New quarter off to a promising start at TBC

*Students share thoughts and expectations for a new school year

by AMY DAVIS
TENNESSEE BIBLE COLLEGE

COOKEVILLE — A refreshing nip in the air means the close of another long, peaceful summer at Tennessee Bible College, but activities on the Cookeville campus this fall promise to be anything but leisurely.

As leaves change from luscious green to crinkly brown, students at TBC will be going through a metamorphosis as well — shifting their focus from summer vacation back to the hectic demands of college life.

Enjoying their studies in New Testament Greek at Tennessee Bible College are, from left, Midea Liao of Wuhan, China; Andrea Melton of Monroe, Helen Wang of Wuhan; Mark Day of Cookeville; and Josh Brown and Shawn McCormack, both of Bowling Green, Ky. A new quarter at TBC has just begun, and students are busy with a variety of Bible-based courses. The college offers a bachelor's degree in religious education, master's and doctorate degrees in theology and a two-year preaching diploma. For more information, call 526-2616. 

TBC's pupils have nothing but good things to say, though, as they anticipate a busy new quarter. With course offerings like New Testament Greek, Marriage and the Family, Church Growth, Biology and the Bible and Topical Bible Studies, expectations are high for Christian growth and increasing Bible knowledge.

"This quarter promises to be very interesting with the classes we have," said TBC student Josh Brown of Bowling Green, Ky. "We started New Testament Greek this quarter, which will be a challenge, but our instructor, Bro. Kerry Duke, has done a good job so far making it interesting. Time passes by quickly in that class."

Midea Liao, a student from Wuhan, China, added, "Even though this form of Greek is a dead language, it will help us understand the Bible better and more accurately."

Liao, who just returned to Cookeville after spending the summer back home in China with family and friends, described the fall quarter as "so far, so good."

"It's good to be back with my fellow students so we can get together and study," she said. "I really enjoy it."

TBC President Malcolm Hill has good things to say about the new quarter as well.

"The beginning of each school year is always exciting, and each year seems better than the last," Hill said. "The 2008-2009 school year is getting off to an exceptional start. Our students are very fine students, and we're looking forward to the best year in the history of Tennessee Bible College."

One change this quarter at TBC includes fitting all the courses into a three day per week class schedule — Monday through Wednesday, rather than the usual Monday through Thursday time frame.

And that suits student Josh Brown just fine.

"It gives us an even longer weekend than we had before," he said. "So I can use that extra time to get more work done."

Tennessee Bible College students Andrea Melton, left, and Helen Wang get help with their studies from TBC President Malcolm Hill. Hill is teaching a course this quarter on Topical Bible Studies. 

Also, there are some new faces on campus: guest instructor Ray Tenpenny of McMinnville and student Shawn McCormack of Bowling Green, Ky.

Tenpenny visits the Cookeville campus each Monday afternoon to teach Biology and the Bible, a new course which presents biology from a biblical perspective, with special emphasis on creationism versus evolution. He holds bachelor's and master's degrees in biology from Tennessee Technological University, as well as a bachelor's degree in religious education from Tennessee Bible College. He has taught biology and science at various schools, including Motlow Community College in McMinnville, Freed-Hardeman University in Henderson, and high schools in Birmingham, Ala., and Atlanta, Ga. He has also worked for the Centers For Disease Control in Atlanta.

McCormack joins the TBC family in pursuit of a bachelor's degree in religious education. The son of Steve and Gail McCormack of Bowling Green, he is a 2001 graduate of Warren Central High School in Kentucky. He plans to become a preacher.

TBC will also soon see changes in its Distance Learning program, with the recent addition of a new full-time staff member, Mark Day.

Day, a native of Indianapolis, Ind., who currently resides in Cookeville with his wife, Alissa, is revamping the program, making it available online. The change is expected to go into effect in the coming months. These new responsibilities are in addition to the work Day has already done as TBC's part-time audio and video production assistant. He is also a student at the college, anticipating a bachelor's degree in religious education in the spring of 2009. He preaches at Midway Church of Christ near Spencer.

Day said of TBC: "I like the size of the classes. They're small but not too small. And the professors are people you can look up to and feel free to talk with."

Helen Wang, another student from Wuhan, China, is enjoying her college experience as well. She says she's "ready to learn" and plans to take her newfound Bible knowledge back home after graduation and teach others.

She noted the significance of one particular course this quarter, Marriage and the Family: "We have a lot of problems with divorce in China, even in the church. So I hope to gain some knowledge and maybe help people deal with their situation."

And that's just one of many courses available at TBC, with each offering something different and useful in one's Christian walk, according to TBC President Malcolm Hill.

"We have many excellent courses each quarter at Tennessee Bible College, and we certainly look forward to the future and hope others will join us and take advantage."

In addition to a bachelor's degree in religious education, TBC offers master's and doctorate degrees in theology and a two-year preaching diploma. Scholarships and student loans are available to those who qualify. Some credits are transferable to other colleges and universities, including Tennessee Tech University.

For more information, call (931)526-2616.