Lancaster Bible College | Capital Seminary and Graduate School (LBC I Capital) is a private, coeducational Bible college and seminary and graduate school in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, that "exists to educate Christian students to think and live a biblical worldview and to proclaim Christ by serving him in the Church and society."
Lancaster Bible College offers a full range of collegiate programming from non-credit courses, to undergraduate, master’s and doctoral degree programs. The college offers several Master of Arts and Master of Education degree programs, along with three Doctorate programs.
In addition to their Lancaster location which houses all of their traditional undergraduate programs, LBC | Capital has four additional sites that offer accelerated undergraduate degrees for adult students, and/or graduate programs. These affiliated sites are in Greenbelt, MD, Philadelphia, PA, Boca Raton, FL, and Memphis, TN.
History
Washington Bible College Basketball -
Founded in 1933 by Henry J. Heydt, the original name of the school was Lancaster School of the Bible. In 1957, the college made the move to its current location in Manheim Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. In 1973, the school took on its current name, and in 1981 the Pennsylvania Department of Education gave LBC official approval to offer the Bachelor of Science in Bible degree.
In 1994, LBC's graduate school was approved to award Master of Arts in Bible, Ministry, Counseling, and Master of Education degrees in School Counseling and Consulting Resource Teacher.
In July 2012, LBC announced the launching of a Philadelphia site through its partnership with the Center for Urban Theological Studies (CUTS). "The new partnership creates the Lancaster Bible College at CUTS program [or LBC | Capital - Philadelphia], one that establishes a satellite campus enables students who attend LBC | Capital - Philadelphia to receive fully-accredited LBC | Capital diplomas.
LBC's current president is Dr. Peter W. Teague. He was preceded by Gilbert A. Peterson (1979â€"1999), Dr. Stuart E. Lease (1961â€"1979), Dr. William J. Randolph (1953â€"1961), and Dr. Henry J. Heydt (1933â€"1953).
Campus Locations
Lancaster, PA
The main campus of Lancaster Bible College is situated on 109 acres in Manheim Township, Lancaster County. The campus is just north of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and is within driving distance of Philadelphia, New York City, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C.
The campus has recently seen several new building and renovation projects, including:
- Charles Frey Academic CenterÂ
- Completed in 2016, this 50,000 square foot building is the academic hub of the Lancaster campus. This building houses academic department offices, an on-campus Turkey Hill Creamery, video production studio, online radio station facility, and specially-designed spaces for Business Administration courses. The building is named after Charles F. Frey, former President of Turkey Hill.
- Teague Learning CommonsÂ
- Built in 2012, the Teague Learning Commons is home to the Charles and Gloria Jones Library, which comprises one of the largest holdings among Bible colleges worldwide with 500,000 items and over 300,000 shared ebooks. The Commons also features Bennee's Bistro, music media lab, writing center, 11 collaborative study spaces, and 3 new classroom spaces. The 43,000 square foot building utilizes environmentally-sustainable features, such as the use of natural daylight, high-efficiency lighting, and geothermal heating and cooling. The facility cost $12 million to construct and is named after the school's fifth and current president: Dr. Peter W. Teague.
- Horst Athletic CenterÂ
- The center for athletics at LBC, the Horst Athletic Center houses a gym and comprehensive fitness area.
- Good Shepherd ChapelÂ
- Completed in 2001, the Good Shepherd Chapel hosts large events, concerts, and chapel services. The Chapel seats 1,600 people.
- Olewine Dining CommonsÂ
- The Dining Commons offers all-you-can-eat buffet meals for resident and commuter students.
- Miller HallÂ
- Centrally located on the campus, Miller Hall includes the Bookend Bookstore and a lounge for resident and commuter students alike.
- DormitoriesÂ
- On-campus housing includes Peterson Hall, East Hall, and Weber Hall.
Greenbelt, MD
In January 2013, Lancaster Bible College announced that it had acquired the academic programs of Washington Bible College and Capital Bible Seminary in Greenbelt, Maryland. This campus is on the northeast side of the Capital Beltway, and is about 30 minutes from Washington, D.C. and Alexandria, Virginia. The Greenbelt site is now called LBC | Capital - Greenbelt.
Accelerated undergraduate, graduate, and seminary degree courses are offered at the Greenbelt site. The location features 11 classrooms, an on-site library, student lounge, cafe, and collaborative learning spaces.
Philadelphia, PA
The Philadelphia campus of LBC was first founded in 1971 as the Center for Urban Theological Studies (CUTS). In 2012, CUTS came under the umbrella of LBC | Capital. This campus is in the Glenwood section of north Philadelphia, and is located at Deliverance Evangelistic Church. Accelerated undergraduate and graduate courses are offered in six week modules.
Memphis, TN
LBC | Capital partners with Memphis Center for Urban and Theological Studies (MCUTS) to provide an accelerated undergraduate degree program in Memphis, Tennessee.
Boca Raton, FL
LBC | Capital partners with Spanish River Church in Boca Raton, Florida to provide in-person training for an innovative Masters of Arts in Ministry program with a Church Planting concentration. Students take courses in a 6 week format, with 5 weeks of online classes combined with a two-day residency at the Boca Raton location. This allows students to learn remotely, with less than 50% of their instruction time being in-person.
Academics
Lancaster Bible College is classified by The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching as a bible college with a high-undergraduate enrollment profile.
Students on average receive about $3,000 in financial aid from the college. Reduced tuition for one class per semester is offered to junior and senior high school students.
Undergraduate Education
LBC’s undergraduate education grants six bachelor's degrees, one associate degree, and two one-year certificates. Over one hundred and seventy faculty (part-time and full-time) teach at the college, many of whom have doctorates.
Students can select from 30 undergraduate majors (and nine minors) from the following departments:
Academic Departments
- Arts & Sciences
- Bible & Theology
- Business Administration
- Church & Ministry Leadership
- Counseling & Social Work
- Education
- Health & Physical Education
- Worship & Performing Arts
Graduate Education
The institution's graduate education grants six master's degrees and nine graduate certificates. Graduate students can select from 14 graduate programs in the areas of:
- Divinity
- Christian Counseling & Discipleship
- Biblical Studies
- Consulting Resource Teacher
- Professional Counseling
- Ministry
- School Counseling.
Doctorate Programs
Lancaster Bible College currently offers three doctorate programs in Leadership, Biblical Studies, and Ministry.
Accreditation
Lancaster Bible College is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) and the Association for Biblical Higher Education (ABHE). LBC is also accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM), and by the Commission on Sport Management Accreditation (COMSA). The school is registered with the Pennsylvania Department of Education.
Student life
Lancaster Bible College has an enrollment of more than 1,970 students, 468 of whom are graduate students. They come from 32 states and 14 foreign countries. As of 2015, LBC had 449 residents and 337 traditional undergraduate commuters. There are also over 10,000 alumni.
It is a tradition for students to receive a towel along with their diploma as they graduate, as a symbol of foot washing and a reminder to use their education to serve others.
Athletics
Lancaster Bible College teams (which are only at the college's Lancaster campus) participate as a member of the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) Division II and the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division III. The Chargers are a member of the NCAA's North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC). Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, soccer, tennis and volleyball; while women's sports include basketball, cross country, field hockey, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, tennis and volleyball.
Trust Performing Arts Center
Lancaster Bible College runs The Trust Performing Arts Center in downtown Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Built in 1912 for the Lancaster Trust Company, the building features Beaux-Arts design from esteemed Lancaster architect C. Emlen Urban. The Trust hosts live theater, music, dance, and lectures throughout the year.
Alumni
LBC alumni are currently serving as missionaries, pastors, and business owners in 34 countries across 6 countries
Notable Alumni
Wayne Cordeiro ('17), a prolific author, megachurch pastor (New Hope Christian Fellowship) and speaker, graduated with his Doctor of Ministry from Lancaster Bible College | Capital Seminary & Graduate School on May 12, 2017. He was the first person to earn a Doctor of Ministry degree from the college and gave the keynote address at the commencement ceremony for the Lancaster campus.
References
External links
- Lancaster Bible College â€" official website
