Annual Report-2020
I, on behalf of the BBC family warmly welcome every one of you to the 10th Bachelor of Divinity graduation ceremony, this day. Your graceful presence and prayerful blessing add enormous inspiration and strength to our ministry.
We profoundly thank the Rev. Dr. Scott Alan Norling, the founder-president of the Gospel Mission of India and his beloved wife Mrs. Melody Norling for their love, care and constant support to BBC. We are blessed that Rev. Dr. Scott Alan Norling is going to deliver the graduation message today.
Rev. Dr. P.N.S. Chandra Bose, the General Secretary of the Gospel Mission of India and the President of Bethel Bible College; and his dear wife Dr. Leela Bose lead BBC from the front. Their commitment to empower specially the marginalized men and women for God’s ministry is remarkable. We, along with the graduating students thank and praise God for their lives.
Sincere thanks to Mr. Jeevan Sylvanus, Chief Operational Officer-GMI and Chairman- Olive Tree Creative Works; and his wife Dr. Raga Deepika for their whole hearted involvement in the ministry of BBC. They are sponsoring all the arrangements, for today, including dinner. We pray God’s blessing upon them.
We thank the Bible Society of India and the ISPCK Delhi, for the gifts to graduating students.
Mrs. Lois Schaefer, Amazing Grace Lutheran Church, USA along with Rev. Pau Za Khup and Mrs. Dorathy Khup are promoting the cause of BBC in the US. Dr. Joseph Paturi, (Trans-world Ministries) is another well-wisher. We thank them all.
There are other like-minded companions in our journey of theological education and Ministerial formation. We profusely thank them and pray to God for many more deeply committed men and women to join our ministry in partnership.
We are grateful to all the churches, organizations and individuals who sponsor and recommend students to BBC. Hearty thanks to all the other dignitaries, guests, parents, friends, professors and BBC family.
Congratulations to all graduating students who have successfully completed all the requirements pertaining to BD degree studies and are eligible to the award of Bethel Bible College Diploma, this day. I also congratulate the recipients of special awards.
Students, Faculty and Staff
47 new students, including seven women were given admission for the BD studies during the academic year 2019-20. The session started with an opening service on the 9th June 2019. The total number of students in the BD degree studies during the academic year is one hundred sixty (160).
We praise God for the life and witness of all the faculty Members. It was their selfless service and dedication to mould committed women and men for God’s ministry that is behind our celebration today. Rev. Dr. Sethe P.A., Dr. P.K. Reeja and Rev. Chitti Babu Chilaparapu have joined the faculty in this academic year. It is a matter of joy that Rev. Chitti Babu Chilaparapu one of our former graduates has become faculty member in BBC. Special thanks to all the faculty members who held different responsibilities in addition to the regular teaching assignments.
All our staffs (non-teaching) in BBC are responsible for the smooth functioning of the college. While we thank them for their contributions we are also grateful to all the student leaders for their service to BBC.
Bachelor of Christian Studies and Diploma in Christian Studies
As on today 230 students have been registered for Bachelor of Christian Studies and 148 for Diploma in Christian studies (total of 378 students) through thirteen extension program centers in different parts of Andhra Pradesh.
Programs and Activities
BBC organized an Art Fest on the 7th December 2019, on the college premises, in honor of the 14th memorial day of Bishop Rt. Rev. Dr. P. Victor Premasagar.
Our women students went for village practical ministry under the supervision of their warden for two days (17-18, November 2019) at Gudivakalanka village.
Twenty students and two faculty members from the Lutheran School of Theology, Chicago, visited BBC on the 20th January 2020. It was a great experience of teaching, learning and interaction.
The women students also attended Shine-2020 Conference organized by Mrs. Melody Norling at Hyderabad on the 8th February 2020.
Four of our students attended a seminar on “Theological discourse on disability”, at South India Biblical Seminary, Bangarapet between 14 and 15 February 2020. Mr. G. Arun, BD third year from BBC presented a paper in the seminar on “Disability from Religious Perspective”.
Four students will attend a summer course on Islam at Coonoor between 4th and 8th May 2020.
Graduates
This is our fifteenth year with the BD degree program and the 10th BD graduation. BBC, till date, has prepared 345 dedicated BD graduates (an average of 35 graduates per year) who are spread far and wide in God’s vineyard. These graduates represent 16 different states, 24 different churches/denominations.
67% of BBC graduates are doing pastoral ministry, 14% of them are in teaching/ higher studies (M.Th. and D.Th) and 8 % serve as missionaries. Others are engaged in different forms of ministry including pioneering works.
Today, we thank God for the life and commitment of the 22 graduating students. They are fully equipped to serve God in all situations. Their life and training in BBC, a mixture of love, care and censure, was to ensure larger fellowship for the glory of God in the church and society at large. It was painful when we began to think that these graduating students will leave BBC soon. At the same time we are proud that we could mold them for the service of our supreme master who sacrificed his life on the cross for the sake of us all and defeated death. We wish them God’s blessing as they step out into the wider arena of ministry with multiple challenges and possibilities.
Thanking You
From
Principal
Bethel Bible College
Guntur