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Providence Bible College and Theological
Seminary was founded in 1987. Originally known as the
Whitfield Institute in Tidewater, Virginia the history
of PBC&TS has been one of progressive development.
In the desire to model itself after the ministry of
George Whitfield, “that wherever a group of disciples
will gather, leadership training is provided to build up
God’s people,” the Institute emerged with a small group
of students and mostly volunteer staff, bringing an
innovative approach to providing local church members
with excellent training.
The rapid growth of the Institute brought
with it an enthusiasm for a more “structured” academic
program. This led the directors to explore the
possibilities of establishing a Christian liberal arts
university here in Hampton Roads; thereby serving the
community need for a solely Christian undergraduate
program. This endeavor, however proved to be too
extensive for the fledgling university and after much
prayer and counsel, the directors concluded that God’s
desire was that, rather than a university, what He
wanted here was a good solid Bible college. In April
1987, Providence Bible College was established. It is
established as a corporation under the regulations of
the State of Virginia. It is recognized by the Virginia
Council of Higher Education as a “Religious Institution”
and is authorized to grant formal degrees in the areas
that pertain to “Religion”. These degrees range from the
certificate, two year Associate degree, four year
Bachelors degree, through Masters and Doctorate.
We do not grant academic degrees in the Arts or
Sciences. We are a Bible college.
The college was determined by the IRS to
be a non-profit 501 ( c) (3) organization in August
1990, and is exempt from federal income taxes.
In 1995, Dr. Raymond W. Stiles, a local
businessman, with a background in education and law,
took over as President of Providence Bible College. He
is building on the groundwork of past presidents Dr. P.
Russell Berry and Dr. Harold Weston.
Dr. Raymond Stiles’ vision for the future
of the college is exciting. Since becoming President, he
has overseen the formation of the Distance Education
program, the creation of the Graduate School, ACSI
membership, VA approval and the development of the
college logo.
PBC&TS is accredited with Transworld
Accrediting Commission, an international accrediting
agency overseeing the quality of education provided by
smaller Christian colleges and seminaries. In 1995
Providence Bible College joined with ACSI – Association
of Christian Schools International.
Providence Bible College and Theological
Seminary is located in the City of Norfolk, Virginia,
surrounded by the Chesapeake Bay and adjacent to the
resort city of Virginia Beach. It has satellite campuses
throughout Tidewater, including the cities of Norfolk,
Hampton, Chesapeake, Newport News, Portsmouth, and
Virginia Beach.
“Our goal is to prepare Christians
for leadership and service in the church and society
through Christian higher education, spiritual formation,
and direct
application.”
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