Malcolm Hill: president

by AMY DAVIS
TENNESSEE BIBLE COLLEGE

COOKEVILLE — When young Malcolm Hill left his Overton County home for college in 1954 with hopes of becoming a preacher, his mother, unbeknownst to him at the time, stood behind the door and cried.

"He will be back in a few days," she sadly thought, as he departed without the money he needed to attend the school he had chosen, Freed-Hardeman University in Henderson, Tenn.

But Malcolm didn't come back.

He went on to FHU and later David Lipscomb College, working and preaching his way through,  and eventually earned a degree in Bible. The journey didn't come without its many struggles, he said, but he made it.

Malcolm Hill
President

Some of his classmates, however, weren't as fortunate.

"I've seen boys drop out of school — young people who wanted to preach badly — because they didn't have any money," Malcolm said.

He saw these instances as hardships that didn't have to happen and thought of a way to help prevent them.

"I had a dream," he said. "The dream was that some day — and my background, I know, brings this about — that I could start a Christian school where men and women who wanted to learn about the Bible and the Christian life could afford it."

And that he did, founding three schools it turns out. The third, located next to Northeast Church of Christ in Cookeville,Tenn., was started in 1975. He named it Tennessee Bible College and has served as its president ever since.

With TBC, Malcolm said he is seeing his dream fulfilled.

"In several cases, we've had people who didn't have the money to go to college, and now they're out preaching with a degree because I told them to come on — that we'd get the money somewhere," he said. 

For students who can't afford the tuition, he said, either a loan, grant scholarship or "just a gift" is provided.

"Churches of Christ, interested individuals and businesses have been charitable to us," he said. 

Growing up

Preaching and starting a Bible college hadn't always been in the plans of Malcolm Hill. His first dream was to play football for the University of Tennessee.

A 1954 graduate of Livingston Academy, Malcolm said, "My whole life until I was a junior in high school was built around athletics... and I believe I would've gone to the University of Tennessee and played quarterback — that's what I wanted to do."

But a knee injury that year changed everything... and his attention turned toward the future. "What am I going to do?" he asked himself.

Also that year, he met his future wife, Billie, who "has always been a good, decent Christian woman," he said.

Then Malcolm, who hadn't grown up in a Christian family and only occasionally attended church, started thinking about religion. He attended church more often and shortly afterward found out about a small country church in Overton County, Free Communion Church of Christ, that was in need of a preacher. It was there that he preached his first sermon — and loved it.

"And I told myself, 'This is what I'm going to do!'" he said.

TBC then

Before Tennessee Bible College, Malcolm founded a training school for preachers in 1963 in Atlanta, Ga., called the Greater Atlanta Preachers' School. It continued until he left in 1968 for Florence, Ala., where he started Southeastern College of the Bible, which was renamed International Bible College in 1970.

Along the way, he earned a bachelor of arts degree from David Lipscomb College in Nashville, an honorary degree in writing from National Christian University and a doctorate of Christian ministry from American Christian Bible College and Graduate School of Religion.

But Malcolm intended to return to his home area, and, in 1973, he moved to Cookeville, where TBC was born two years later. It began as a night school with three to four faculty members and 20 to 30 students. From its beginning until 1978, classes were held at the Sycamore Church of Christ building.

Afterward, Northeast Church of Christ, where Malcolm now preaches, became the college's home until 1997, when a new 18,000-square-foot building was completed for the purpose.

How does one go from simply wanting to start a college to actually doing it? Three factors, Malcolm said.

"You do a whole lot of praying and a whole lot of work — driving and talking to people day and night. And you must be willing to humble yourself and do what needs to be done," he said.

And that, he said, is what he and his staff have done. He said he has sometimes driven so much to raise funds and support for the college that keeping his hands from falling away from the steering wheel was a task.

"My hands would get so tired, and I'd be sleepy," he said. "But that's the way you build things — nothing is ever done without sacrifice."

TBC now

Situated on a 10-acre area, the bright white TBC administration building has several classrooms, a library, chapel, student center, offices for faculty and staff members and more.

The college has grown to offer a large variety of courses in the areas of Bible interpretation, Christian counseling, church history, original biblical languages, sermon preparation, evangelism, world religions and denominations, extensive Bible textual studies and also general education. There's also a big thrust in apologetics, which is the study of Christian evidences. The courses prepare students for defending Christianity against atheism, skepticism and agnosticism.

And the students do Malcolm proud.

"I have been impressed with the desire of the students to improve their life. They have a desire to excel in righteousness and goodness, and that's what the school is all about — developing good citizens and good people in the kingdom."

Adding to that joy is the fact that Malcolm works alongside a zealous and dedicated staff, which includes his oldest son, David Hill, who has served as TBC's public relations director and business manager since 1990.

"David and I have worked together for all these years, and it's been a thrill and a joy for me to do so," he said. "We've traveled, raised funds, taught together, and this is one of the greatest things in my life."

TBC became authorized by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission to grant bachelor of arts and master of arts degrees in 1980 and the doctor of philosophy degree in 1986. Two-year diplomas are awarded as well. The college is also approved by the US Department of Justice Immigration and Naturalization Service to receive foreign students and by the Veterans' Administration so that those who qualify may receive veterans' benefits.

'Not the general run'

Malcolm Hill describes Tennessee Bible College as "not the general run."

One reason is that the school is debt free. He attributed that to his staff's dedication to building and maintaining the administrative building themselves.

"We just did the work ourselves," said Malcolm, who from 1994 to 1996, when the building was built, did presidential work in overalls.

Also setting TBC apart from many other colleges is that it doesn't receive or ask for government grants. The reason is simple: "We don't want the federal government involved in the running of this institution," Malcolm said.

It's a matter of ethics.

"We don't want to compromise our convictions," he said. "There are all kinds of moral deals that enter the picture when you're raising money for an institution. And I'm not going to get myself where I have to say, 'Okay, we won't teach a particular class — give us the money.'"

Refusing federal monies may not be the best choice from a worldly standpoint, he said, but it's the "best for righteousness, and that's what I'm going to do."

A dream come true

In addition to his presidential duties at Tennessee Bible College, Malcolm also keeps busy in the classroom as an instructor.

He's had students not only from Cookeville and elsewhere in Tennessee but also foreign lands such as China, Malaysia and The Philippines. The ages vary too — anywhere from just out of high school to well past retirement. There are men and women. Singles and married people. Preachers and non-preachers. Those who work for college credit and those who audit. And the classes are small.

"So that helps a lot as far as the quality of education is concerned," he said. "It also adds to the camaraderie of the students."

TBC hosts several annual events, including its Spiritual Renewal Week lectureship and Leadership Day, and holds public debates and contemporary issues conferences as needed. Malcolm is also proud of a camp the college began hosting several years back. The week-long Truth Bible Camp is held each summer for boys and girls ages 9-18. It's a way to teach them principles of the Christian life — as well as introduce them to the college. 

And that means more preachers, Bible teachers, missionaries and Christian workers. 

All a dream come true for Malcolm Hill.