Trinity Baptist College

Trinity Baptist College
Motto	Training Students for Life and Ministry
Established	1974
Type	Private accredited
Religious affiliation	Trinity Baptist Church
Chancellor	Thomas Messer
President	Mac Heavener, Jr.
Executive Vice President	Dr. Matthew Beemer
Admin. staff	28 full-time
Undergraduates	240
Location	Jacksonville, Florida, USA 30.3°N 81.783°W / 30.3; -81.783
Campus	800 Hammond Boulevard, Jacksonville, FL 32221
Colors	Royal blue, white
Mascot	Eagle
Affiliations	Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools
Website	www.tbc.edu

Trinity Baptist College, TBC, is a small private college located in Jacksonville, Florida. It was founded in 1974 by Trinity Baptist Church. It has been accredited by the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools since 1997. The college is currently under the leadership of Pastor Tom Messer, Mac Heavener Jr., and Matthew Beemer.

History

Trinity Baptist College was founded in 1974 by Robert Gray. It was originally located on the grounds previously occupied by the church on McDuff Avenue near downtown Jacksonville. The college was located on this property for 24 years. By 1977 it had become one of the largest bus ministries in the country, but rapid expansion drove it to bankruptcy the same year. It later paid its debts.

In 1992, the church voted Thomas Messer to be the senior pastor of the church and later the president of the college. In 1995, the church, in accordance with Pastor Messer, called Charles Shoemaker to be the executive vice president and chief executive officer of the college. Since this time, Trinity Baptist College has expanded and moved to Hammond Boulevard on the Westside of Jacksonville, where it shares its campus with both Trinity Baptist Church and Trinity Christian Academy.

Gray, then aged 80, was arrested in 2006 on capital sexual battery charges. It was alleged that he had french-kissed and fondled six-year-old girls in his office. Over 20 women and one man came forward with allegations, though most were excluded due to the statute of limitations. The case went to trial in 2007, but ended when Gray died. Six civil suits against Trinity Baptist continued. In 2008, Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests asked then-presidential candidate Mike Huckabee to cancel an appearance at the church due to the outstanding charges that church leadership had covered up Gray's activities.

In 2008, to maintain the accreditation standards, the college renamed its leadership positions, making Messer the school's chancellor and Shoemaker the president and chief executive officer; no change was made in the authority of their positions. In 2009, Shoemaker announced his resignation and finished out the 2009-2010 school year as his last year as president of the college. In 2010, it was announced that Mac Heavener, Jr., would take Shoemaker's place as president. Also, the position of executive vice president was re-created and filled by Matthew Beemer.

Degree programs

Trinity Baptist College currently offers the following degree programs:

Associate of Science

• Office Administration
• General Studies

Bachelor of Arts

• Pastoral Theology
• Missions

Bachelor of Science

• Church Ministries
  • Associate Pastor
  • Children's Ministry
  • Christian Counseling
  • Church Business
  • Church Office
  • Deaf Ministry
  • Sunday School Administration
  • Women's Ministry
  • Worship Music
  • Youth Ministry
• Sacred Music
• Elementary Education
• Elementary Education with Special Education Concentration
• Secondary Education
  • English
  • Mathematics
  • Science
  • Social Studies
  • Special Education
  • Business
  • French
  • Music
  • Physical Education
  • Spanish

Master of Education

• Classroom Practices
• Christian School Administration
• Special Education
• Bible Education

Societies

The student body is divided up into eight groups known as societies, each having a name consisting of three Greek letters, similar to the style of fraternities and sororities. There are four societies for the men and four for the women. These have been established to provide Christian fellowship through meetings, activities, and competitions. The societies are involved in school projects and in fund-raising. Each has its own elected officials (President, Activities Director, and Chaplain), whereby opportunities are provided for members to develop as leaders.

The societies at Trinity Baptist College are:

Men's Societies

• Sigma Lambda Kappa—ΣΛΚ

  (Speiron ton Logon Kuriou—Sowing the Word of the Lord)

• Pi Ro Pi—ΠΡΠ

  (Pur, Romphaia, Pneuma—Fire, Sword, Spirit)

• Pi Theta Kappa—ΠΘΚ

  (Parakletoi Theu Kosmos—Advocates of God to the World)

• Alpha Omega Epsilone—ΑΩΕ

  (Emi to Alpha ki to Omega—I Am the Alpha and the Omega)

Women's Societies

• Tri Delta—ΔΔΔ

  (Dioko, Douleuo, Doxazo—Follow, Serve, Glorify)

• Tau Theta Epsilon—ΤΘΕ

  (Tas Thugatras Eireineis—Daughters of Peace)

• Kappa Delta Chi—ΚΔΧ

  (Katharos Dia Christon—Pure on Account of Christ)

• Pi Epsilon Alpha—ΠΕΑ

  (Pistis, Elpis, Agape—Faith, Hope, Charity)

Higher Calling

Higher Calling is a Southern Gospel quartet that began in 2007, traveling as representatives of Trinity Baptist College to various churches, schools, and student ministries across the United States. While recruiting for the college is a main goal, their spiritual objectives are three-fold. Through their music and testimonies, the quartet seeks to exalt Jesus Christ above all, edify the saints of the local church, and evangelize the lost. As young men who have surrendered their entire lives to the Lord’s service, they realize that this world is not their home, and they have been given a higher calling. Their prayer is with Paul, when he says in Philippians 3:14, “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”

The 2009-2010 Higher Calling quartet consists of the following students of TBC:

• Chris Mapes (Tenor)
• David Bruchie (Lead)
• James Crockett (Baritone)
• Sam Winton (Bass)
• Joshua Hochstetler (Sound Technician)

The director and vocal trainer of the Higher Calling quartet is Jacob Leporacci, Assistant Professor of Music.

External links

• Trinity Baptist College Official Website