Free Will Baptist Bible College is a private four-year college in Nashville, Tennessee affiliated with the National Association of Free Will Baptists.

Free Will Baptist Bible College (FWBBC) is a private, four-year college founded in 1942 by the National Association of Free Will Baptists. FWBBC serves approximately 350 students and is the national college of the 300,000-member Free Will Baptist denomination. The mission of Free Will Baptist Bible College is to educate leaders to serve Christ, His Church, and His world through Biblical thought and life.

Free Will Baptist Bible College is located in Nashville, Tennessee. FWBBC has an intimate 9-acre campus on Nashville's bustling West End Avenue, just a quarter-mile from the I-440 entrance ramp, Nashville's connector to the interstate highway system. There are 17 buildings on campus, including the three-story Johnson Classroom Building, an activities center (gym), Welch Library, men's and women's residence halls, and more.

There are numerous student organizations to be involved in, from student societies to Global Missions Fellowship, to musical groups, to sports teams, to student government, to community relations, and many others. All students are involved in some type of Christian service outside the classroom, such as conducting services at jails and nursing homes, providing ministry for the homeless, working in local churches and more.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] History

Part of a series of articles on Baptists

Historical Background Protestantism · Puritanism · Anabaptism

Soteriology General · Strict · Reformed

Doctrinal distinctives Priesthood of all believers · Individual soul liberty · Ordinances · Separation of church and state · Sola scriptura · Congregationalism · Offices · Confessions

Pivotal figures John Smyth · Thomas Helwys · Roger Williams · John Bunyan · Shubal Stearns · Andrew Fuller · Charles Haddon Spurgeon · D. N. Jackson

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The National Association of Free Will Baptists in general session in Columbus, Mississippi, called for the creation of Free Will Baptist Bible College and its doors opened in 1942 as a two-year institution. Dr. L.C. Johnson was its first President. Eight students comprised the original student body. The college added a third year of study in 1949, a fourth year in 1950 and awarded its first Bachelor’s degrees to five students in 1951.

In August 2008 the college puchased a 66-acre (270,000 m²) tract in Gallatin, Tennessee, to become the site of a new larger campus. The college has plans to sell its West End Avenue campus and construct a new campus on the Gallatin site.

[edit] Academic program

Administrative Building of Free Will Baptist Bible College.

The college offers Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, and Bachelor of Music Education degree programs. Two- and three-year Associate’s degree programs are also offered.

Free Will Baptist Bible College offers over thirty academic majors. The college maintains a strong core in biblical and theological studies, and around one-third of FWBBC's students major in programs of study that lead to full-time church vocations. FWBBC also maintains a growing Music Department to train vocalists and instrumentalists. The college’s Teacher Education program provides teachers for public and private schools. The school also produces Business Department graduates. FWBBC is expanding its Adult Degree and Distance-Learning programs.

[edit] Accreditation

Free Will Baptist Bible College is both regionally and nationally accredited and is a member of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). It is approved by the Tennessee State Department of Education to offer degrees leading to teacher education licensure in grades PreK-12. The college is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award associate and baccalaureate degrees. This is the regional accrediting agency in the southeast. Of longest standing, the college is accredited by the Association for Biblical Higher Education (ABHE), approved by CHEA to accredit baccalaureate degree-granting Bible colleges in the United States and Canada.

[edit] Athletics

The athletic teams of FWBBC are called the "Flames" and compete in the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA). Currently there are four varsity teams.

[edit] Men's Sports

• Baseball
• Basketball

[edit] Women's Sports

• Basketball
• Volleyball

[edit] Presidents

• Rev. L.C. Johnson (1942-1944, 1947-1979)
• Rev. R.L. Ennis (1944-1947)
• Dr. Charles Thigpen (1979-1990)
• Rev. Tom Malone (1990-2002)
• Dr. Matthew Pinson (2002-Present)

[edit] See also

Free Will Baptist Church

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Official Site

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