by Mark Milioni
With humility and an overwhelming sense of honor I accepted the presidency of Baptist Bible College.
However, it has been a difficult decision. The chief difficulty is — I am a pastor. It is my calling, it is my heart, it is my joy. So now I serve as a president with a new flock, but know that this president is a pastor, and you have a president who will respect, honor, and love pastors.
I believe that Baptist Bible College is here to train pastors, missionaries, and others preparing for the ministry. That is our calling, and that is our purpose, and I want Baptist Bible College to be the premier ministry-training center in the world. When someone, anywhere in the world, senses that call from God, my goal is they should think first about BBC for their education and training.
To begin this ministry with you I would like to ask you to consider the following:
Pray for the college. Please pray for me, the faculty, staff, and students. Please pray for our finances. Please pray for more students. All over America Bible colleges are hurting as fewer and fewer are responding to God’s call.
Promote the college. Studies have shown that the greatest influence on choosing BBC is the senior pastor. Please promote BBC to your church and state fellowship.
Protect the college. We have allowed some things to separate us. We need to protect each other and to remember we are in the same army fighting the same enemy.
It has been well said, “We have forgotten how to disagree without being disagreeable. You don’t have to see eye to eye to walk hand in hand.” Let’s join hands, let’s come together and build a college and a Fellowship that will change the world.
Provide for the college. I ask you to help us. BBC was designed to be a partnership with the pastors and churches of the Baptist Bible Fellowship. Please consider how you can invest in us and help us.
There is no question we face a very difficult job. The president is to set the vision and make plans for the future, raise funds, recruit and retain students, speak at meetings, and work with pastors who all want their way on every side of 100 different issues. I come to a school that is in debt, that is running in the red every month, and that has a declining student body.
But my wife Barb, my greatest support and encourager, with great love and godly wisdom gave me these words, “I’m not telling you it is going to be easy, I am telling you it is going to be worth it.”
With those words in mind, I tell you that no matter how difficult — I promise to give my all to train the next generation of world changers, to see young men and women give their lives to serve their Savior in ministry, to fulfill God’s calling to make a difference in the world.