Values, Philosophy, Programs & Outcomes

Teaching and learning are central to our mission. We believe faculty and support staff must evidence and possess a primary commitment to:

• Value man, woman, and child as a person whom God created and thus is due respect, admiration and kindness accordingly.
  
  
• View every new applicant as significant, and as such, be given every opportunity that can reasonably be offered to enroll him or her in SBIC.
  
  
• Hire staff, faculty and appoint Board members that give students every opportunity to mature through God’s Word.
  
  
• Esteem the authority of God’s Word as central to all teaching and learning situations. That when we consider answers to questions, resolution to conflict, counseling, or any other issues, God’s Word is central in all our dealings.
  
  
• Exercise responsibility for preparing students to learn what is necessary for becoming strong home, church, and community servant leaders.

Southern Bible Institute & College is a biblical higher education institution. We are committed to providing high-quality educational experiences appropriate to a post-secondary institution centered in biblical higher education. Faculty possess appropriate academic qualifications and have experienced ministry complementary to their instruction.

Students are admitted on the basis of their ability to evidence academic preparation commensurate for successful study at the undergraduate level. All instruction involves these non-negotiable fundamentals to achieve our mission.

• The Bible is the primary textbook for all academic programs and practical ministry experience. Servant leadership is the sine qua non indispensable link and essential action emerging from this duality. Freedom of inquiry is encouraged with the Bible as an absolute.
  
  
• Faculty are in wholehearted agreement with the essential doctrines of the faith as articulated in SBIC’s Biblical and Theological Distinctives.
  
  
• Learning in the classroom must complement the priorities of Scripture in areas such as one’s personal relationship with the Lord, family, evangelism, and others. A believer’s first priority in ministry is in and through the local church.
  
  
• It is the responsibility of faculty in particular and of the whole SBIC community in general to model servant leadership by way of example in word and deed. Accordingly, Christ honoring love is the motivation, manifestation, and ethic of all instruction and practice for the SBIC community of believers.
  
  
• All academic instruction must be relevant to the cultural milieu of our fast-changing, technologically driven world. Learning is a life-long pursuit. Curricular, co-curricular, and extra-curricular experiences are intentionally executed to cultivate a desire for life-long learning with a bible-centered worldview.

SBIC’s commitment to continuing education and post-secondary academic programs, has promoted a clearer distinction between its Institute and College program offerings. The Institute—intended to serve the traditional constituency of students with a passion to learn the Word of God but not necessarily at a post-secondary level of academia—includes the Diploma, Bridge Studies, and Continuing Education programs. The College provides the highest level of ministry preparation at a collegiate level of rigor, through the professional ministry development Certificates and Degree programs (which include: Associate of Science, Bachelor of Arts, and Bachelor of Science).

These academic programs at SBIC are intentionally constructed to fully prepare our students with an increase in bible knowledge as well as for vocational outcomes flowing from our institutional mission, goals, and educational environment. Life-long learning centered in God’s inerrant revelation contained only in the Bible applicably sums the foundation and goals of all our instruction. Academic programs are further organized into these curricular areas: Foundational, General Education, Disciplinary, and Professional studies. As academic programs advance from diploma through degree, so the curricular requirements and rigor differ. Certain courses have prerequisites and accomplishments which must be met prior to advancing in course work. This keeps the student focused toward fulfilling requirements for their academic program plan of study.

Through its curriculum and instruction, SBIC purposes to engage its students in biblical higher education that will enable and challenge students to:

• Increase knowledge and understanding of the Bible and Christian theology.
  
  
• Move toward a maturing Christian life by learning to apply scriptural truths.
  
  
• Grow as passionate servant leaders, equipped with marketable skills for service, ministry, and vocation.
  
  
• Develop skills for the work of evangelism and world missions.
  
  
• Develop the foundation necessary for expressing a bible-centered worldview.
  
  
• Develop inquiry and research skills to support life-long learning.
  
  
• Progress to further studies in biblical, theological, ministerial, and related fields.
  
  
• Institute Diploma Graduates: Evidence the ability to integrate bible knowledge with a bible-centered worldview in the areas of the home, local church, community, and marketplace.
  
  
• College Certificate Graduates: Evidence the ability to integrate bible knowledge and a bible-centered worldview, along with professional ministry skills, that advances vocational servant leadership.
  
  
• College Degree Graduates: Evidence the ability to integrate a bible-centered worldview with broad general education areas of study for ministry effectiveness and further studies.