Charlotte Christian College and Theological Seminary

Charlotte Christian College and Theological Seminary (formerly New Life Theological Seminary) is an evangelical Christian college and seminary in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. The Seminary was established in 1996 by Eddie G. Grigg,^[1] a pastor, educator, and theologian. The Seminary was approved as a degree-granting institution in 1997.^[2] Grigg holds an honorary doctorate awarded by New Life Theological Seminary. Grigg also holds a Master of Divinity with Religious Education from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and a Bachelor of Arts in Religion from Gardner-Webb University. Grigg was licensed into the Gospel Ministry by Oak Grove Baptist Church, Kings Mountain, North Carolina in 1975 and Ordained to the Gospel Ministry by Oak Grove Baptist Church at the request of Victory Baptist Church of Grover, North Carolina in 1976, one year after being called to serve as lead pastor. Other North Carolina churches Grigg served includes: Christian Freedom Baptist Church of Kings Mountain, Pleasant Hill Baptist Church of Shelby, Wilson Grove Baptist Church of Charlotte, and Founder of New Life Baptist Church in 1993. During his studies at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (1981-1985) Grigg served as senior pastor of Sanford Memorial Baptist Church in the town of Brodnax, Virginia.

History and location

In 1997, a church school (original incorporated as New Life University in 1996) began offering courses on the campus of New Life Baptist Church in northeast Charlotte, NC. At the time, Dr. Eddie Grigg was the senior pastor of this congregation. The school became New Life Theological Seminary in April 1999 and began seeking recognized accreditation. The institution received TRACS accreditation in 2003, complemented by its move to a campus near the heart of Charlotte. Whiting Avenue Baptist Church graciously donated their 37,000-square-foot (3,400 m²) facility on 2.5 acres (10,000 m²) of land near Uptown Charlotte in 2002.^[3] In 2003, the institution began offering classes at 3117 Whiting Avenue in the NoDa neighborhood. The facility was renovated in 2007 to meet ADA standards, house administrative offices and classrooms, and provide wireless Internet access throughout the building. In 2014 an addition of a study mezzanine was constructed and along with additional ADA upgrades.

New Life Theological Seminary received Reaffirmation I in April 2013 which is good until April 2023. Encouraged by the progress of the institution, the Board of Directors, working with key institutional leadership, developed an aggressive plan for growth of the institution. The Board officially approved the plan during its regular session February 23, 2014. This plan included a name change to become Charlotte Christian College and Theological Seminary. April 4, 2014, the North Carolina Secretary of State approved the name change, followed by the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools on June 26, 2014. The institution did not go public with the name change until Fall Convocation, August 26, 2014. During the Convocation, President Grigg laid out the vision for the next phase of development and growth and shared that the institution "must be more than just a seminary if we are to impact our cities for Christ." After a passionate sharing of the vision, Dr. Paul Boatner, TRACS President, assisted President Grigg in unveiling the new logo to a standing ovation.

Accreditation and recognition

Charlotte Christian College and Theological Seminary is accredited by the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools,^[4] an accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).^[5] The institution is listed as a "Yellow Ribbon" school by the Department of Veteran Affairs.^[6]

Courses

Associate of Arts (A.A.)

Biblical Studies

Urban Christian Ministries

Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)

Biblical Studies

Concentrations in: Biblical Languages New Testament Old Testament Theology

Pastoral Studies

Urban Christian Ministries

Concentrations in: Counseling Christian Education Church Planting Youth Ministry Cross-Cultural Studies Sacred Music

Master of Arts (M.A.)

Biblical Studies

Concentrations in: Old Testament New Testament Theology

Urban Christian Ministries

Concentrations in: Sacred Music Church Planting Multi-Cultural Studies Youth Ministry

Master of Divinity (M.Div.)

Concentrations in: Chaplaincy Pastoral Counseling Pastoral Ministry General Pastoral Studies

Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.)

Charlotte Christian College and Theological Seminary operates on a semester system. The institution focuses on practical training for inner-city ministers; most courses are held in the evening to accommodate working adults. The institution employs a "flipped and blended" approach to education. The classroom hours required for classes are less than comparable classes in other institutions with most of the course instruction being delivered through web-based software. The institution offers students the option of distance learning and every class taught on campus is also available online.

Students supplement classroom time with guided, extra-curricular readings, practicums, and volunteer hours.

Though most students are pursuing undergraduate degrees, the Seminary offers several graduate programs: the M.A. in Biblical Studies, the M.A. in Urban Christian Ministry, and the Master of Divinity. The M.Div. offers specializations in pastoral studies, pastoral counseling, and chaplaincy. Dr. Billy O.Fleming, Jr. heads this program. He serves as the Head of the Department of Pastoral Studies. The Doctor of Ministry degree program was added in 2015 and is designed to allow the student to focus on areas of personal weakness, enabling the graduate to be well-rounded in their skills for ministry.

Library

The library occupies the former church sanctuary, being renovated in 2007 and 2014. The library has 27,000 volumes, 60 periodical subscriptions, and subscribes to the ATLA database. The collections' strengths are in pastoral ministry and urban ministries, drawing from scholarship in urban sociology, urban anthropology, and urban theology. The library is a member of Carolinas Theological Library Consortium,^[7] a regional consortium of the American Theological Library Association (ATLA). Robert McInnes is the Head Librarian (MLIS, UNC-Greensboro, 2012).

References

1. http://www.secretary.state.nc.us/corporations/Corp.aspx?PitemId=4745696[]

2. http://web.archive.org/web/20101011122037/http://www.northcarolina.edu:80/aa/ncsaa/programs.htm

3. http://infoweb.newsbank.com.ezproxycms.plcmc.net/iw-search/we/InfoWeb? p_product=NewsBank&p_theme=aggregated5&p_action=doc&p_docid=0F2A0691F0EE8909&p_docnum=2&p_queryname=4

4. http://web.archive.org/web/20100627160949/http://www.tracs.org:80/member.htm

5. http://www.chea.org/search/actionInst.asp?CheaID=169162

6. http://www.gibill.va.gov/gi_bill_info/ch33/YRP/2010/states/nc.htm

7. http://web.archive.org/web/20100613170207/http://www.westcabarruschurch.com:80/pages/page.asp?page_id=91543

8. http://web.archive.org/web/20100713003242/http://www.atla.com/ctlc/ctlc.html

External links

• Charlotte Christian College and Theological Seminary

Coordinates: 35°14′34″N 80°48′09″W / 35.2428°N 80.8025°W / 35.2428; -80.8025