Annual Report-2022
25th March 2022
I, on behalf of the BBC family warmly welcome every one of you to the 12th Bachelor of Divinity graduation ceremony, this day. Your graceful presence and prayerful blessings add enormous inspiration and strength to our ministry.
Before going any further, we pay our richest tributes to Late Rev. Dr. P. N.S. Chandra Bose, the former General Secretary of Gospel Mission of India and the president of Bethel Bible College. Even though we passed through profound sorrow and pain on account of his untimely demise, God was gracious and helped us to move on.
We profoundly thank the Rev. Dr. Scott Alan Norling, the founder-president of the Gospel Mission of India and Bethel Bible College, and his beloved wife Mrs. Melody Norling for their love, care and constant support to BBC and their continued involvement in every aspect of BBC. We are blessed that Rev. Dr. Scott Alan Norling is going to deliver the graduation message today.
We thank Rev. Dr. Leela Bose, the President of the Gospel Mission of India for her determination to lead the institutions of GMI, in the absence of Rev. Dr. P.N.S Chandra Bose.
Mr. Jeevan Sylvanus, son of Late Rev. Dr. P.N.S. Chandra Bose has accepted to serve as the General Secretary of the Gospel Mission of India and the President of Bethel Bible College during the critical time; and his dear wife Dr. Raga Deepika stands with every moments of BBC and other institutions. The family has taken care of all the expenses of our graduation ceremony today. We sincerely thank and pray for God’s blessing upon the family.
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
31 new students were given admission for the BD studies during the academic year 2021-22. Although online classes were conducted from June 2021, the off-line session started with an opening service on the 6th March 2022. The total number of students in the BD degree studies during the academic year is one hundred sixty five (165).
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. N.S.J. Sudhir and Mr. Reji George have joined the faculty of BBC from March 2022. Special thanks to all the faculty members who are holding different responsibilities in addition to the regular teaching assignments.
All our staff (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.
External Studies
175 students are continuing their external studies through BBC (12 Master of Christian Studies, 111 Bachelor of Christian Studies and 52 Diploma in Christian studies).
We are pleased to announce that the Senate of Serampore College has granted permission to start Master of Christian Studies from the year 2022.
As on today, 101 BCS students and 180 DCS students have completed their external studies through BBC.
Programs and Activities
Due to the pandemic, the college could not physically participate in any program. However, the continuing students conducted a freshers’ day program to welcome the new students on the 13th March 2022.
Graduates
This is our seventeenth year with the BD degree program and the 12th BD graduation. BBC, as on today, has prepared 422 dedicated BD graduates (an average of 35 graduates per year) who are spread far and wide to serve God. These graduates represent 15 different states, 27 different churches/denominations.
66% of BBC graduates are doing pastoral ministry, 16% of them are in teaching/ higher studies (M.Th. and D.Th) and 6 % 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 41 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