, had almost 200 schools operating in North America.
It is evident the Church of God values education. Roland Vaughn, former World Missions director, emphasizing the importance of educational institutions to the overall health of our ministries, has noted, “Where ministerial education flourishes, the church flourishes; where education ceases, evangelism ceases. Where the Church of God starts a Bible school or training program, like ripples in a pond, the church grows in circles from that base” (Stone, Church of God Division of Education Handbook and Directory, 2008, 124). To this end, the Church of God affirms the value of an educated clergy and membership, as well as its commitment to providing opportunities for its accomplishment. Today, as we see the ministry force trained in our schools, we can echo the sentiments J.B. Ellis voiced in 1918, “Behold what great things God hath wrought.”
Beginning in 1959, Christian day schools became popular in the Church of God. Our earliest church-sponsored schools were Pathway Christian School (Ponoma, California), Azalea Garden Christian School (Norfolk, Virginia), and Parkview Christian Academy (Newport News, Virginia). David Tilley and Hubert Black provided structure, networking, and academic uniformity to this endeavor, which at its peak, had almost 200 schools operating in North America.
It is evident the Church of God values education. Roland Vaughn, former World Missions director, emphasizing the importance of educational institutions to the overall health of our ministries, has noted, “Where ministerial education flourishes, the church flourishes; where education ceases, evangelism ceases. Where the Church of God starts a Bible school or training program, like ripples in a pond, the church grows in circles from that base” (Stone, Church of God Division of Education Handbook and Directory, 2008, 124). To this end, the Church of God affirms the value of an educated clergy and membership, as well as its commitment to providing opportunities for its accomplishment. Today, as we see the ministry force trained in our schools, we can echo the sentiments J.B. Ellis voiced in 1918, “Behold what great things God hath wrought.”
Louis F. Morgan, Ph.D., is professor and director of Library Services at Lee University.