Bible College of South Australia

The Bible College of South Australia (BCSA), formerly known as the Adelaide Bible Institute, is an interdenominational and evangelical Bible college in Adelaide, South Australia. It offers courses accredited by the Australian College of Theology.[1] The college's particular focus is on teaching "theology for ministry" and seeing men and women trained to serve in Christian ministry "in Adelaide, South Australia and beyond".

Bible College of South Australia
Former name
Adelaide Bible Institute
Established1924
PrincipalTim Patrick
Location
Adelaide
,
Australia

34.954°S 138.613°E / -34.954; 138.613
Websitewww.biblecollege.sa.edu.au

History

The College was established as the Adelaide Bible Institute in 1924 and offered evening classes to train people for missionary service.[2][3] The founding principal was Allan Burrow.[4] In 1949, the college became residential, first at West Richmond before moving in 1950 to Payneham. It was at this time that the college began to provide full-time ministry training programs. Growing numbers of students meant that, in 1962, the college relocated to Mount Breckan, which provided larger premises in Victor Harbor.[5] In 1962, J. Graham Miller was unable to take up an offer to become principal as he was unwilling to sign the required statement of premillennial belief.[6] Baptist minister Ted Gibson was principal from 1961 to 1964 before moving to Malyon College in Queensland.[7] The Reverend Geoffrey Bingham was principal from 1967 until 1973.[8] Student numbers grew from 40 in 1962 to 100 in 1967, with roughly equal numbers of men and women.[9]

The college was renamed the Bible College of South Australia in 1973 and, in 1978, the strategic decision was made to move back to the city.[10] The former Concordia College girls' boarding house in Malvern was acquired and continues to be the college's home.

In the 1980s, the college was a member of the Adelaide College of Divinity along with the Baptist Burleigh College.[11] In the 1990s, the college with Burleigh offered the Australian College of Theology Bachelor of Theology and Bachelor of Ministry degrees. In 1994, the college had the largest Bible college library in Australia, with over 12,000 volumes.[12] At the end of that decade, they established the South Australian Graduate School of Theology to teach masters and doctoral degrees in addition to undergraduate awards. In 2007, following the closure of Burleigh, the graduate school was amalgamated into the college proper.

Courses

The college offers tertiary qualifications from diploma to postgraduate level, focusing on the Bachelor of Ministry, Bachelor of Theology and Master of Divinity.

Principals

References
  1. Australian College of Theology: Affiliated Colleges Archived 2015-08-16 at the Wayback Machine
  2. Brammall, Anthony (2018). "Sydney Missionary Bible College: A Cast Study in Australian Theological Education". In Andrew M.Bain; Ian Hussey (eds.). Theological Education: Foundations, Practices, and Future Directions. Wipf and Stock. pp. 119–132. ISBN 9781532640667.
  3. George Thomas Kurian; Mark A. Lamport, eds. (2015). "South Pacific Association of Evangelical Colleges". Encyclopedia of Christian Education, Volume 3. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 1178. ISBN 9780810884939.
  4. "FOUNDER-PRINCIPAL OF A.B.I. VISITS VICTOR". Victor Harbour Times. Vol. 60, no. 2662. South Australia. 19 April 1973. p. 2. Retrieved 26 June 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
  5. "New Year at Mount Breckan". Victor Harbour Times. Vol. 62, no. 2, 705. South Australia. 6 March 1974. p. 4. Retrieved 21 September 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  6. Ward, Rowland S. (2021). "The First Three Principals:1920-1970". In Michael Bräutigam; Peter G. Riddell; Justin T. T. Tan (eds.). Proclaiming the Gospel, Engaging the World: Celebrating One Hundred Years of Melbourne School of Theology. Wipf and Stock. ISBN 9781725286795.
  7. Parker, David (2021). "Gibson, Edward Gordon (Ted)". In Melanie Nolan (ed.). Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 19: 1991–1995 (A–Z). ANU Press. pp. 308–309. ISBN 9781760464134.
  8. Hicks, Lesley; Sandeman, John (17 June 2009). "His ministry was wider than one church: Geoffrey Bingham, 1919-2009". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 15 December 2022.
  9. "Adelaide Bible Institute". Victor Harbour Times. 6 October 1967. Retrieved 15 December 2022.
  10. "College to move to City". Victor Harbour Times. Vol. 66, no. 2, 908. South Australia. 15 March 1978. p. 11. Retrieved 26 June 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
  11. Biggs, C. R. (2011), An Ecumenical Adventure: A history of the Adelaide College of Divinity, Adelaide: The Adelaide College of Divinity with The Historical Society of the Uniting Church in South Australia, ISBN 978-0-9804580-1-5
  12. Biskup, Peter; Goodman, Doreen Mary (1994). Libraries in Australia. Centre for Information Studies. p. 317. ISBN 9780949060259.
  13. "Adelaide Bible Institute". Victor Harbour Times. Vol. 53, no. 2, 692. South Australia. 30 September 1966. p. 5. Retrieved 26 June 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
  14. Wendy Mayer; Bronwyn Neil, eds. (2013). Religious Conflict from Early Christianity to the Rise of Islam. Walter de Gruyter. p. 247. ISBN 9783110291940.

Further reading
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