OUR ROLE
Churches of Christ have no ordination procedures or requirements and no clergy-laity distinction. Churches are autonomous and are the sole determiners of who preaches in their pulpits. Generally, congregations demand a high level of Bible knowledge and understanding. In frontier days this was usually attained through personal study and in unstructured, though often rigid and challenging, study sessions with older preachers.
In more recent decades, preacher training schools have been started by congregations who felt that the liberal arts colleges were not fully meeting the needs for preacher preparation, especially for the older student who may have decided on a preaching career later in life.
The preacher training schools usually offered a two-year accelerated program of classroom Bible instruction with students attending full-time, five days a week. Generally, no general education courses were included.
WE OFFER THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS!
The Bible College's role in preacher preparation encompasses some of the advantages of both the liberal arts Bible major and the preacher training school. It offers the Bachelor of Arts degree and the background of a solid liberal arts education while preserving the single-minded purpose and esprit de corps of a faculty and student body given wholly to preparation for Christian service.
INSTITUTIONAL PURPOSE
Magnolia Bible College exists to enable students to acquire a college level education in general and biblical studies, which will enable them to serve as preachers of the gospel. Secondary responsibilities include continuing general and biblical education and training of church workers and citizens of the community.
OUR CORE VALUES
- A commitment to the Bible as God's Word
- A commitment to knowledge of the Bible
- A commitment to ministry
- A Christian world view
- A college level education with an emphasis on the pursuit of excellence among staff, faculty, and students
- Teamwork oriented
- Communication
- Operational integrity