In a world which affirms human autonomy and self-reliance, God's insistence that we depend on him is profoundly counter-cultural.  As a community of students, staff and board, we express this dependence most clearly in our commitment to hear and heed the Bible’s encouragement to call out to our Father.  We are, as a College community, continually aspiring to both listen more and lift up our hearts more, whether they are full of pain or praise, giving thanks in all circumstances, but especially for the gift of prayer itself. How do we live in prayerful dependence?   By praying as staff together at the beginning of each week, by praying as students in prayer triplets, by praying during world focus and our gatherings for worship, by praying as we begin each class and sometimes as we end, by praying as a gathered community each morning, and again at mid-day. The most exciting thing of all is that the more we pray, the more we find we want to pray, the more we find we need to pray.  And it’s that sense of compulsion to pray which propels us ever nearer toward the goal which Paul sets for followers of Jesus: pray without ceasing. 

David Shepherd, Principal

It is one thing to want to grow in the knowledge of God and his will, but a more searching question is to what extent you want that knowledge to have a transforming effect on your life. 

One of our values as a college is to pursue 'personal transformation in community' and to that end we are involved as students and staff in various activities that seek to see this value embraced in the life of the college. Some of the more intentional transformational opportunities come in the form of devotional services, fellowship groups, prayer meetings, participation in practical ministry opportunities and reflection stemming from lectures and assignment work. However, often it is the less intentional things such as chats over lunch or helping to serve coffee in teams that can have a shaping influence on our lives. One vital transformational factor that is involved in all these activities is the diversity of culture and denominational backgrounds at BBC. While the learning curve can be steep and challenging when embracing difference, it is rarely disappointing and is certainly something to celebrate. During formal and informal times the question still remains - ‘to what extent do we want to experience personal transformation in community?’  

Geoff Donaldson, Chaplain

Faithfulness to the Word, alongside sacrificial discipleship, is a value which is at the heart of all we do here at Belfast Bible College. This role model is vital to understanding what is said and what is written, and the College has been richly blessed by staff who have been called by God to live a life of sacrificial servanthood. Over generations they have been faithful to the Gospel message and preparing God's servants for ministry in the world. We may not know the full extent of this witness, but I regularly come into contact with people who share of the great blessing that the college has been, through the people with whom they have had contact.   

Jesus encouraged his followers to prepare themselves for sacrifice; he warned them that the cost is to die to self and to accept the suffering that might ensue from the adverse reaction of those around us. He asked his followers to count the cost of faithfulness at the outset, so that there would be no turning back. Belfast Bible College provides the milieu in which we can explore our faith, get to know the Word more fully, and prepare ourselves for the cost of following Jesus."  

Rab Mollan, Board Chairman

As a college, our commitment is to provide 'education which is spiritual, academic and practical.' This three-stranded approach is crucial to all that we do at BBC. We do not believe that it is possible to study theology in a faith-vacuum because theology is much more than a subject of academic study - it is about looking deeply into the life-giving reality of God’s revelation of Himself to His created beings. Truly understanding and thus experiencing something of God and His Word inevitably has an impact on all that we are and all that we do.

So we aim to encourage the development of the spiritual life and practical service of each student just as much as their academic progress. Deepening our relationship with the Lord through worship, prayer, reflection and fellowship is an integral part of all our academic programmes. Alongside this students are involved in diverse experiences of ministry and service within and beyond the college campus. They undertake practical training placements on a weekly basis and serve for more intensive blocks of time in various contexts and locations from here in Northern Ireland to the farthest corners of the earth. Putting into practice in the reality of their own lives and in God’s world what they are learning in the classroom is at the heart of our vision for our students and is a core aspect of what we believe makes the BBC experience so formative for authentic Christian living.    

We as a college are unashamedly in the business of challenging men and women to be "not merely hearers of the Word, but doers also." (James 1.22) 

Jill Harshaw, Director of Education Support and Community Life

As a spiritual community of learning, one of the ways BBC retains its health is by locating some of its values and purposes intentionally outside itself. The dominant biblical image at the core of this particular value is an understanding of the Church as the supernatural, vulnerable and interdependent 'body of Christ.' As part of the local ‘body of Christ’, we aim to serve the global ‘body of Christ’ by creating a space to explore what it means to be a follower of Jesus in today’s world. To ‘serve’ is to research and discern the needs of the ’body’ at any given time and so to form a staff team best suited to provide appropriate spiritual, academic and experiential training in the spirit of Paul writing to Thessalonica: "So deeply do we care for you that we determine to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you have become very dear to us" (1 Thessalonians 2.8). Part of our historic and current distinctive is to respect and welcome students from across the denominational landscapes of the world. There is richness in learning with and from the diverse Christian spirituality of ‘others’ so different from ourselves, who, by sharing their unique backgrounds, then become ‘us’. BBC places a high value on modelling service, on enriching and equipping the ‘body of Christ’, that ‘one new humanity’ (Ephesians 2.15) which is the Church, and on diversity of tradition and non-tradition as a catalyst for learning and a meaningful integration of faith and life. 

Ian Dickson, Director of Postgraduate Studies

'For God so loved the world ..... ‘ (John 3v16)    

Scripture reinforces the global perspective. What God is doing through His living Spirit in the world is an amazing story. Can it be anything other than a distinct privilege to be connected to the ongoing stories of the impact of world Christianity? Every year students from across the globe join our college community. Studying and worshipping together in a multicultural environment is different - it is challenging, enriching, provoking and inspirational. Such a learning environment is unique. We rejoice that many of our students also continue to be committed to global mission through their time on international placement. Our former students now minister worldwide in more than 70 different countries, in many different ministries, but all as equal partners in God's mission. We are truly thankful to God for the way in which He has used our students for His glory and purposes. It is a true privilege to be part of the global church in this way, and in prayerfully preparing to love and serve His people everywhere. 

Jacob Thomas, Lecturer in Missiology

By offering a wide range of programmes here at Belfast Bible College, from evening classes to PhDs, we make ourselves as open as possible to a large and diverse learning community.  While some of our university accredited courses naturally have set academic entry criteria, many of our part-time courses do not.  The key issue for us is whether a potential student is motivated to study by a desire to know God more and to serve Him better.  We serve a broad constituency, from people who are pursuing a career in theological education or who seek to exercise their ministry in a full-time capacity within a Christian context, either at home or overseas, to those who want to deepen their understanding of and devotion to God, thus becoming more effective witnesses in their own workplaces, churches or voluntary organisations.  We are committed to sustaining and, where possible, extending such opportunities to study full-time and part-time through a creative approach to scheduling which allows maximum accessibility to the greatest number of students who are trying to balance this unique study opportunity with increasingly busy lifestyles. 

Jill Harshaw, Director of Education Support and Community Life

The world in which we live and work, is more diverse and fast moving than ever before .... as Christians we are regularly encountering new and different cultures, many of whom are literally on our doorstep. Globalisation, far from making the task easier has given us more to understand. Our mission and ministry should be the task of building the bridge between the unchanging Word of God and the specific people to which we are called. It is imperative to understand both ends of the bridge for the task of ministry today.  This includes an awareness of our own theological thinking - and an understanding of what is culture specific and what stems from the Word of God.  Increasingly, this involves understanding and developing a Christian response to post modernity which is readily informing contemporary culture. In the midst of such diversity, the Church is called to continue to present the Gospel as the answer  to all of the world's questions. 

Graham Cheesman, Director of Open Learning