The Bible Seminary (TBS) exists to provide Christ-centered, Bible-based spiritual nurture, theological education, and practical ministry training in the context of biblical community in all 66 books of the Bible so Christian believers can serve the local church and fulfill the Great Commission by the power of God’s Spirit.
Distinctively clear doctrinal and ethos statements
Organized in 2008 as a Bible Institute, TBS registered in 2010 as a Domestic Non-profit Corporation in the state of Texas and received federal recognition as a 501(c)(3) Charitable Institution of Higher Education. The seminary aims to help nurture a biblically literate populace via comprehensive, strategic Bible-based training for laity and vocational ministry professionals. As an independent, non-denominational, and charitable educational institution, TBS works with ministry leaders in regional communities to integrate studies of the Bible with instruction in historical, theological, and practical disciplines critical to developing professional skills for 21st century ministry.
Rooted in seven core values and a commitment to graduate all students with no seminary debt, TBS graduate programs offer experiential education through classroom instruction, community-based training with active ministry professionals, and unique study tour opportunities.
Accolades of the Seminary
The Texas Workforce Commission and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board granted exemptions to TBS in 2011. The seminary has been an Affiliate of the Association for Biblical Higher Education (ABHE) since 2012, and an approved CEU provider for the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) since 2015.
About the Enlightened Educator
TBS Provost, Dr. Scott Stripling, is an active archaeologist and board member of the near East Archaeological Society. He currently serves as the Director of Excavations at Shiloh, and has served as Director of the Khirbet el-Maqatir Project since 2010.
Dr. Stripling’s work includes reviewing research conclusions made by Edward Robinson (1800s), William Albright (1900s), Kathleen Kenyon (1950s), and Israel Finkelstein (present), some of which have been used to claim that Scripture is not synonymous with archaeological findings and therefore neither a trustworthy holy book nor God’s Word. However, new archaeological discoveries and scientific verifications are providing more data and evidence that factually support Biblical texts.
Under Dr. Stripling’s guidance, archaeological teams exploring from a framework of faith are conducting superior excavations and research, and examining the findings of previous archaeologists very thoroughly. Recent findings and more thorough understandings of previous findings are so biblically, historically, and scientifically above reproach that some of the most ardent pessimists have recently started questioning the reliability of their doubts, and believers are finding relief in factual evidence proving that their faith has been well-placed all along.
Comprehensive, Strategic and Experiential Education
TBS programs include a non-degree Bible Certificate program for laity; a non-degree Licensed Professional program for persons seeking core graduate-level education for ministry leadership; and Dual Degree Completion, Master of Arts, and Master of Divinity degree programs.
Graduate students at TBS engage in vocational work, missional experiences, and study tour opportunities as part of their degree program. For example, visiting locations throughout Israel allows students to see, hear, smell, taste, and feel the Bible instead of just studying it remotely. The institution’s “the world is our campus” regional communities model incorporates a core administrative campus in Katy, Texas; a network of vocational service opportunities and teaching sites primarily via churches and ministries in regional areas; and missional and study tour opportunities worldwide. Essentially a plug-in seminary, TBS partners with churches and ministries who want to offer live, local certificate and degree options to their members and constituent communities.
Prominent Personalities of TBS
Dr. K. Lynn Lewis serves as President and Professor of Biblical Preaching, Leadership, and Spiritual Formation and Ministry.
Dr. Scott Stripling serves as Provost and Professor of Biblical Archaeology and Church History.
Dr. Doug Petrovich, an archaeologist, historian, epigrapher, Egyptologist, and author of The World’s Oldest Alphabet: Hebrew as the Language of the Proto-Consonantal Script, serves as full-time Professor of Biblical History and Exegesis.
In addition, TBS currently employs more than 20 adjunct faculty, and partners with more than 50 ministry professionals and mentors who serve as part of the teaching team.
Rooted Locally – Connected Globally
TBS graduates are currently serving as church pastors, on church and para-church ministry staff, in various other careers, and as foreign missionaries. Some graduates are also pursuing doctoral degrees.
Situated amidst one of the largest metro populations and in the proximity of the most diverse local community in the United States, TBS leaders and students with vastly diverse backgrounds study and serve together with common bonds of Jesus as Lord and the Bible as the Word of God. They also enjoy a vast array of vibrant life and ministry connections, as well as educational and vocational opportunities, around the world.
