River bible institute tampa florida full#

He remains at Florida College as a tenured faculty member in the Biblical Studies department. Īt the beginning of the 2008 academic year, Caldwell announced his resignation as president of Florida College. Owen became president of Florida College, the position he held until 1991, when Charles G. By the 1970s the bulk of the student body were again members of Churches of Christ, although the students were younger and more traditional than those of the 1950s. The name change was fueled in part by the controversy that the word Christian was only used as a noun and never as an adjective in the New Testament. A vote by the students and staff resulted in dropping the word 'Christian' from the school name in 1963. In the 1960s the school's recruitment policies changed, and students outside Churches of Christ were pursued.

River bible institute tampa florida full#

In 1954 the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools granted Florida College full accreditation for the Associate of Arts degree. Throughout the 1950s, the majority of the students were older men who wished to become preachers according to David Edwin Harrell, the school 'became something of a training ground for a cadre of non-institutional leaders'. The college supports itself entirely through the donations from individuals and the tuition paid by students. Florida College continues to refuse donations from churches. Florida College was unique during these debates as the only college associated with the Churches of Christ which advocated non-institutionalism. This resulted in a schism and the development of non-institutional Churches of Christ, which do not offer financing to educational institutions. During the 1950s, the Churches of Christ debated internally whether congregations should support missions or educational institutions. Cope, who remained in office from 1949 until 1982. The first president of the school was L.R. The college charter stipulates the board of trustees be active in a local, generally non-institutional Church of Christ. The school opened in fall 1946 with 100 students. Known as Florida Christian College, the school's charter was drafted in 1944. A Billy Graham Memorial Park is on the east side of the 18th green on the river. In his autobiography he writes he received his calling 'on the 18th green of the Temple Terrace Golf and Country Club'. After the Florida economic collapse of 1926, in the late 1930s, the property and its buildings were acquired by the Florida Bible Institute from the City of Temple Terrace before being sold to the founders of today's Florida College.īilly Graham attended Florida Bible Institute, which owned the property now occupied by Florida College, in the late 1930s. According to the 1988 Temple Terrace Historic Resources Survey, both buildings were eligible for the National Register of Historic Places. Leo Elliott was the architect for both buildings which were part of the original Temple Terrace Estates, one of the first Mediterranean Revival golf course planned communities in the United States (1921). All students take biblical courses as part of their liberal arts undergraduate curriculum.įlorida College's Sutton Hall, formerly the Temple Terrace Golf and Country Club, 1920s postcard All members of the board of directors and all faculty members are active members in a church of Christ as prescribed by the college charter. The emphasis Florida College places on its Christian roots is expressed in its traditional chapel services held on weekdays during the academic calendar year. The college is an autonomous educational entity not beholden to any corporate religious body it accepts no monetary contributions from any congregation or organized religious bodies and its board members serve as individuals rather than as official representatives of any such entity. The college is recognized among these churches and the community as a training center for ministers while also providing accredited programs in several high demand fields of study. įounded as a junior college in 1946, Florida College now draws its staff, faculty, and the majority of its students from non-institutional churches of Christ. It offers bachelor's and associate degrees. Florida College is a private Christian college in Temple Terrace, Florida.