Those who are raised in Independent Baptist churches will often attend secular institutions of higher learning. Many of them, however, will choose to enter a school that is a part of another Independent Baptist church, for the purpose of preparing for ministry.
Before the 1950s the primary Independent Baptist college was Tennessee Temple College, founded in 1946 by Dr. Lee Robertson of the Highland Park Baptist Church of Chattanooga, TN. This college is now known as Tennessee Temple University and offers a variety of courses of study, along with a seminary which was founded in 1948.
In September of 1950, several Baptist preachers including G.B. Vick started Baptist Bible College of Springfield, M0 as a ministry of High Street Baptist Church. This college is the main training institution within the BBFI (Baptist Bible Fellowship International).
-Started by Mickey Carter as a ministry of Landmark Baptist Church.
Golden State Baptist College, (city, state, date of founding)
-Started by Jack Trieber as a ministry of (church)
Independent Baptists also find themselves at colleges such as Pensacola Christian College and BJU(Bob Jones University) however, these institutions are non-denominational in nature and so are not Independent Baptist in particular. Pensacola Christian College, or PCC, specifically notes that it "serves a constituency of churches across America which is primarily Independent Baptist" and BJU bills itself as a "nondenominational Christian university".
Characteristics
Independent Baptist colleges, besides being Independent and Baptist, usually have three distinguishing characteristics:
Control is in the hands of the parent church, a board appointed by the parent church, or in a group of pastors
Courses of study are typically limited to those which bear direct relation to full-time ministry work. Example of some courses include, Church Ministries, Pastoral Theology, Primary and Secondary Education, Seretarial, and Missions.
The church and college often become a hub for a network of Independent Baptist churches that recommend it to their young people
It is important to look at all three aspects to understand the operation of these colleges and their relation to the greater independent Baptist community in general.
CONTROL
Independent Baptists hold to the autonomy of the local church while rejecting outside interference. They also believe that Christ's promise of victory to the church (Matthew 16:18) means that for men and ministries to be effective, they must function under the umbrella of the local church. Thus they avoid ministries that are considered "para-church" as not being entirely within the Bible plan, although they acknowledge the good these ministries may do.
Thus their colleges are usually placed under the control of a local independent Baptist church. Since most independent Baptist churches have strong pastors, this often translates into a situation where the pastor is in command of the college. Usually a president or other administrative leader is tasked with managing daily operations.
Because of this arrangement, and the emphasis that is typically placed on practical ministry, students are often required to perform mandatory ministry service within the church. This may include music, Sunday school bus routes, or any other ministry at the church.
Also, the student will be required to adhere to the church's beliefs on music, dress, entertainment, dating, and doctrine. Any prospective student of an independent Baptist college would be wise to closely and thoroughly examine the position of the church and college in question before attending.
ACADEMICS
Independent Baptist colleges usually exist for a singular purpose, to train students for ministry. Because of this, the courses of study offered will likely be limited to the categories of Theology, Missions, Music, and Education. These colleges will also almost always offer a secretarial program that may be completed in two years.
In most cases a master's program is available for those wishing to pursue graduate-level studies. Doctorate level programs are pretty much non-existent, although many of these colleges have awarded honorary doctorates.
You can expect the faculty to have four-year degrees, with some of them having master's. Faculty doctorates are spotty with some independent Baptist colleges having a number of earned doctorates while others have only honorary doctorates, a mix, or none at all. Any prospective student should carefully examine the credentials of the faculty before attending.
Independent Baptist colleges are, for the most part, not accredited, citing religious reasons for not seeking accreditation.
Most independent Baptist colleges will accept credits from each other, but credits from secular institutions may require faculty review to disqualify credits such as religion courses where the content of the class is not compatible with the stand of the college.
INFLUENCE
Because of the fact that independent Baptists have put aside denominational ties and many independent Baptists are even wary of regional fellowships, churches that host a nationally known independent Baptist college provide a central point of fellowship for churches that send their young people there.
Most independent Baptist church pastors have one or two schools they recommend. The pastor trusts the school usually because he has either been there himself or knows a few of the staff there and is comfortable with their position and stand. This, combined with the "traffic" of parents and children to and from the church/college in question, fosters a working relationship between the two churches that can include attending conferences and promotion of materials.
This type of networking expands and eventually creates a cadre of churches that stand with each other and with the pastor and church of the college in question, and multiple groups are created in this way. Hyles-Anderson College(Dr. Jack Hyles(deceased)/Dr. Jack Schaap), Crown College(Dr. Clarence Sexton), and Pensacola Bible Institute(Dr. Peter Ruckman) are examples of colleges that have formed their own groups. Not all colleges have such groups form around them.
Due to the tendency of these groups to clash, the prospective student would do well to listen to his or her pastor concerning the college being considered. Most independent Baptist pastors are aware of the differences between groups and can help the young person decide which college would be right for them.
Career Outlook for Graduates
Independent Baptist college degrees find their primary appeal in Baptist churches, but especially independent Baptist churches. Those wishing to pursue full-time Christian ministry in such churches would be well served with a degree from such colleges. Group differences, as described above, usually do not affect the acceptability of degrees.
Degrees from Independent Baptist colleges have limited applicability in a secular career beyond the fact that you have completed a four-year degree. A lack of accreditation may come into play. However, this is not seen as a disadvantage because a degree recognized by the world is not necessary for someone who is going into a full-time ministry work.
