Central Christian College of the Bible

Background and History

Founded in 1957, Central Christian College of the Bible in Moberly, Missouri is an accredited (Association for Biblical Higher Education) four-year college supported by Independent Christian Churches/Churches of Christ to prepare leaders with biblical instruction and practical training for service around the world. Central enrolls over 500 students each year (as of 2006), providing full-tuition scholarships, which allows students the opportunity to train free of educational debt. Central is less a college and more a vocational ministry school that seeks to train ministers to further the Kingdom of God. The focus is not only education, but also practical ministry. They offer Bachelors of Arts and Bachelors of Science on the following: Christian Education, Christian Counselors, Pastoral Ministry, Youth Minister, Bachelors of Religious Studies, Music Ministry, General Ministry and Cross-Cultural Ministry.

__TOC__
The founding board of directors, meeting in February 1957, was led by chairman O.S. Lincoln in unanimously declaring and affirming that "the purpose of the school is to recruit and train leadership for the church at large according to the New Testament teaching." Central remains exclusively committed to pursuing this purpose.

From 1957 to 1968 the college’s campus was located east of downtown Moberly on Ault Street. In 1968 the college moved to its present campus in southeastern Moberly.

Over these years, the college has grown in its facilities, its resources, and its family of alumni. Graduates of Central Christian College of the Bible are serving across the nation and around the world.
The college recently began serving students with online courses taught by instructors from Central and other brotherhood Bible colleges. The College currently offers eighteen online courses between their faculty and the offerings of other participating colleges. The college is working to develop additional future offerings.

Mission

"Central Christian College of the Bible exists to develop servant-leaders for the church."

As a traditional undergraduate Bible college, Central equips men and women for leadership in the Kingdom of God both nationally and internationally.

Central provides both associate's and bachelor's degrees that equip students with a Bible-centered higher educational foundation within the context of a Christian worldview, and help students become productive, contributing members of their communities.

Affiliated with the Restoration Movement, Central seeks to graduate faithful servant-leaders distinguished by authentic Christian character, who have the ability to communicate the Gospel effectively and become disciple-makers worldwide. This mission obeys the Biblical mandates of 2 Timothy 2:2, "Pass on what you heard from me…to reliable leaders who are competent to teach others" Message and Matthew 28:19, "Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations... " 1

Faculty

The faculty includes many published scholars, including President Ronald L. Oakes, D.Min.; Chancellor Lloyd Pelfrey, M.A.; Vice President David B. Fincher, Ph.D.; C. J. Dull, Ph.D.; Richard Koffarnus, M.Div.; Gareth L. Reese, M.Div.; and Daniel D. Schantz, M.A. The adjunct faculty includes three-time Emmy award winning documentary producer and photographer Anthony Beaverson.

The Campus

Central's campus is located on 40 acres in the southeastern part of Moberly. Moberly High School and Zion Lutheran Church are adjacent to the College’s campus. Timber Lake Christian Church and the YMCA are within walking distance. Privately owned affordable housing is available nearby for married students. To find the campus, take US Highway 63 to Moberly and exit at Route M/Urbandale Drive. Follow the signs west one-mile and the campus is on the right side of the street.

Central's campus features six buildings and two outdoor athletic fields. Pelfrey Hall contains the cafeteria, gymnasium, offices, classrooms and coffee house. Reese Resource Center, completed in 2001, contains the library and bookstore. Lang Hall is the men’s dormitory and Spurling Hall is the women’s dormitory. North of Pelfrey Hall is the maintenance facility. The newest building on campus is Foundation Hall, which opened for residents for the Fall 2004 semester and houses men and women on separate floors.

Athletics

The CCCB Saints hold dual afffiliation with both the Association of Christian College Athletics (ACCA) and the National Christian College Athletics Assocation (NCCAA). The Men's Soccer team placed 2nd in the 2007 ACCA National Tournament, and won the 2008 ACCA National Tournament. The team placed 8th in the NCCAA Division II National Championships.

Central also offers women's volleyball and both men's and women's basketball. The women's basketball program placed third in the Midwest Christian College Conference in 2006.

The Community

Moberly, Missouri is located approximately 30 miles north of Columbia, Missouri. According to the 2007 census bureau estimate, the population of Moberly was 14,093. The city was incorporated in 1868. The Moberly Micropolitan Statistical Area consists of Randolph County. Moberly offers excellent medical and other professional services.

Transportation

Moberly is served by a municipal airport. Commercial service is available in Columbia at the Columbia Regional Airport. Moberly is serviced by U.S. Route 63, which travels north and south and interects with Interstate 70 at Columbia, halfway between Kansas City and St. Louis. U.S. Route 24 travels East and West and passes through Moberly at the north edge of town. The Norfolk Southern Railway also serves Moberly, running west toward Kansas City, Missouri and east toward Hannibal, Missouri. Norfolk Southern Railway also runs south between Moberly and St. Louis, Missouri. Moberly was once a thriving railroad town and now has a railroad museum for railroad enthusiasts.

Educational Opportunities in the Community

The town has several elementary schools, a middle school, a high school and a vocational-technical center. Moberly is also home to two colleges; Central Christian College of the Bible and Moberly Area Community College. Graduate education is available through William Woods University, which has a satellite program offering Masters degrees in Business Administration and Education Administration, as well as an Education Specialist degree. Columbia College also offers a satellite program with a variety of academic options.

Recreation and Entertainment

Moberly offers two golf courses, several lakes in and near Moberly that offer sporting and recreational opportunities, public areas for camping and hunting, an excellent parks and recreation system, bowling, a Carnegie Library, a drive-in theater, shopping, coffee houses, fine dining, local college and high school sporting events, and NCAA Division I sporting events, including the top-ranked Missouri Tigers football team just a half-hour away in Columbia.

Alummi Association

In May 2007, Central Christian College organized an Alumni Association. The official purpose is to be "an advisory council to the CCCB President that provides a voice for graduates and former students in the ongoing development & growth of Central Christian College of the Bible. The Alumni Association also serves as a fellowship association that connects graduates and former students together to develop a strong sense of fellowship and pride in the College. One of the main projects that the Alumni Association has is the annual "Alumni Homecoming."