• Abstract and Figures
• Public Full-text

CHALLENGE AND ACHIEVEMENT: CELEBRATING 100 YEARS A Brief Historical Sketch of the COLLEGE OF THE BIBLE, known after 1989 as the CHURCHES OF CHRIST THEOLOGICAL COLLEGE Published by Churches of Christ Theological College 44-60 Jacksons Rd Mulgrave Melbourne 2006 Copyright © 2006 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form by any means; electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without permission. Chapman, Graeme. Challenge & Achievement: Celebrating One Hundred Years A Brief Historical Sketch of the College of the Bible, known after 1989 as the Churches of Christ Theological College ISBN No 0 9775902 0 8 Published in Australia by the Churches of Christ Theological College Melbourne 2006 ­­Contents Foreword...................................................................................................... .5 Introduction................................................................................................ 7 Earlier.Initiatives...................................................................................... 9 Principal.Harward.(1907.-.1910)........................................................... 11 Principal.Main.(1911.-.1938)................................................................ 15 Principal.Scambler.(1939.-.1944)........................................................... 21 Principal.Williams.(1944.-.1973).......................................................... 25 Principal.Bowes.(1974.-.1980)).............................................................. 31 Principal.Tabbernee.(1981.-.1990)......................................................... 37 Principal.Elsdon.(1993.-.1999).............................................................. 47 Principal.Kitchen.(2000.- )..................................................................... 55 Into.the.Future.......................................................................................... 61 Enrolment.Statistics.................................................................................. 63 Foreword am particularly grateful to those who helped with the production of this book.. CCTC placed at my disposal its historical records. Theresa Taylor, friend and office administrator at CCTC, answered endless queries, scanned photos, checked Ithrough the manuscript for omissions and errors, and, along with her husband Malcolm, accommodated me when I came to Melbourne to conduct research for the book. I am also indebted to Theresa for designing the layout and preparing the manuscript for publication. I am grateful to Arthur Titter for digging out and collating enrolment figures. Others to whom my gratitude is due are those who painstakingly worked their way through the manuscript—Dr. Merryl Blair, Dr. Keith Bowes, Dr. Stephen Curkpatrick, Dr. Greg Elsdon, Principal Merrill Kitchen, Dr. Alan Niven, Mr. Gordon Stirling, Dr. Bill Tabbernee, Mr. Graham Warne and Mr. Graeme Wigney. Graeme Chapman Ararat 2006 Introduction t was 100 years ago, on the 12 February 1907, that the College held its inaugural session. This year we celebrate the centenary of that event. IOver the past one hundred years the College has not only been amazingly resilient, but has addressed itself to changing circumstances and challenging events, from the Depression of the 1930’s to current government regulation and facilitation. These challenges helped grow the College from a small, domestic school, designed to provide preachers for local churches, to a highly respected, ecumenical, educational institution. Over the course of those hundred years, there has been a great broadening of the College’s offerings. The college initially offered a Diploma in Ministry, the recognition of which was confined to Churches of Christ. Through its association with the Melbourne College of Divinity, the College now offers undergraduate and post-graduate degrees, as well as double degrees with Monash University. Furthermore, the college began as a live-in institution for mostly young, single males, who felt a call to local or overseas ministry. It has become a largely non-residential hub, not only for those responding to a call to full-time ministry within Churches of Christ, but to a broad spectrum of committed Christians from a range of denominational backgrounds, some headed for full-time ministry, and others desirous of increasing their knowledge of the faith and enhancing their capacity for service. The change in the name of the College, from College of the Bible to the Churches of Christ Theological College, reflected these changes. The name “The College of the Bible” was based on a sister institution in Lexington, USA, where the name distinguished it from other faculties, eg. The College of Medicine, in the university with which it was associated. Throughout the course of the College’s history it has continued to serve the changing needs of the churches that brought it into existence. Its ministry to Churches of Christ has broadened in response to changes in church and society, changes reflected in the increasing number of women who have availed themselves of its offerings and served on its faculty. The fact that the current principal is a woman, which is a cause for celebration, would hardly have been anticipated, let alone theologically acceptable in 1907! What follows is a brief sketch of major transitions in the College’s history, transitions that highlight the resilience, foresight and creativity of those who have guided the fortunes of the College over the years. For those interested in a more detailed history, All.to.the.Glory.of .God, compiled by Ken Clinton and Keith Bowes, which brings the story up to 1981, is an excellent resource. The bulk of the earlier material in this review derives from this source. Because the history of the College since 1981 has not been written up, material from the Tabbernee years to the present is slightly more extensive than is the case with the eras covered in All.to.the.Glory.of .God. An in-depth history of COB/CCTC, which has still to be written, awaits the energy of a future historian. Many names are missing from this history. The college could not have survived and thrived without its staunch supporters—board members, donors, publicists and volunteers, of which there have been thousands over the years. Our buildings and grounds would not have been maintained, our library serviced, our kitchen kept operational, our functions held, or our presence recognized in States other than Victoria without an army of volunteers. The tasks that volunteers have attended to are too numerous to mention. It was impossible to include a complete list of volunteers in this brief sketch. This list would take up more space than the narrative. Those who have been mentioned have been included because of their length of service or because of the nature of their contribution. Because it was so difficult to draw the line, I was tempted to leave everyone out, but this would have been inappropriate. If your name does not appear in the record it is not because your contribution was not appreciated, but because a line had to be drawn somewhere. To those of you who are unnamed, accept my thanks, and that of the College for your vital contribution to the ministry of COB/ CCTC. Earlier­­Initiatives he pioneers of Churches of Christ in Australia, largely laymen, recognized the need for full-time evangelists. The TAmerican, or American-trained evangelists, who arrived in Australia after 1865, tutored colonials in the basics of ministry, particularly preaching, often boarding them in their own homes. Because of the esteem in which these Americans were held, young men wishing to train adequately for ministry began to turn their attention to American colleges that had played a part in educating their mentors. The bulk of those who went to America H.S.­­Earl­­MA to train did not return. They met and married American girls. Thus began a colonial “brain drain” that Australian churches could ill-afford. This predicament worsened as the nineteenth century drew to a close. In an attempt to arrest the exodus of young men, an attempt was made to establish a Bible College in Adelaide, but sufficient finance could not be raised despite the fact that appeals were made in Australia, America, and Britain. Some training was given, but on a part-time basis. An attempt to broaden the financial and management base of the Adelaide Bible College was aborted through lack of enthusiasm and financial support on the part of the other colonies. For its part, Victoria would have preferred the college to be located in Melbourne. O.A.­­Carr Victoria instigated several initiatives - the Victorian Biblical Training Institute, pioneered by J.K. Henshelwood, and later, The Australian College of the Bible, which developed from the work of W.C. Morro BA and J. Johnson MA. In Sydney, G.T. Walden MA set up a speakers training class, which had the support of R.C. Edwards, who offered to finance secretarial assistance to Walden. The latter, after 1902, became known as the Campbell Edwards Training Class. While commendable, these training classes for preachers were inadequate. It was increasingly recognized that a more substantial institution, where young men could give their whole time to G.L.­­Surber preparing themselves for ministry, was a necessity. A more thorough investigation of the possibility of such an institution gathered pace in the new century, and resulted in 1906 in the adoption, by the Federal

Load more

  64

Copy Link