History

HISTORY

The Jamaica Bible College and Community Institute was founded in 1945. It was first established as Jamaica Bible School. The institution was the outcome of a vision to establish an institute in central Jamaica for the training of pastors and Christian workers for the Evangelical Church. The visionaries: Messrs. Arthur Lord, Oscar Lord and Ernest Clark (Christian businessmen), donated seventeen acres of prime property in the hillside town of Mandeville, and in partnership with the West Indies Mission, a North American based missions organization, the school began its work for the Kingdom of God.

In 1974 the school name was changed to Jamaica Bible College, and the work continued, as ministers were trained as evangelists, pastors, and missionaries for service in Jamaica, the Caribbean, and as far as Asia. Students not only from Jamaica, but from the wider Caribbean applied and were registered, many returning to their homeland, others going into missions in other lands.

By the year 1976 the school could boast of having successfully prepared an appreciable number of men and women for ministry, so although at that time the original founders believed their season to be over, the College was continued under the auspices of the major local evangelical denominations. The Community Institute was developed in 1978 with a view to serving a wider cross-section of the immediate community by way of business and vocational offerings, while exposing theses students to the prevailing strong Christian environment that is an integral part of College life.

The College still occupies its original acreage at 7 Brumalia Road, and in spite of its central location, and proximity to government and commercial facilities, the site itself is peaceful and pastoral, and therefore conducive to study and meditation.

In addition to administrative buildings, the library, chapel, classrooms and other teaching facilities, there are two dormitory buildings as well as staff residences.

The college shares facilities with Jamaica Theological Seminary and the Institute for Theological and Leadership Development. These two institutions rent space on the campus as an annex for their respective programmes.