Bible College of Wales, Sketty
The Bible College of Wales (Trinity School of Ministry from 2009–2012), is a Pentecostal Bible college located along Derwen Fawr Road in Swansea, Wales. Originally based in Swansea, Wales, it was founded in 1924 by Rees Howells.[1]
In 2009, it was relocated from Wales to England and renamed Trinity School of Ministry, run by Global Horizons.[2][3][4] In 2012, Cornerstone Community Church, an independent Pentecostal congregation based in Singapore purchased and refurbished the property at Derwen Fawr.[1][5][6] The college has since been reopened and runs a three-month School of Ministry programme twice a year.[7]
The College's current director, is Pastor Yang Tuck Yoong.[5][8][9]
History
[edit]Prior to starting the Bible College of Wales, founder Rees Howells was part of a ministry in Africa from 1915 to 1920. He left this life behind him to focus on the founding of a training college that could equip the growing number of Christian converts to become missionaries and ministry workers. Inspired by the Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, Illinois, he started a Bible College in Swansea.[10][11]
Despite having only two shillings when he purchased the first property for the Bible College of Wales,[12] he eventually received gifts sufficient to make up for the shortfall.[13][14] He went on to purchase four estates for the College Wales - Glynderwen, Derwen Fawr, Sketty Isaf, and Penllergaer.[10] It formally opened at Glynderwen House, Swansea, UK in 1924.[1]
Rees Howells was director of the college until his death in 1950.[10] He was succeeded by his son Samuel Rees Howells who led the college until a year before his death in 2004.[15][16] The college continued to run under Alan Scotland.[17] In July 2009 the Bible College of Wales saw its last graduation.[18] In September 2009, the college operations moved to Rugby under the name Trinity School of Ministry and was run by Global Horizons.[4]
In December 2012, Cornerstone Community Church of Singapore purchased the Derwen Fawr site[19] and announced intentions to establish a new Bible school on the site while retaining its original name and honouring its heritage and legacy.[20][18] It was reopened and inaugurated on Whit Monday, 2015 under the new leadership.[18]
Accreditation
[edit]The BCW School of Ministry is accredited by the Accreditation Service for International Schools, Colleges & Universities to offer a diploma in ministry.[21]
Notable alumni
[edit]- Reinhard Bonnke[22]
- Evangelist Charles W Doss
Bibliography
[edit]- Samuel, Son and Successor of Rees Howells, by Richard Maton, ByFaith Media, 2012. Covers the story of how the Bible College of Wales was founded, and its full history.
- Samuel Rees Howells: A Life of Intercession, The Legacy of Prayer and Spiritual Warfare of an Intercessor by Richard Maton. Covering the prayers of the Bible College of Wales 1939-2002 and the move from Swansea, to Trinity School of Ministry.
- Rees Howells, Monument of Faith, History of The Bible College of Wales 1922-1932, by Mathew Backholer. Rees Howells was a man of extraordinary faith which propelled him to the forefront as the founder of The Bible College of Wales and a ministry that would touch the world.
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Williams, Nino (25 April 2015). "Former Bible College of Wales set to re-open after major refurbishment". South Wales Evening Post. Archived from the original on 2015-09-15.
- ^ "Global Horizons". Global Connections. 12 Oct 2022.
- ^ "Trinity School of Ministry". The Prodigal Thought. 2 June 2010.
- ^ a b "Historic Welsh Bible college to re-launch in Rugby".
- ^ a b Pettie, Gordon (15 Aug 2020). "Revelation TV Presents - Rees Howells - The Bible College of Wales". Revelation TV.
- ^ Gregor, Gary (14–15 Nov 2015). "Spreading the gospel". South Wales Evening Post. pp. 12–13.
- ^ Peregrine, Chris (26 April 2015). "New Bible college era marked by re-opening, South Wales Evening Post". South Wales Evening Post.
- ^ Yang, Tuck Yoong (4 April 2013). "Redigging Wells of the Welsh Revival". Charisma Magazine.
- ^ Sheets, Dutch (30 September 2015). "Re-Digging the Wells of Revival: Dutch Sheets' Visits to Cane Ridge and Wales". Charisma Magazine.
- ^ a b c Grubb, Norman (1988). Rees Howells: Intercessor. CLC Publications.
- ^ Morgan, Densil D. (2016). The Span of the Cross: Christian Religion and Society in Wales 1914-2000. University of Wales Press. p. 194. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
- ^ "Two Shillings Founded the College". Daily Mirror. 29 May 1939. p. 25.
- ^ Muller, George (Feb 1996). The Autobiography of George Muller. Whitaker House, U.S. ISBN 9780883681596.
- ^ Holland, Billy (4 Oct 2019). "George Müller – a man of faith". Jackson Sun.
- ^ Maton, Richard (2012). Samuel, Son and Successor of Rees Howells. ByFaith Media.
- ^ Maton, Richard (2012). Samuel Rees Howells: A Life of Intercession, The Legacy of Prayer and Spiritual Warfare of an Intercessor. ByFaith Media.
- ^ Backholer, Paul (21 August 2020). "Rees Howells Intercessor, Intercession, Revival and the Bible College of Wales". ByFaith Media.
- ^ a b c "Former Bible College of Wales set to re-open after major refurbishment". South Wales Evening Post. 25 April 2015. Archived from the original on 2015-09-15.
- ^ "History". Archived from the original on 2014-03-15. Retrieved 2013-03-10.
- ^ "Arise and Build!". Archived from the original on 2013-10-27. Retrieved 2013-03-10.
- ^ "School of Ministry Curriculum". BCW. Retrieved 2022-04-22.
- ^ Eddy, Melissa (12 Dec 2019). "Reinhard Bonnke, the 'Billy Graham of Africa,' Dies at 79". The New York Times.
External links
[edit]- Bible College of Wales - official site
- Rees Howells - official site of Rees Howells
- Rees Howells, Intercessor DVD Official DVD on the life of Rees Howells
- Samuel, Son and Successor of Rees Howells The full history of the Bible College of Wales, with many photos of Rees and Samuel Howells, plus the College buildings.
- Samuel Rees Howells: A Life of Intercession. Covering the prayers of the Bible College of Wales, and the reasons for the move to Trinity School of Ministry 1939-2002.
- Rees Howells’ God Challenges the Dictators, Doom of Axis Powers Predicted Rees Howells’ God Challenges the Dictators, Doom of Axis Powers Predicted.
- Rees Howells, Vision Hymns Rees Howells, Vision Hymns of Spiritual Warfare Intercessory Declarations.
- Rees Howells, Life of Faith Rees Howells, Life of Faith, Intercession, Spiritual Warfare & Walking in the Spirit.
- Rees Howells, Monument of Faith Rees Howells, Monument of Faith, History of The Bible College of Wales 1922-1932.