They aim to see each student being transformed to a greater likeness of Jesus Christ, being well rooted in a local church and make disciples, impacting communities, creating a better life for their neighbors.
This world is the only home humans have and all it needs is peace to sustain. There are plenty of institutes educating children, youngsters and adults alike about various subjects. These help on the academic aspect but there are plenty of things that are larger than academics. There was one group who initiated this journey towards seeking a higher power.
In the year 1929, a farm on the outskirts of Kolding in Denmark witnessed a gathering of a large group of young Christians. These people were members of the Apostolic Church which was established in 1924. In due time, more people joined the group and the conferences grew. Eventually, in 1939 when over a 1000 participants came together for a conference, the first course of the Bible college was introduced. Its duration was for 6 weeks and initially was attended by 27 students.
About the Initiation of a Cause
During the Second World War, a group of leaders headed by Sigfrid Beck noticed the rapid growth in the number of participants for the summer camp. This pushed into effect the idea of a Bible College that would help in influencing Europe. A big amount was sanctioned for the construction of this college and while this was happening, the International Apostolic Bible College or IABC became recognized within the Danish school system.
By 1951 a lot of foreign students started flocking the college from countries like Switzerland, Norway and Germany. The completed building was then dedicated to the summer of 1957 when 100 students from various programs enrolled in the camp. The college emphasizes on the Bible in their teachings and theology along with specified focus on practical application. The learning hence, doesn’t only occur in classrooms, but involves students in the context of relevant, local churches.
The prime focus of the IABC is to be the training arm of the church where it has always trained men and women, from any nation, for life and ministry. Since 1949, the school has been a part of the 70 Folk-high schools in Denmark and has been training people to be active participants and influencers in the civil society, whether on a local, national or even global level.
Describing a Unique Personality
The IABC has seen plenty of history being made and one of it being a female appointed as the principal. Mrs. Ingrid Frederiksen was give the position of the Principal in 2015 along with Pastor Peter Prothero from London, and the Chairman of the Board, Pastor Jesper Kure to be the core of leadership in the school. Peter and Jesper have been teaching colleagues at the IABC and are today its vision carriers. Ingrid holds a BA in Business Management which she completed in 1991, post which she found employment as an accountant.
Mrs. Frederiksen has also worked as an administrator at multiple educational institutions and businesses after which she held the position of a Development Worker for 6 years in Zambia. With this role she was able to provide assistance towards the growth and development of several training institutions. Post this she assumed the role of the administrative leader of a Bible College in Zambia. She also went on to complete her M.Sc in management and leadership which has been applicable to the position that she currently holds.
Facilities that the Students can Utilize
Situated on the outskirts of Kolding, IABC is engulfed by a sense of calm and is surrounded by a park with a pond. It has a 5 floor building which also houses other entities such as the local Apostolic church which conducts a wide range of activities during the week, and a drop-in center with a cafe. It also holds the offices of the national church and a Christian boarding school for youths at 16-17 years. The college has planned to build a new church which will have a seating capacity of 750-1000 people and will be linked to the older building. This will make cooperation simpler within the day to day functioning of life mainly within the dining hall and auditorium.
Life on Campus Complete with Diversity
The entire college believes in diversity which is among not only the students but the staff as well. People from countries such as Switzerland, Germany, Belgium, Italy, USA, New Zealand and Lithuania are a part of the present staff. Only one regulation that needs to be maintained according to the Folk-high schools is that it requires Danish students to be a part of the majority at any given time. Nonetheless, the diversity has created a unique culture in school. The campus also has a wide network of partnerships with churches which is enough to attract international students.
The students of IABC are provided with high quality tuition, boarding, as well as meals within a splendid campus. But, being a part of a community they are also given the responsibility of voluntarily participating in practical duties such as cleaning and doing the dishes. There are a few exceptions when it comes to monetary assistance where few students are supported by the church who are mainly investing in their upcoming ministers or leaders.
Implementation of Special Programs
The Bible College doesn’t just focus on academic teaching but also deals with applied theology for life and leadership. These values are put into action at the local churches where the students imbibe them into their lives from leader and peers. The program focuses primarily on leadership, the work of the Holy Spirit, Praise & worship, and Social mission. Every student is taught about the same and they’re also allowed to focus on areas of personal interest each week that is set aside for church involvement.
Adapting to Trends and Extra Curriculars
The students of IABC are also given the opportunity to travel to multiple places to study and analyse the rich history of Christianity. During the spring, students make trips either overseas or within Europe, while in the autumn they are sent on study trips to Israel or Rome. In the past, the college has sent its students to Togo, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Romania, and Moldova. All through the year they also serve at church events all over Denmark. Being an interconnected global community, it enables them to communicate and spread the stories of IABC effectively. As a part of the world today, social media also continues to play a major part in global storytelling.
Building a Road to the Future
IABC credits its biggest achievement to their students as every testimony of theirs has given plenty of courage, along with clear perspective, and the goal to initiate new churches, community projects along with schools and orphanages. They also speak of how they spend everyday in peace living a sound and healthy life while serving God.
Every person who has been a part of this school has built a foundation for themselves on a personal level and there is not a single day that goes to waste. For the future, the college aims to see many men and women awakened to the call of a higher power. This will be done in close cooperation of the churches that are getting the next generation ready to release them into all the areas of society, including the church ministry.
