Grace Baptist Church is pleased to sponsor the John Leland Baptist College.
Locations:
Currently John Leland Baptist College is offering classes in two locations: Our main campus location is at the Grace Baptist Church, 1300 Mount Vernon Dr., Georgetown, KY 40324; Our North Campus location is the Pleasant View Baptist Church in Bromley, KY.
John Leland:
The College was named after a man who reflects the spirit and beliefs of Independent, Sovereign Grace, Landmark Baptist churches. John Leland (1754-1841) held to the Doctrines of Grace and had the missionary zeal of the Apostle Paul. He had no formal ministerial training and, like us today, believed that the only absolute qualification needed for a gospel preacher was the calling of God. However, Leland knew and appreciated the value of study and learning and was no friend to ignorance. Furthermore, John Leland is well known in American History for his work in the struggle for religious freedom. Much of the credit for the establishment clause of the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, which grants our religious liberty, goes to John Leland. Like many of our Baptist forefathers, he was a true advocate of the separation of church and state even as we are today. Therefore, it is only fitting to name a college after such a distinguished independent Bible believing Baptist minister. The page will soon be expanded.
The Need For John Leland Baptist College
What we are attempting to build here at John Leland is a fully accredited four-year liberal arts college and graduate school that will offer something for all the young people of our Baptist churches. By the term “liberal arts” we simple mean that the college will teach courses in subjects other than the Bible and will offer degrees in fields like Music and Mathematics. At present, our non-ministerial young people have two options concerning a college education: 1) they can chose a secular college which often leads to evolutionary indoctrination and moral decline; or 2) they can chose from one of the many Arminian colleges, which can lead to doctrinal unsoundness. While we do share some common ground with our Arminian brethren, they lack an appreciation for the Doctrines of Grace. Neither of these alternatives are viable options for our young people wishing to pursue a college education. Presently, I know of no college that holds to our Baptist principles, like the Doctrines of Grace and Landmarkism, which offers any career choices for our non-ministerial young people. It seems that every other denomination regardless of how small has at least one fully-accredited college or university for its young people, yet we have none. We desperately need a college where any or all of our young people can go and prepare for the career they believe God is leading them into.
A College To Train Men and Women For the Ministry
We appreciate and support the work of every sound Bible College and Institute, and like them, John Leland will be first and foremost committed to helping young men and women prepare for Christian ministry. However, some of our church schools are limited in the courses they can offer, and many of our young people are interested in more advanced studies in the languages, history, and theology. Presently, there is little to pick from in the way of Graduate Schools and Seminaries. We hope to help fill that need. So, as many colleges are noted for some area of expertise, John Leland will specialize in the field of Biblical Studies and our teachers will hold earned degrees in the fields they teach. We firmly believe that pastors and missionaries should be well-grounded in the Word of God. Certainly, every God-called preacher should prepare for ministry even if it is not in the formal setting of a college classroom, but what better way is there to study the Bible than in a structured classroom setting under ordained Baptist preachers who have acquired expertise in different areas of the Bible. Our Lord himself set the precedent for formal training by spending three years preparing twelve men to carry on his work.