by Jim Edge
F ulfilling the Great Commission has been the priority of Baptist Bible College from the day of its inception in 1950 to the present day. For over 60 years, alumni, students, and faculty have obediently honored the Commission by going in Jesus’ name to their place of calling sharing the truth of Jesus Christ, planting churches, and mentoring new believers. Our fervor to accomplish our Lord’s marching orders has never been stronger than it is today. Baptist Bible College has a proven track record of educating young men and women to have an indelible influence in the culture to which they have been sent. Theological education is not merely for the purpose of producing astutely trained minds, but rather for the purpose of training men and women to become effective Christian leaders with a loyalty to the Great Commission and the local church.
Additionally, Baptist Bible College is uniquely Baptist. Perhaps as no other Baptist college in history, BBC underscores the purpose, function, and importance of the local Baptist church with passion and clarity. While we recognize there are others whom God is using to reach the lost, we are proud of our independent Baptist heritage.
This fall semester, Kshitiz Sharma became the first student from Kathmandu, Nepal to enroll at Baptist Bible College. His father, Jeevan Sharma, a former Hindu, was led to Christ and mentored by BBC graduate and BBFI missionary David Freeman. Kshitiz writes, “My opinion about God was based on idols of Hindu gods who were more like fancy superheroes with supernatural powers, and seeing no such idols in church came as a surprise to me. But God kept knocking the doors of my heart.”
Kshitiz became a follower of the true God as a result of attending Freeman’s church with his father. As Sharma begins classes this month, his testimony is an affirmation of the fact that our Great Commission priority is still intact.
Another academic year has begun at BBC. Both parents and pastors have entrusted Baptist Bible College with these students. With your help and by God’s grace we will fulfill our mission in their lives. Over the years, thousands have partnered with us to accomplish our calling, and we are grateful. But the challenge has never been greater. Even our respected religious institutions are mired in a fog of spiritual confusion. We will not allow these challenges to stop the work that was begun 60 years ago. People are looking for solutions to the cultural confusion they face. I want to invite you to become a part of the solution by partnering with us as we continue the tradition of educating the next generation of pastors, missionaries, church workers, and Christian leaders.
For latest news and events at Baptist Bible College, including upcoming College Days, see BBC’s website, gobbc.edu.