TBS Library Handbook

The mission of The Bible Seminary Library is to provide resources that support the TBS purpose of glorifying God by training Christian believers in a context of biblical community in all 66 books of the Bible so that they can serve the local church and fulfill the Great Commission by the power of God’s Spirit.

Objectives

To identify, acquire, organize, maintain and preserve all forms of recorded information that support TBS instructional programs.
To identify, acquire, organize, maintain and preserve selected materials for student and faculty curriculum-related research, for spiritual formation, professional preparation and for recreation.
To interpret these resources for TBS through reference services and bibliographic instruction as needed.

Statement of Responsibility

The librarian, staff, and faculty members assist in building the collection in seeing that it responds to curricular needs and emphases within their respective areas of expertise. Specific requests for acquisition will be judged based on the collection development policy and available funds. The Bible Seminary President has final authority in selection decisions.

Materials Selection

The librarian consults publisher’s catalogs, book reviews, professor bibliographies in course syllabi, and other media to identify materials for acquisition, and works to make sure selections are in keeping with TBS Covenantal Documents (see Appendix).

The Provost, in conjunction with faculty members, regularly reviews upcoming course syllabi and works with the Librarian and associated staff to make sure copies of required resources are available in the TBS physical or digital library collections. When needed, the Librarian may be available to assist in helping make alternative arrangements for materials access. Administrators, faculty, and students may submit specific requests for consideration to the Librarian at any time, preferably allowing ample time for general due process, research, delivery, and proper installation into the TBS collections and information management system. The Librarian may also periodically survey faculty concerning any specific material needs.

Collection Formats

The collection development policy, in addition to books, also applies to serials and audiovisuals. The Librarian may also select electronic databases, including full-text documents, that best seem to meet the needs of faculty and students. In addition, TBS maintains special interest collections, such as resources in the archaeological library that include a collection of rare books, pamphlets, and personal notes from archaeological digs.

Fund Allocations

Funds are allocated by academic departments as established by the TBS administration.

Gift Policy

Donated materials, which meet the same collection criteria as purchased materials, will be added to the TBS collection. Appraisal costs for the donations are to be borne by the donor. Donated materials not added to the collection may be stored, given away, or discarded.

Weeding

Materials to be considered for withdrawal from the collection include items which no longer match the collection policy, have become obsolete or badly deteriorated, or are superseded by more current material. Weeded materials are usually given away, such as being made available in the bookshelves marked “Free” in Classroom 270 or other areas as designated.

Access and Borrowing

The Bible Seminary Library is open for borrowing privileges to the faculty, students and staff of TBS, and members of local Christian schools and churches. Library Hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, except in cases of special events or private reservations.

Persons wishing to check out materials may do so by taking the items to the Office Manager, who will use OasisSIS to check the items out. If the Office Manager is not available, other staff members with access may be of assistance. OasisSIS profiles must be created for patrons who are not already in the OasisSIS system. Patrons can monitor their personal library usage within the OasisSIS system in the “Library: OPAC” module.

TBS faculty and students may borrow books for 30 days with extensions offered upon request. Community members may borrow books for two weeks unless those materials are needed by a current TBS student or faculty member. Patrons may borrow up to five books at a time and must return those before borrowing more books. Fines are not assessed at this time. Patrons with overdues will be contacted by email and phone by either the librarian or the office manager. Patrons with overdues may not borrow additional books until the overdues have been returned.

Library Code of Conduct

Persons who use the TBS library and those who work in the seminary as a place of employment share responsibility for creating and maintaining a healthy and safe environment conducive to the library as a place of welcome, meeting, study, and reflection.

General guidelines include the following:

Use facilities, equipment, furniture, and resources with care.
Move furniture with care so not to damage floors and other surfaces.
Observe copyright restrictions and principles of fair use.
Respected library quiet zones by silencing cell phones and avoiding loud conversations.

Copyright and Fair Use

The Bible Seminary Library complies with the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, Code 108(f) United States Code) which governs the use of copyrighted materials for educational purposes, including permissible reproduction. All persons employed at TBS and all persons using the Library are expected to comply with this policy.

Fair use (Section 107 of the United States copyright law) is an exception to the rights of copyright owners, allowing for limited use of copyrighted works, without permission, for purposes of criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship and research. Section 107, while allowing the copying of copyrighted works, does not define the amount that can lawfully be copied.

Fair use law, as it appears in Section 107, is purposely flexible, intended to be adaptable to specific cases of use as they arise, and it is therefore not elaborated by means of detailed instructions regarding its application. The law is structured to favor educational and other use decisions reasonably made in good faith.

The law specified four factors to be considered in determining whether use of a work is fair:

The purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes
The nature of the copyrighted work
The amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole
The effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work.

Members of TBS community and other patrons of the Library are encouraged to review

the following related information concerning copyright laws:

Copyright Law: www.copyright.gov/title17
Copyright Term and Public Domain in the United States: copyright.cornell.edu/resources/publicdomain.cfm
Know Your Copy Rights: www.knowyourcopyrights.org/
Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for Academic and Research Libraries: www.arl.org/focus- areas/copyright-ip/fair-use/code-of-best-practices#.VvVvB_krKUk

On-Campus Resources

Main Library

The main library at TBS, located in Suite 263, contained approximately 2000 volumes at the beginning of 2020. An additional collection of more than 3000 books is scheduled for delivery during 2020. The twenty shelving units that house the main library provide easy access to resources in an open room that also contains 3 large tables and 14 chairs, providing an ideal location for patrons to meet and study. A library cart allows for movement of books, and a library stool provides access to high shelves. This room also includes electric outlets, wireless Internet, a video projector, and a sound system, as well as a cabinet, small refrigerator, microwave, and Keurig hot beverage-maker.

Archaeology Library

The archaeology library at TBS, located in Suite 250, contained 236 books and 839 issues of academic journals at the beginning of 2020. Five shelving units house the collection and provide easy access to resources. A library cart allows for movement of books, and a library stool provides access to high shelves. Electric outlets and wireless Internet are also available.

Classroom 270

Additional library resources available in Classroom 270 includes group seating for up to 40 persons in four rows of 10 persons each, with access to wireless Internet, electrical power, dual video projection, built-in audio, and a whiteboard. A wall shelving unit contains magazine resources and a set of additional bookcases often includes a selection of free books culled from the library or donated resources.

Suite 250: 3J Museum

Archaeological display of artifacts from Israel generally open to the public from 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM Monday through Friday. Guided tours are available by appointment.

Off-Campus Resources

The Lanier Theological Library

The Bible Seminary is extremely fortunate to offer students regional access to one of the emerging, premier biblical research libraries in the United States, the Lanier Theological Library. Housing a comprehensive collection of books, periodicals, magazines, artifacts, and historical documents designed to aid the serious study of Scripture, this impressive facility currently holds more than 60,000 volumes and will eventually hold over 100,000 books. The

library contains several private collections of noted scholars that have been kept intact, and also regularly hosts events with noted authors, guest lecturers, and researchers. The library covers the following research areas: Ancient Languages, Ancient Near Eastern Studies, Biblical Studies, Church History, Classics, Dead Sea Scrolls, Egyptology, Monasticism, Patristics, and Theology.

Patrons may not remove resources from the library premises, but research access is available to TBS students.

Lanier Theological Library

Mondays

9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

14130 Hargrave Road

Tuesdays

9:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Houston TX 77070

Wed – Fri

9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

281-477-8400 (Phone) Regularly closed New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Day,

LanierTheologicalLibrary.org Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor

Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

For library parking and entrance, use the Falba Gate (when approaching the location from the West on Hargrave Road, turn right and the Falba Gate will be on the left). Use a cell phone to call the library’s main number at 281-477-8400 to alert staff to open the gate. First-time visitors will need to register with a photo ID and provide contact information. Ensuing visits will only require sign-in.

Public Libraries

TBS students are encouraged to become members of their local public library. Public libraries near the TBS main campus include:

Fort Bend Public Libraries – The Fort Bend Public Library system consists of 12 branches. The closest branch to TBS main campus is the Cinco Ranch Branch at 2620 Commercial Center Blvd in Katy. Library membership is free to Texas residents ($15/year for non-residents). In addition to an extensive collection of materials housed in the branch libraries, the library also offers inter-library loans of any title requested. Library members may access online research databases including EBSCO, Gale, WorldCat, NoveList Plus, and ProQuest.

Harris County Public Libraries – The Harris County Public Library system (HCPL) encompasses Houston, Texas, and s one of the largest urban counties in the U.S. The HCPL network of 26

community-focused branch libraries is committed to providing excellent customer service,

strong collections, and cutting edge information technology for the 21st Century. Reference assistance is available in person, by phone, by email, and "virtually" through the HCPL eBranch.

Digital Resources

JSTOR

TBS encourages students to open a JSTOR account at JSTOR.org. JSTOR provides access to more than 12 million academic journal articles, books, and primary sources in 75 disciplines. JSTOR helps members explore a wide range of scholarly content through a powerful research and teaching platform. Collaboration with the academic community helps libraries connect students and faculty to vital content while lowering costs and increasing shelf space, provide independent researchers with free and low-cost access to scholarship, and help publishers research new audience and preserve content for future generations.

Academia.edu

TBS encourages students to become members of Academia.edu. Academia.edu is a platform for academics to share research papers. The company's mission is to accelerate the world's research. Academics use Academia.edu to share their research, monitor deep analytics around the impact of their research, and track the research of academics they follow. Over 74 million academics have signed up to Academia.edu, adding 22 million papers. Academia.edu attracts over 46 million unique visitors a month.

Bible Study Software

Graduate students are encouraged to secure access to some type of digital biblical studies software program(s) while attending TBS. If a student does not already have a personal subscription or access to Logos Bible Software or another program, please discuss this with the Provost.

Full-time students enrolled in TBS graduate programs are eligible to apply for tuition credit of up to $400 with proof of purchase of student technology resources. Provided to help students with coursework, the resources can also help students graduate equipped, trained, and ready for action. For example, credit may be applied toward an annual subscription or package of Logos Bible Software. Training is offered throughout the seminary experience in classes and special training sessions.

Online Databases

ARDA/Association of Religion Data Archives - offers hundreds of data collections on religion. The ARDA collection includes data on churches and church membership, religious professionals, and religious groups. Find denominational profiles, syllabi for religion courses, statistics for topics on religion, and religious profiles for virtually all countries of the world and any county or city or state in the U.S. See results of online surveys; watch worship services of different religious groups; and explore cross-national data sources on religion.
ATLA Digital Resources - Provides access to digital images of woodcuts, photographs, sides, papyri, coins, maps, postcards, manuscripts, lithographs, sermons, shape-note tune books, and various forms of Christian art, architecture, and iconography.
Barna Research Group, Ltd. - Full-service marketing research providing information and analysis regarding cultural trends and the Christian Church since 1984.
Bartleby Reference Tools - Columbia 6th ed. Encyclopedia, American Heritage 4th ed. Dictionary, Columbia World of Quotations, Rogets II, the New Thesaurus, World Factbook and more.
BIBP Patristics Database – BIBP (Base d'Information Bibliographique en Patristique) lists citations from major scholarly periodicals in the field of early and medieval church history. The native interface is in French, but you can use this database even if you don't know French. Subject headings usually appear in the records in both English and French, but you must use French words to search the subject headings ("descripteurs"). Ability to search English subjects is promised for the future. So you may wish to do an initial search for English title or abstract words, retrieve some records, discover the French subject headings, then execute a second much more complete search. You may use logical operators ET (and), OU (or) and the proximity operator ADJ (adjacent). To execute a search, click "Lancer la requete." BIBP is hosted by the University of Laval and is available to everyone free of charge.
Bible.org - provides access to the full-text of many bible study helps, and expositional works from an evangelical viewpoint. This is also the home of the NET Bible translation.
BibleSpeak.org - the most comprehensive resource on the web for Bible name pronunciation. Learn how to pronounce hundreds of Bible words with the click of a button – all for free. Also provides links to Bible study resources including Bible commentaries, reference works, and study tools.
BibleStudyTools.com – one of the largest free online Bible website for verse search and in- depth studies. It provides 39 Bible versions, well known and trusted commentaries, concordances, Bible dictionaries, Biblical encyclopedias, and historical Christian and church books. The site also offers Greek and Hebrew interlinear for the New and Old Testament, lexicons for original Greek and Hebrew reading of Scripture.
Blue Letter Bible - Search the Bible in the KJV, NKJV, NASB and other versions and see biblical passages in the original Greek or Hebrew language with their respective Lexicon translations. Both the KJV and NASB versions are tied to Strong’s numbering system.
BILDI portion of THEOLDI - BILDI (Documentation for Biblical Literature, Innsbruck) cites scholarly journal articles, essays, books and book reviews in several languages on a variety of biblical and theological topics from 1985 to date. Most items in BILDI are also in ATLA, but BILDI provides more thorough coverage of European literature. There is both a German and an English Interface. Online help is available. BILDI is hosted by the University of Innsbruck and is available to everyone at no cost.
Books of the Bible are abbreviated. Consult "Search for biblical passages" in Help at the top of the screen and click the listing of books for a list of abbreviations used.
Bible chapters are designated with two digits, but Psalms are designated with three digits. For example, write Luke 2 as LK 02.
Change the Max. field so that you can see more than 50 records. A search will retrieve up to 500 results.
Best practice is to search for chapters, not verses, and to terminate search terms with the asterisk (wildcard). For example: LK 02*
Best practice is to search for books of the Bible in the BI (basic index) field, not in the subject field since the subject field misses many results.
"?" is a wildcard that matches any single character. Use it to search for diacritics and special characters. For example, M?LLER will match Müller (note u umlat) or Miller, etc.
"*" matches zero or more following characters.
Use the logical operators "AND", "OR", "NOT" within any field except year.
Calvinism Resources Database - includes about 10,000 citations for journal articles, book essays, book reviews, and lectures. The list of journals indexed is unavailable but extensive. Browse by subject or author. Search by keyword, title, subject, author, journal, year, or abstract with Boolean AND and OR but no wildcard. Search and mark records. Save or print a bibliography from the marked records. Marks are deleted with a new search. As of Sept 2007, sorting works imperfectly, and records contain some typos. In some cases you must click a title to go to the fuller record for publication information, but these records cannot be added to a bibliography list. Maintained by the H. Henry Meeter Center for Calvin Studies and available free to all.
Cambridge Digital Library - Cambridge University Library contains evidence of some of the greatest ideas and discoveries over two millennia. The library is in the process as adding works from the following two collections.
The Foundations of Faith Collection includes important works from many religious traditions, particularly Judaism, Islam, Christianity and Buddhism. The Library has a collection of over 1000 manuscripts in Hebrew covering a wide range of texts; Bibles, commentaries, liturgy, philosophy, kabbalah, literature and legal documents. Most of these are in codex form though there are also scrolls and fragments; some date back to the earliest collections in the Library. The oldest manuscript in the collection is a copy of the Ten Commandments written on papyrus, and thought to date from the 2nd century B.C. The Library also holds the world's largest and most important collection of Jewish Genizah materials, including the Taylor- Schechter Genizah Collection - 193,000 fragments of manuscripts considered by many to be as significant as the Dead Sea Scrolls. Christian holdings include the Codex Bezae Cantabrigiensis, one of the most important New Testament manuscripts, the Moore Bede and the Book of Cerne.
The Foundations of Science Collection focuses on original scientific manuscripts, beginning with the papers of Isaac Newton and his contemporaries. Cambridge University Library has very strong collections in the history of science. In addition to our Newton collections, the Library holds the papers of, among many other famous scientists, Charles Darwin, Lord Kelvin, Adam Sedgwick, J.J. Thomson, Ernest Rutherford, James Clerk Maxwell and Sir George Gabriel Stokes. The Library holds the archives of Cambridge's famous Cavendish Laboratory and is also the repository of the Royal Greenwich Observatory archives, which includes the papers of the Astronomers Royal and the Board of Longitude.
Christian Classics Ethereal Library - is a collection of free full-text documents. Mostly book length classics including the Bible, commentaries, hymns, sermons, many texts from the history of Christianity and some fiction. This is one of the largest sites for public domain religious books.
Christian Reformed Church Periodical Index - Contains over 100,000 citations to publications of institutions of the Christian Reformed Church or to related publications, 1866 to date. Includes Banner and Banner of Truth. For a complete list of periodicals indexed click About. To search, click Advanced Search and enter search terms. Boolean AND and OR supported within and between fields. Choose the field: options include subject or author browse as well as standard fields. Sort by author, title, date, etc. Specify the publication if you wish and click Search. Mark citations of interest and click Print Bib to see the list of marked records. From here you can sort, print, or copy. Marks are cleared after each new search. For detailed information about this resource, see Greg Sennema's "The Christian Reformed Church Periodical Index: A Local Solution to Indexing Periodicals," Journal of Religious and Theological Information 5 (2003): 119-34. CRCPI is maintained by Hekman Library staff of Calvin College and volunteers from around North America. It is freely available to all.
Dissertation Express - Search by author, title, or order number. Cannot search or display abstracts. Use DAI (above) for subject searching. Use Dissertation Express to purchase copies of dissertations with your credit card. Includes DTS dissertations. Older dissertations are available only in paper or microform; more recent ones (generally from 1980 to date) are also

available as digital images. A typical dissertation download is 12 to 14 megabytes. If you want

a DTS dissertation, try DTS PhD dissertations free online. This is just a subset of Dissertation Express, limited to DTS dissertations only. It enables you to download free copies of DTS dissertations, ca 1980 to date, and to purchase copies of older dissertations.

Electronic Resources for Classicists - is one of the most comprehensive sites on the web for this narrow topic. It includes annotated links to all sorts of resources.
Fedstats - provides access to a wealth of US government statistics on demographics, crime, economics, education, environment, health, etc. Includes full-text of the paper edition of the Statistical Abstract of the US, long considered the best one volume compendium of statistics. This is a great resource.
Google Books - Google has scanned millions of books, including many theological works. Google Books allows you to display, copy, print, and download the complete contents of works published before 1923 because such works are no longer protected by copyright. Google Books displays limited portions of works that may still be protected by copyright law. In some cases publishers have granted permission to display rather large portions. Google does not support copying, printing, or downloading. Of course you are especially interested in more recent works for your research, so the free online books will not meet all your needs. Nevertheless, Google Books is a great way to identify relevant recent books that you can buy or borrow from a library. To locate books unavailable from TBS, just click the "Find this book in a library" link Google displays.
Google Scholar - Google Scholar attempts to retrieve only "scholarly" materials. (That seems to mean works that include footnotes and similar citations.) This is much more selective than generic google.com.
iTanakh - indexes many useful Internet resources for the academic study and teaching of the Hebrew Bible. It includes links to ful-text articles, book reviews, and a few online primary sources. Covers biblical and related texts, languages, methods, geographic areas, and other topics. not annotated.
Internet news archives, SLA - "Special Library Association news archive lists hundreds of newspapers that provide the full-text of the papers, often free of charge. Emphasis is on U.S. papers."
Leuven Database of Ancient Books - lists sources for images, facsimiles, transcriptions and related information about ancient texts. Over 8000 Greek MSS. Uses phrase searching. Boolean operators not supported, but wildcarding is automatic. Use New Testament as author name. For book name, use book of the Bible; e.g., Hebrews, Romans, but Mt for Matthew, and Joh for John. Try abbreviations to bring up the correct form. To search include necessary information only. For example, to investigate Heb 3:13 in P13, type P13 in the Repertories field and type Hebrews in the Book field. Specifying chapter and verse will miss the record for "Hebrews 2.14-5.5; 10-12". Sort by author, date, etc., as desired. This database is a free public Internet resource.
LSJ - This online version of the Liddell-Scott-Jones Greek-English Lexicon gives each word in the lexicon its own entry. Navigate to any of these Greek headwords using the left menu or type the Latin alphabet equivalent of Greek letters in the search box. Access pop-up snippets of the immediate context of cross-referenced text for each lexical entry. The lexicon searches the full TLG corpus for users who have an institutional subscription and TLG's abridged online demo version otherwise.
Middle Eastern Historical Maps - Viewable and printable maps
Old Testament Gateway - is a substantial, annotated, academic listing of Internet sites, articles, and other resources. Covers OT, archaeology, commentaries, DSS, apocrypha, etc. Links to Hebrew Bible.
Online Egyptological Bibliography (Requires a paid subscription) - the largest available collection of references in Egyptological literature and is updated nearly every day. It includes the records and abstracts from Annual Egyptological Bibliography (AEB, 1947-2001), combined with Bibliographie Altägypten (BA, 1822-1946), the Aigyptos database with keywords, and more than 30,000 further items. Coverage is from 1822 to the present.
Orion Dead Sea Scrolls database - Covers articles, essays, and books on scholarship on the Dead Sea Scrolls from 1995 to the present. Updated weekly. Search by author, language (non- English), date of publication, or keyword. Results display as a list of citations except for a keyword search. A keyword search brings up date and author, but click any result for the complete citation. Tips for keyword searching at end of page. Greek and Hebrew letters may not display properly. This bibliography is a joint project with the journal, Revue de Qumran, and appears in that journal twice a year. You must check the pre-1995 vols of RQ for older material. Provided by the Orion Center at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Free to all.
Perseus - Search and display full-text of ancient Greek and Latin primary source documents. Links to lexicons and sometimes to English translations. Extremely useful site for NT studies. If you have never used Perseus, see DTS page intro to Perseus.
PhilPapers - cites articles from 300+ online philosophy journals, plus unpublished comments posted to the websites of about 1,900 philosophers.
Population Index On the Web - 1986 to present. Updated annually. Covers all fields of interest to demographers. Contains selective indexing with abstracts from journals, books, working papers, doctoral dissertations and other sources. Citations are not written in standard form. The first title is in italics whether it is a book, essay, or article. Read citations carefully to avoid confusion. May be helpful for missions. Free.
Project Gutenberg - A library of over 60,000 free eBooks.
Rabbinic texts in Hebrew - Access to Bible, Mishnah, Talmud, Tosefta, Mishneh Torah (Maimonides). Hebrew interface; no English.
Religion Online - Link to more than 6,000 scholarly articles and chapters. Includes Old and New Testament, Theology, Ethics History, and Sociology of religion, Communication and Cultural Studies, Pastoral Care, Counseling, Homiletics, Worship, Missions and Religious Education.
ResearchBase - provides access to the full-text of a few thousand popular and scholarly articles on contemporary theological and cultural topics, especially issues of interest to college students. Works from a socially, politically, theologically, and culturally conservative viewpoint predominate. LeadershipU ResearchBase is hosted by Campus Crusade for Christ and is available to everyone at no cost.
Restoration Serials Index - Indexes articles from about 80 periodicals produced within the restoration movement (Church of Christ). Most are popular/nonscholarly, and apparently not indexed elsewhere. Many are very hard to find. Search by keyword, subject, author, or title. Search engine allows one word per field with logical operators between fields. Available free to anyone courtesy of the Jessie C. Eury Library at Lincoln Christian College and Seminary.
Review of Biblical Literature - Substantive reviews of scholarly literature in biblical studies. Updated weekly but the books tend to be about two years old before they are reviewed. About 400 reviews per year. Sponsored by Society for Biblical Literature.
Talmud, Soncino English translation - Includes Full Text Talmud Resources
Threshold Online Books - Includes online works of Wayne Grudem, Jr., John Piper, F.F. Bruce, John Calvin, Charles Hodge, Jonathan Edwards, and many others.
Internet Sacred Text Archive - Largest full-text archive of "holy books" on the net. Covers religion, mythology, legend, folk-lore, occult, and sacred books or canonical texts in many religious traditions (Koran, Bible, Gita, etc.)
TREN - Search the TREN database for masters theses and some scholarly conference papers. Over 13,000 items. Search by title, author, institution, degree, subject, year, or conference. Search options include a drop-down list of schools and conferences. Items are available in paper, fiche, and some as pdf downloads. Pay by credit card over a secure website.
WorldCat - WorldCat is the world's largest network of library content and services, letting you search the collections of libraries in your community and thousands more around the world. Search for popular books, music CDs and videos of the physical items you're used to getting from libraries. You can also discover many new kinds of digital content, such as downloadable audiobooks. You may also find article citations with links to their full text; authoritative research materials, such as documents and photos of local or historic significance; and digital versions of rare items that aren't available to the public. Because WorldCat libraries serve diverse communities in dozens of countries, resources are available in many languages.

Online Study Tools

Bible

BibleGateway.com - A searchable online Bible in over 100 versions and 50 languages
BibleSpeak – Learn how to pronounce Bible names and words
Logos - Bible study software
Sonic Light - Expository Bible study notes and resources
YouVersion - Free, ad-free Bible for computers, tablets, and phones.

Preaching and Teaching

Preaching Today - sermon and teaching illustrations
SermonCentral - illustrations, PowerPoints, sermons, videos

Study and Christian Growth

Alpha - explore the meaning of life in a relaxed, friendly setting
Chrysalis - a spiritual renewal program for students and young adults (ages 15-24) intended to strengthen the local church through the development of Christian disciples and leaders.
Faith Comes By Hearing - audio bibles
Logos - Bible Study software
Walk to Emmaus - a spiritual renewal program for adults intended to strengthen the local church through the development of Christian disciples and leaders.

Video

GodTube - Christian videos
GodVine - videos that inspire, entertain, inform, and encourage Christians
GospelTube - video sharing platform offering online Christian videos with faith-based, family friendly content
Sermonspice - backgrounds, countdowns, illustrations, song movies and more
WingClips - free inspirational movie clips

Worship Licensing and Tools

Christian Copyright Licensing International (CCLI) - provides churches with simple, affordable solutions to complex copyright issues relative to preaching, teaching, and worship media resources.
Church Video License - video licensing to use movie clips in classes, small groups, and worship services
SongSelect - resource for worship teams

Services

Bookstore

Occasionally, TBS purchases extra copies of resources required for class. These extra copies are

made available for students to purchase. Typically, these resources are located on a shelf in the office area of Suite 250.

Free Books

Due to occasional weeding of library collections and book donations, TBS often has surplus books with no attached value. These books are made available to faculty, staff, students, and community members. Free books are typically shelved in bookshelves marked “Free” in Classroom 270 and may be taken without asking and without limit.

Appendix

Introduction

degree programs.

The Bible Seminary (TBS) is an independent, non-denominational, 501(c)(3) charitable institution of higher education incorporated in Texas in 2010 to offer training for laity and vocational ministry professionals. On-campus and Distance Education programs include Bible Certificate and Vocational Ministry Certificate non-degree programs, as well as Dual Degree Completion, Master of Arts, and Master of Divinity

The seminary is an Accredited member of the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools (TRACS), a member of the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA) approved to offer Distance Education, a member of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), an approved CEU provider for the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI), and an accredited member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA).

TBS aims to help nurture a biblically literate populace via comprehensive, strategic, Bible-based training. Faculty seek to integrate studies of the Bible with instruction in historical, theological, and practical disciplines critical to developing professional skills for life and ministry. Experiential education occurs through classroom instruction, study tours, hands-on ministry training, and community-based training with ministry professionals. Leadership includes Dr. K. Lynn Lewis, President; Dr. Scott Stripling, Provost and Vice-President of Donor Relations; Dr. Israel Steinmetz, Dean of the Graduate Programs and full-time Professor; numerous adjunct

faculty, ministry professionals, and mentors who serve as part of the teaching team; and a Board of Trustees.

Accreditation

The Bible Seminary is a member of the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools (TRACS) [15935 Forest Road, Forest, VA 24551; Telephone: (434) 525-9539; e-mail: info@tracs.org] having been awarded Accredited Status as a Category III institution by the TRACS Accreditation Commission on October 26, 2020. This status is effective for a period of five years. TRACS is recognized by the United States Department of Education (USDOE), the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), and the International Network for Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education (INQAAHE). For more information, visit TRACS.org.

TBS is an Accredited member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA). Based on the ECFA Seven Standards of Responsible Stewardship™, including financial accountability, transparency, sound board governance and ethical fundraising, ECFA accredits leading Christian nonprofit organizations that faithfully demonstrate compliance with the ECFA Standards pertaining to financial accountability, fundraising, and board governance. For more information, visit ECFA.org or call 1-800-323-9473.

The Bible Seminary is a participating member of the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA), a private nonprofit organization [501(c)(3)] that helps expand students’ access to educational opportunities and ensure more efficient, consistent, and effective regulation of distance education programs. For more information, visit NC-SARA.org.

Also see:

Covenantal Documents

The Bible Seminary requires all administration and staff, Board members, faculty, and graduate students to read and sign in agreement with a set of covenantal documents that help define the ideological, relational, and theological parameters of the seminary community. Generally, everyone signs these documents annually in conjunction with their employment, enrollment or re-enrollment, and service contracts.

Mission

The Bible Seminary exists to glorify God by training Christian believers in a context of biblical community in all 66 books of the Bible so that they can serve the local church and fulfill the Great Commission by the power of God’s Spirit.

Core Values

Key Verse

"They read from the book of the Law of God, making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people could understand what was being read."

Nehemiah 8:8

Lordship – Because He is Lord (Philippians 2:11), we will continually ask Jesus Christ to sit on the throne of the seminary and on the throne of the lives of its faculty, administrators, and students for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31).

Bible – Because the Bible is the fully true Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16), we will offer and require the study of all 66 books of the Bible before graduation with a degree. We will seek to creatively integrate classical theological disciplines and ministry training by studying books of the Bible (i.e. Church History will begin with the Book of Acts and keep going; Pastoral Leadership will come through the study of the Pastoral Epistles; Systematic Theology will flow out of the study of the Pauline Epistles).

Prayer – Because apart from Him we can do nothing (John 15:5), we will continually seek to plug into the Vine Jesus Christ through yielding to Him in prayer. We will offer a unique emphasis on prayer, integrated with the curriculum, in classroom settings, meetings, and continual prayer opportunities in the life of the seminary.

Unreached Peoples – Because the return of Christ awaits the evangelization of all people groups (Matthew 24:14), we will keep our eyes on the unreached peoples of the world and train our students to have a heart for the fulfillment of the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20) by seeking to reach millions of souls for Jesus Christ.

Local Church – Because the church universal (the body of Christ) is God’s plan (Matthew 16:18), comprised of local churches (Acts 20:28; Romans 16:3-5; Acts 5:42), we will have a symbiotic relationship of service, training and education with local churches and parachurch ministries.

Community – Because we were created for community (Genesis 1:26; Hebrews 10:24-25), we will seek to build a unique fellowship where we continually grow together in relationship and as followers of Christ, seeking to live as examples of biblical community, where authenticity and accountability are practiced, and where integrity is modeled and taught (Romans 12:4-5; Acts 2:42-47; 4:32-35).

Compassion – Because God has a huge heart for the poor and overlooked (Matthew 25:31-46), we will strive to motivate, equip, and train students to minister to “the least of these” as a lifestyle.

Institutional Objectives

The Bible Seminary strives to provide faculty, staff, and support services that:

Promote belief in Jesus Christ as LORD and the centrality of discipleship by offering Christ-centered educational programs and courses.
Promote all 66 books of the BIBLE as the fully true Word of God by integrating the study of these biblical books into studies of classical theological disciplines and ministry training.
Promote the vital priority of PRAYER by modeling and teaching prayer in classes, events, meetings, publications, and retreats.
Promote awareness of and compassion for UNREACHED PEOPLES of the world by offering education in missions and engagement in cross-cultural endeavors.
Promote experiential training by integrating LOCAL CHURCH and parachurch ministry leaders, site visits, and service opportunities into educational experiences.
Promote authenticity, accountability, and integrity through genuine communication, collaborative learning, and ethical relationships in an academic faith COMMUNITY.
Promote COMPASSION by providing education and cooperative experiences in ministering to the poor, overlooked, and underprivileged.

Progress in achieving each institutional objective is measured with Likert Scale assessments completed by students prior to beginning and upon completion of curriculum.

Institutional Outcomes

The student will demonstrate mastery of all 66 biblical books by completing a summative Capstone project (CAP 590) as the culmination of his or her program prior to graduating with a degree.
The student will demonstrate learning proficiency, progression in study skills, and academic achievement through successfully passing course exams, improving scores between pre-course and post-course assessments, research reports, written papers, and class presentations.
The student will demonstrate evidence of core ministry skills in basic and advanced hermeneutics, pastoral leadership, preaching and teaching, biblically-based counseling, and cultivation of personal and group spiritual formation by successfully passing course exams, improving scores between pre- course and post-course assessments, and submitting respectable quality research reports, written papers, class presentations, and ministry service reports.
The student will demonstrate exegetical comprehension and applied learning from the study of biblical cultures, languages, history and theology through successful engagement in course assignments and ministry activities within the seminary educational community and beyond, and by successfully passing course exams, improving scores between pre-course and post-course assessments, and submitting respectable quality, research reports, written papers and class presentations.

Doctrinal Statement

We believe in the inspiration and authority of Scripture – The Bible is the only inspired Word of God, fully true, and our sole authority for all that we believe and do (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21; Matthew 5:18). We hold to the inerrancy of Scripture, as outlined in the “Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy.”
We believe in one God – There is only one true God who exists eternally in three Persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit (Genesis 1:26; Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 28:19; John 14:9; Acts 5:3- 4,9; 2 Corinthians 3:17; 13:14; Hebrews 1:1-3, I John 5:7).
We believe in the deity and humanity of Christ – Jesus Christ is Lord, being fully God and yet fully Man, born of a virgin, as affirmed in the Nicene, and Apostles’ Creeds (Matthew 1:18-23; Luke 1:26-38; John 1:1- 2,14; Philippians 2:5-8; Colossians 1:13-20; Hebrews 1:8).
We believe in substitutionary atonement – Jesus Christ died on the cross as our substitute – taking upon Himself the penalty of the sins of fallen humans (John 1:29; Romans 3:25-26; 5:8, 12-19; Galatians 3:13; 2

Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 3:18).

We believe in the resurrection of Christ – Jesus rose from the dead in a bodily resurrection defeating sin and death (Romans 6:4-9; 10:9; 1 Corinthians 15:3-6).
We believe in salvation by grace through faith alone – A person is saved from eternal separation from God as a free gift when that person places their faith in Jesus Christ who is the only way to the Father (John 1:12; 3:16; 5:24; 14:6; Acts 4:12; Romans 1:16-17; Ephesians 2:8-9; Revelation 21:27).
We believe in the Second Coming of Jesus Christ – Jesus Christ will come again to judge the living and the dead (Matthew 24-25; Acts 1:9-11; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Revelation 19-21).
We believe in heaven and hell – Believers in Jesus Christ will be resurrected to everlasting blessedness and joy in eternal fellowship with God (1 Corinthians 15:35-57; 2 Corinthians 5:1-9; Philippians 3:20-21; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17; Revelation 21:1-7; 22:1-5). Unbelievers will be resurrected to conscious separation from God and eternal punishment (Matthew 25:41,46; Mark 9:43-48; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9; Revelation

14:9-11;20:10-15; 21:8).

WHERE WE STAND ON SOME CONTROVERSIAL SOCIAL ISSUES

We acknowledge that the following social issues generate much pain and division in some churches, and we do not approach these issues lightly or glibly. But we also acknowledge that at the heart, these are authority of Scripture issues. We believe the Bible is clear about the following:

Abortion – We believe human life inside a mother’s womb begins at conception and that at conception, a real human being is created in the image of God (Psalm 139:13-16; Jeremiah 1:4-5; Luke 1:39-45) and, therefore, that abortion is murder and wrong/sin (Exodus 20:13). We believe God offers full forgiveness to an abortive mother/father who has turned to Jesus Christ (Colossians 2:13-15; Ephesians 1:7).
Celibacy, Marriage, and Sexuality – We believe God created humans in His image, intentionally and immutably male and female, each bringing unique and complementary qualities to sexuality and relationships (e.g., Genesis 1:27; 2:18, 21-24; Matthew 19:4-5; Ephesians 5:22-33). Celibacy, marriage, and sexuality in general are gifts from God to be expressed: (1) within specific boundaries He designed for our safety and pleasure, and (2) within the confines of His purposes, which include gratefully honoring the Lord with our bodies and minds (e.g., Proverbs 6:20-7:27; Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; 7:19-20; Ephesians 4:17-5:21).

We believe God ordained marriage to be a lifelong union between one man and one woman (e.g., Genesis 2:18, 21-24; Matthew 19:4-9, Mark 10:5-9, Ephesians 5:31). God’s design for sexual acts is within marriage for the purpose of moral human procreation and the unique pleasurable intimacy (one

flesh) intended for husbands and wives (e.g., Genesis 1:27-28; 9:1; 35:11; Psalm 127:3; Proverbs 5:18- 19; Song of Solomon 7:6-13; 1 Corinthians 7:5). Sexual acts outside God-instituted boundaries are sinful and defy God’s natural order, plans, and purposes (e.g., Exodus 20:14; Leviticus 18:7-23; 20:10-21; Matthew 5:27-28; 15:19; 1 Corinthians 6:9-13; Galatians 5:19; Colossians 3:5; 1 Thessalonians 4:2-8; 1 Timothy 1:8-11; Jude 7, cf. Genesis 19). We do not believe in ordaining self-avowed practicers of such sexual sin, and do not believe in ceremonies that celebrate same-sex unions (e.g., Leviticus 18:22; 20:13; Romans 1:18-32; Hebrews 13:4).

Ministry Leadership – We believe persons engaged in willful, ongoing sinful practice(s) should not serve in ministry leadership (Romans 1:18-32; I Corinthians 5:1-13 and 6:9-20; I Thessalonians 4:1-8; I Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-9), and those already serving in ministry leadership who engage in ongoing sinful behavior(s) should be disciplined and removed from ministry leadership (I Samuel 15: Matthew 18:15- 18). We believe true repentance is an essential first step in the sanctification process necessary towards restoration of ministry leadership (I Corinthians 6:9-11; I Thessalonians 4:1-8). Therefore, anyone considering ministry leadership via a path that includes seeking a degree from and/or working for The Bible Seminary should evidence public and private freedom from sinful behavior(s) over time (Matthew 3:8; Acts 26:20; James 2:14-26), since ministry leadership is incorporated into official positions and roles at The Bible Seminary, including administration, board, faculty, staff, volunteers and students.”

Ethos Statement

It is a high honor and privilege to represent God to people by training for and serving in ministry. When people see someone “in the ministry,” they see that person as representing Christ’s church. It is for this reason that the Bible outlines in 1 Timothy 3 some of the expectations and qualifications of a leader in the church. It is very important for each member of the seminary community (no matter what their position) to seek to live up to these standards (with God’s help and empowerment). Thus, we ask each member of the seminary community to covenant to lead a life that is “above reproach” as defined by the following Ethos Statement. The heart of this document is healthy community full of grace and truth (John 1:17).

As a member of the seminary community, I agree, with God’s help and empowerment, to live by the

following ideals to the best of my ability:

I will seek to walk with God through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ (Genesis 5:22; John 17:3; Mark 12:29-31; Ephesians 2:8-9).
I will seek to have no other gods than Jesus Christ (Exodus 20:3-6; 1 Peter 3:15). I will seek to keep myself from idolatry (1 John 5:21) by not making idols out of money, sex, power, people, material things, school, or ministry success.
I will work as “unto the Lord” (Colossians 3:23-24). I will give God my best in my family, in my job performance and in my training for ministry.
I will refrain from sexual immorality (1 Thessalonians 4:3-5). If I am married, I will be faithful to my spouse (Exodus 20:14). If I am single, I will remain celibate in my singleness. I will not engage in homosexual practice (1 Corinthians 6:9-11).
I will refrain from drunkenness or the use of illegal drugs (Ephesians 5:18). I will not allow a substance to control me, rather I will seek to be controlled by God. If I choose to “drink socially,” I will do so in a way that does not cause other people to stumble (1 Corinthians 8).
I will practice Biblical conflict resolution. If someone hurts or offends me, I will go to that person and speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15,25) and forgive them (Ephesians 4:32). If this does not resolve the issue, I will then involve a second person as prescribed in Matthew 18:15-17. I will not slander another person by talking negatively about him/her (Ephesians 4:31). I will seek to build others up with my words (Ephesians 4:29). If I cannot bring resolution through these steps, I will seek counsel.
I will be respectful of those in authority over me and submit to their leadership (Hebrews 13:17) unless they were to call me to do something contrary to Scripture (Acts 5:27-29). I will seek humbleness in my life (1 Peter 5:5-6).

The purpose of this Ethos Statement is to maintain order (1 Corinthians 14:40) and to uphold integrity, respect, honor, and character (2 Timothy 2:20-22). There is plenty of grace in this community for mistakes (James 5:16), whereas there is not room in this community for blatant and unrepentant rebellion (1 Corinthians 5). I agree to do my best to live by this Ethos Statement with God’s help and power through Jesus Christ and for His glory.

Academic Freedom Statement

The Bible Seminary (TBS) is in mission to provide academic instruction and vocational training for Christian ministers to perform as pastors, counselors, missionaries, church planters, and leaders. Supporting this mission are the seven adopted Core Values of TBS and basic Christian convictions stated in the TBS Covenantal Documents and the Faculty Handbook.

Diversity of education and religious viewpoint is available to society through the plurality of global academic institutions. At TBS, we invite the richness of interpretation and study of the Bible as we seek its deepest meaning and truth. TBS is to be distinguished as an academic institution that shares a basic set of Core Values among its students, faculty, administrators, and Board of Trustees. Instruction, research, and academic investigation are to uphold and respect the positions provided in the Core Values, the Ethos and Doctrinal Statements, and the Faculty Handbook. For example, the following statement from the TBS Faculty Handbook summarizes one of our institutional doctrinal positions that we expect all TBS faculty to uphold:

Creationism versus Evolution

God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1); God set the land to produce seed-bearing plants and trees (Genesis 1:11-12); God created all living things in the sea and on land, and the birds of the sky (Genesis 1:20-25); and God created man, male and female (Genesis 1:26-27). Scientific observations make obvious that God’s creation is uniquely enabled by God to adapt to its environment, making subtle changes over time to survive and thrive in the world – a process often described as “micro-evolution.” Humans have also adapted and diversified, as indicated by the many races, peoples, and societies that have developed through the ages. However, this ability to adapt is not a substitution for the absolute truth that God created humans in His image (Genesis 1:27), breathed life into man (Genesis 2:7), and, after the discovery of sin by the first humans, Adam and Eve, God dispatched mankind to the less-than-perfect circumstances in which we live life today (Genesis 3:14-24). Therefore, while we acknowledge the phenomena of micro-evolution, we reject the macro-evolutionary theory of how plants, animals, and humans came to exist. Rather, we embrace the biblical view of creation that God created the heavens and the earth and all that is within it, including humans. We are open to either a young earth view of creation (where “yowm” = 24-hour period) or an old earth view of creation (where “yowm” = an age).

In general, Academic freedom means individuals have rights to engage in intellectual debate, research, and speech, through written or electronic correspondence, on and off campus, without fear of censorship, retaliation, or sanction. This freedom encompasses rights to maintain academic standards and gives faculty members reasonable latitude in deciding how to teach assigned courses; encourages intellectual integrity; sustains pedagogical approaches consistent with disciplines taught; and informs evaluations of student work, all exercised within the shared boundaries defined by the TBS Covenantal Documents.

Academic freedom does not involve expressions that substantially impair the rights of others or the imposition of political, religious, or philosophical beliefs on individuals of the TBS community. Academic Freedom does not provide protection of faculty who demonstrate professional ignorance, incompetence, or dishonesty with regard to their assigned discipline or fields of expertise, or who engage in arbitrary or capricious evaluation of students.

All members of the TBS community have a right to due process. Anyone alleging or responding to a potential breach of academic freedom should follow the TBS Grievance Policy.

Nondiscriminatory Policy

The Bible Seminary admits students of any race, sex, color, disability, age, or national or ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the Seminary. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, color, disability, age, or national or ethnic origin in the administration of its hiring policies, educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and other school-administered programs.

Philosophy of Education

We believe the Bible is one book, written by many authors over time, inspired by one Spirit for all time – and is the best training manual for ministry.

We believe that doing ministry, debriefing ministry, and studying ministry – in association with called, life-giving, seasoned and Spirit-filled professionals – is an effective educational model.

We believe a balanced, Bible-based, Christ-centered, mission-focused educational approach includes a comprehensive curriculum that integrates studying through all 66 biblical books along with studying standard historical, theological, and practical disciplines critical to developing professional skills for 21st century ministry.

We believe that challenging and nurturing students, getting them into the Word of God, and helping them think biblically while listening to the Holy Spirit, involves a unique combination of professional ministry training, cutting-edge tools, and extraordinary experiences.

We believe that interactive personal engagement over time, among groups of individuals with a common set of core values and doctrines and ethical standards, and with diverse backgrounds and experiences, can offer an exciting, family-friendly, practical, rich, and unparalleled learning environment.

We believe that a journey of theological education should:

Glorify the Lord
Be rooted in His Word
Nurture an intimate, faithful, trusting relationship with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
Cultivate a contextual and more profound understanding of God and creation, scripture and the world, heaven and earth, culture and history, time and eternity, and things seen and unseen
Equip students with relevant experiences, knowledge, relationships, training, and tools for a lifetime of ministry leadership
Lead to a passionate commitment to love and serve the Lord and others with all that students are and have, in perpetuity.

Facts

Incorporation and Licensing

Independent and non-denominational
Registered Domestic Non-Profit Corporation in the state of Texas (Feb 2010)
Registered IRS 501(c)(3) Charitable Institution of Higher Education (Aug 2010)
Exemption by Texas Workforce Commission (Mar 2011, Oct 2018, Aug 2020)
Exemption by Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (May 2011)
Affiliate Member of the Association for Biblical Higher Education (2012 - Jul 2021)
Approved CEU provider by the Association of Christian Schools International (Oct 2015)
Approved by the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools (TRACS) for Applicant Status (Jan 2018), Candidate status (Apr 2019), Accredited status (Oct 2020), and to offer Distance Education (Apr 2021)
Approved accredited member of ECFA (Sep 2019)
Approved member of the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (Dec 2021)

Founders

Dr. James E. Leggett, Founding President (2010-13)
Rev. Paul Helbig, Bible Institute Co-founder and Lead Faculty (2008-16)
Mr. Dan Dunham, Founding Board of Trustees Chair (2010-13)
Grace Fellowship Church, Seed funding for launch (2010-11)

Executive Officers

President, Dr. K. Lynn Lewis (2014-present), Executive Vice-President/Provost (2011-13)
Provost, Dr. Scott Stripling (2017-present)
Vice-President of Finance and Administration, Mr. Rick McCalip (2010-present)
Board of Trustees, Mr. Adam Peters (Chair) with 9 total members

Programs

Master of Divinity (84-credit hours)
Master of Arts (four majors plus four concentrations, 48 to 60-credit hours)
Dual Degree Completion (Bachelor of Arts in Christian Ministry in conjunction with a TBS MA or MDiv)
Vocational Ministry Certificate (27-credit hours)
Bible Certificate (10-credit hours)

Faculty

Two full-time administrators who also teach
One full-time faculty member and 15+ adjunct professors
50+ professionals who serve as mentors and visiting teachers

Unique Features

All programs cover all 66 books of the Bible
Comprehensive, relevant education and training for 21st century leadership
Local mentoring and training opportunities throughout the graduate degree programs
Educational experiences in classrooms, on-site visits to regional locations and international locations, especially in Israel

Special Program Elements

Distinctively clear Cove Values, doctrine, and ethos statements
Holy Land Study Tour opportunity
Technological study and resource tools
Multiple experiential learning opportunities
Strong commitment to helping students graduate with ZERO ($0) seminary debt

History

The Bible Seminary’s passion for vibrant Bible-based, Christ-centered, mission-focused leadership training began in the life and ministry of Dr. James E. Leggett, founder and senior pastor of Grace Fellowship Church in Katy, Texas. Under the leadership of Teaching Pastor, Paul Helbig, Grace established a Bible Institute in 2008 to teach courses covering all 66 books of the Bible.

The church also formed a separate, non-denominational, charitable, educational organization in 2010. Under the leadership of future Board Chair, Dan Dunham, and Vice-President of Finance and Administration, Rick McCalip, the team selected a name, established bylaws, a Board of Trustees, core documents, institutional policies, incorporation in the state of Texas, 501(c)(3) charitable IRS federal exempt status, designed a three-year Master of Divinity degree, named Dr. Leggett as volunteer President of TBS, and Grace Fellowship hosted a fundraiser in which 260 donors committed more than $1,100,000 to help launch the seminary.

In 2011, the Board hired Dr. K. Lynn Lewis as Executive Vice-President and Provost; received exemptions for its Master of Divinity program by the Texas Workforce Commission and Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board; transferred the Bible Institute from Grace Fellowship to TBS; and graduated the first 12 students from the Bible Certificate program in December 2011.

In 2012, TBS received approval for Affiliate status with the Association for Biblical Higher Education (ABHE). The graduate program launched September 4, 2012 with 12 inaugural students. In 2014, Dr. Leggett resigned as volunteer President, the Board named Dr. Lewis the new President, and TBS hired Dr. Steve Adamson as Provost.

In 2015, TBS established a Master of Arts program, a Dual Degree Completion program, a Licensed Professional program that included 8 to 10 core courses of graduate-level education, awarded its first graduate degrees (seven Master of Divinity and one Master of Arts), launched a Spanish Bible Certificate program, and received approval from the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) to provide continuing education.

In 2016, the seminary began offering courses in northwest Houston and founding Professor Paul Helbig transitioned from full-time employment to full-time disability. In 2017, the seminary hired Dr. Scott Stripling as Provost and Dr. Douglas Petrovich as full-time faculty member, revised the Bible Certificate program, added new courses, established new remote instructional locations in southwest Houston, and received recognition by the Knowledge Review as one of the 10 Most Preferred Divinity Schools for Religious Studies 2017.

In 2018, TBS added four new Master of Arts programs: Biblical History and Archaeology (60-credit hours), Biblical Languages and Culture (54-credit hours), Biblical Studies (60-credit hours), and Church History and Theology (48-credit hours). TBS also reduced Master of Divinity credit hours from 96 to 84, revised the Licensed Professional program to 27-credit hours, received approval of exemption for the Master of Arts and Licensed Professional programs from the Texas Workforce Commission, and added new remote instructional locations.

In 2019, TBS hired Dr. J. Paul Nyquist (former President and CEO of Avant Ministries and Moody Bible Institute) as Dean of Graduate Programs and Professor and TBS became an accredited member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA). In 2020, Dr. Nyquist moved to adjunct status, TBS named Dr. Doug Petrovich Dean of Graduate Programs and Mrs. Carousel Pieterse Director of the Bible Certificate Program, TBS renamed the “Licensed Professional” program the “Vocational Ministry” certificate program, and TBS earned Accredited Status with the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools (TRACS). In 2021, TBS received approval from TRACS to offer Distance Education and became a member of the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA).

In 2022, four concentrations were added to the Master of Arts in Biblical Studies: Biblical Leadership, Christian Education, Media Production, and Missions. TBS also added a publishing division, Nehemiah Press; launched the 3J Archaeological Museum; hired Dr. Israel Steinmetz as Graduate Dean; and named Dr. Scott Stripling Provost and Vice-President of Donor Relations.

The Bible Seminary 2655 S Mason Road Katy, TX 77450

281-646-1109 (Phone)

Info@TheBibleSeminary.edu TheBibleSeminary.edu

Library Handbook

Latest Revision: 10/3/2022

Current Version: Board-approved October 2022

Original Version: August 2011

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