RBC Celebrates 5th Anniversary

“The crown jewel of my vision was to start a Reformed Bible college. It would not be large, but it would be influential.” —Dr. R.C. Sproul

On September 2, 2016, current students, alumni, friends, and Ligonier staff gathered together to celebrate the 5th anniversary of Reformation Bible College. Academic Dean and Professor of theology, John Tweeddale, noted that this event provided “an opportunity to reflect on the mercy of God as a college.” And no one is better suited to offer such reflections than RBC Chancellor and founding President, Dr. R.C. Sproul. Joined by his wife, Vesta, Dr. Sproul took a few moments to reflect on why he founded the college and on his hopes for the college.

Dr. Sproul started with the Reformation, noting how Luther and Calvin were first-rate scholars who “also had an uncanny ability to take their case to the people. They were battlefield theologians and they understood they were in a spiritual war.” The impact of the Reformers, and especially the impact of the educational institutions they founded, has been in the forefront of Dr. Sproul’s vision for Ligonier Ministries. It led to the taping of teaching series, to hosting conferences, to starting Reformation Trust, and producing the Reformation Study Bible. “But the crown jewel of the vision for me,” he told the RBC community, “was to start a Reformed Bible college.” He continued to tell us that his dream was never to have a cast of thousands. His hopes are not for the college to be large, but to be influential. His hope is to have a small college full of articulate and dedicated students who would know the faith, defend the faith, and contend for the faith.

As Dr. Sproul closed out his remarks, he expressed his gratitude that the dream of starting a college has become a reality. He told the students, “You are here. The faculty is here. We are here. And we are seeing the invisible hand of God’s providence at work right here, right now.”