Blue Mountain College - Success Stories

When I first arrived at BMC, I was anxious to learn all I could about God’s Word and to prepare for life in the Lord’s fields. My desire to learn truth was fanned into a flame that still burns today. My faith was strengthened through countless interactions with professors in and out of the classroom.

~ Don Pucik, Associate Executive Director, Arkansas Baptist State Convention, BMC Class of 1983

I surrendered to the ministry late in life and knew God called me to learn more about His Word so that I could share His Word with passion and precision. When I entered BMC, I was balancing a part-time church, a full-time academic load, along with a full-time job. Through the encouragement of the faculty and administration, God enabled me to persevere under the load while He provided the needed skills for ministry and shaped the existing skills I possessed. The Biblical Studies courses at BMC provided the foundation I needed to embrace Greek and the other Biblical courses at the seminary level. When I transferred to New Orleans Seminary, I had a wonderful seminary experience due to the preparation at BMC. However, my experience at BMC also provided me the training I needed in life.

~ Philip Caples, New Orleans Seminary Ph.D. program, BMC Class of 2001

The Biblical Studies department helped me develop theological tools which I use every week as a pastor. Dr. Bain and Dr. Meeks teach the timeless truths of God’s Word to new generations of students. My educational experience ranged from learning the classical language of Greek to understanding modern conceptions of biblical exposition. The Biblical Studies department at BMC was instrumental in showing me how to study, practice, and teach God’s Word [Ezra 7:10].

~ David Haynes, pastor and graduate studies student, BMC Class of 2010

When I first came to BMC, I had a general knowledge of the Bible. I knew the common stories, the books of the Bible, and other basics. By the time I graduated, I had gained a passion for the Word of God. The great passion of the professors in the Biblical Studies department was one I gladly shared after learning from such knowledgeable men of integrity. These men not only taught me the Bible while living out what the Bible teaches, but they challenged me to go deeper in my study of the Word of God while challenging me to live according to the Word as well. I am very grateful for the Biblical Studies department at BMC.

~ Chris Ferguson, student at Southeastern Seminary, BMC Class of 2009

I came to BMC in pursuit of my own endeavors. After sitting in just one of Dr. Meeks’ introductory Bible classes, I knew God was calling me to further study of His Word. In obedience to His calling, I majored in Biblical Studies, unaware of what He had in store for me. After completing my degree, I had not only taken Old Testament and New Testament classes, but I had taken Greek classes, Church History classes, Ethics and Missions classes, and a bit of philosophy. With every class and the words of well respected professors in and out of the classroom, I grew in the knowledge of God and His Church. The Biblical Studies department prepared me better to serve my Lord in ministry. I am incredibly thankful for the professors’ investment in students like me who desire to grow in knowledge of God and to minister to His people.

~ Ashley Ferguson, student at Southeastern Seminary and employee of the North Carolina Baptist Convention, BMC Class of 2009

While seeking a solid undergraduate education to prepare me academically for the challenges of seminary and life-long ministry, I was most attracted to the Biblical Studies department at BMC. It was in this environment that I gained a balanced degree program, and it was through this department that I was given the tools essential for understanding Scripture in context, how to apply its truth to my life, and extend it to others. The degree program was intensely academic, but also abundantly practical. It was during my studies here that I understood what it means to be a part of an ongoing church history, and even to be on mission with God. I thank God for this department and its professors who not only taught me rich academics, but who taught me the value of rising to the occasion to meet life’s challenges. The Biblical Studies department was small enough that my professors not only knew my name, but they knew me, and they cared enough that they expected nothing less of me than my absolute best. I recommend it without reservation to anyone interested in seriously preparing for higher theological education and life-long ministry.

To say that my experience in the Department of Biblical and Associated Studies at Blue Mountain College

has been both a spiritual and an intellectual blessing for me would not be hyperbolic. For almost four decades now, any progress made in my personal sanctification or in my professional scholarship has been enhanced by the pious discipline, the nurturing guidance, and the demanding tutelage I received from Drs. Travis, Tyler, and Bain. Although the former two have entered into the eternal rest of God’s grace, their legacies continue through the ministries of Drs. Bain and Meeks, who have now for years left their own fingerprints on the hearts and minds of students. Undoubtedly, four decades from now, some other recipient of the devotional and academic gifts inherited from the Department of Biblical Studies will pause and appreciate how profoundly Blue Mountain College encouraged obedience to Christ’s great commandment to love God with both the soul and the intellect.

~ B. Keith Putt, Professor of Philosophy, Samford University, BMC Class of 1977