Laidlaw College, formerly known as Bible College of New Zealand (BCNZ), is an evangelical

Evangelicalism

Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...

 Bible college

Bible college

Bible colleges are institutions of higher education that specialize in biblical studies. Curriculum is Bible-based and differs from that of liberal arts colleges or research universities. Bible colleges generally exclude the study of philosophy, unlike seminaries and theological colleges...

 in New Zealand

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

. The college offers tertiary courses in biblical

Biblical studies

Biblical studies is the academic study of the Judeo-Christian Bible and related texts. For Christianity, the Bible traditionally comprises the New Testament and Old Testament, which together are sometimes called the "Scriptures." Judaism recognizes as scripture only the Hebrew Bible, also known as...

, theological

Theology

Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...

, historical

History

History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...

 and pastor

Pastor

The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....

al studies. It also offers teaching and counseling degrees. Some students go on to serve as pastor

Pastor

The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....

s and missionaries, both full-time and part-time.

History

The college began in 1922 as the Bible Training Institute (BTI) under the leadership of Rev. Joseph Kemp

Joseph Kemp

Joseph William Kemp was a Baptist minister and preacher, a revivalist, and a leader of the Christian fundamentalist movement in New Zealand...

, a Baptist

Baptist

Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...

 preacher

Preacher

Preacher is a term for someone who preaches sermons or gives homilies. A preacher is distinct from a theologian by focusing on the communication rather than the development of doctrine. Others see preaching and theology as being intertwined...

 and pastor of the Auckland Baptist Tabernacle

Auckland Baptist Tabernacle

The Auckland Baptist Tabernacle is a heritage-listed church located near the corner of Queen Street and Karangahape Road, at the edge of Auckland central business district in New Zealand.-History:...

. In 1972 the Institute was renamed the Bible College of New Zealand. It has since grown to become one of the largest tertiary theological institutions in the South Pacific

Oceania

Oceania is a region centered on the islands of the tropical Pacific Ocean. Conceptions of what constitutes Oceania range from the coral atolls and volcanic islands of the South Pacific to the entire insular region between Asia and the Americas, including Australasia and the Malay Archipelago...

.

In June 2008, BCNZ announced it had acquired MASTERS Institute, a school of education for training primary school teachers. In August 2008, the enlarged college was renamed Laidlaw College in honour of Robert Laidlaw

Robert Laidlaw

Robert Laidlaw was a New Zealand business man who founded the Farmers Trading Company, one of the largest department store chains in New Zealand. He was also a Christian writer and philanthropist.-Biography:...

.

Along with the transition to a new name in August 2008, College programmes underwent a process of simplification and strengthening. All degree students at Laidlaw now study a core set of courses designed to ground students in the biblical story and bring them into "thoughtful dialogue with different perspectives" to prepare for "effective engagement with society."]]. These courses are:

• Biblical Theology – learning the big story
• Ways of Knowing – laying down the core skills of thinking well
• Formation – building a faith of the heart and of the mind
• Worldview and Ways of Life – beginning to grapple with the big ideas