Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
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JULY 26 - AUGUST 1, 2017 UCW 7 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM BIBLICALLY SPEAKING I am the product of a Bible college. In the fall of 1977, as an 18-year-old, I enrolled in a college in Birmingham, Ala- bama. I graduated four years later with a bachelor's degree in Pastoral Ministries. God graciously allowed me opportu- nities to go back to school three subse- quent times for two master's degrees and a doctoral degree — for which I am grateful. With each course taken and additional degree earned, I learned truths that were new to me. at being said, it is not a stretch when I tell people that a significant part of who I am and the foundation for much of my life and ministry over the past 35+ years was laid in those first four years at Bible college. Bible colleges exist to prepare men and women for various ministries, in - cluding but not limited to pastoral roles, youth and children's ministries, missions and nonprofit ministries. ey are similar in many ways to seminaries except for the degrees offered — associ - ate's and bachelor's degrees rather than master's and doctoral degrees. Why was Bible college so foundational for me? After all, I have nine years of additional study in graduate schools and seminaries and only four years in Bible college. e following are a few reasons I advocate for Bible college: • My degree from Bible college required a healthy dose of Greek (the original language of the New Testament) and Bible interpreta - tion courses. ese courses aimed to prepare my fellow students and me to understand what the Bible says with greater clarity. • Six semesters of preaching and communica- tion courses aided me greatly in taking what I'd learned from my study of God's word and being able to communicate it ef- fectively to others. I am sure I would have been a much less effective communica- tor without those courses. • Finally, I met others who had the same goal I did. ey wanted to serve Jesus, be instruments used to bring him glory, and help people find peace with God and purpose for living. ose classmates became my best friends … one became my wife. Since 2004, I have had the privilege to be at Carolina College of Biblical Studies. I have the joy of leading a team of faculty and staff that are being greatly used by God to lay a foundation in our campus and online students' lives for current and future ministry around the world. I often tell CCBS students if they get half as much out of Bible college as I did, they will still be transformed, useful for God's purposes and grateful as I am. Hardly a day passes, even 36 years after graduating, that I don't find myself reflecting on and relying on the truths I learned in Bible college. Thoughts from a Bible College Advocate by DR. BILL KORVER DR. BILL KORVER, Carolina College of Biblical Studies. COM- MENTS? Editor@upandcomingweek- ly.com. (910) 484-6200. Bible colleges exist to prepare men and women for various ministries, including but not limited to pastoral roles, youth and children's ministries, missions and nonprofit ministries.