Roanoke Bible College
Encyclopedia
Mid-Atlantic Christian University or MACU (formerly Roanoke Bible College) is a private Christian
college located in Elizabeth City
, North Carolina
, United States. It is supported by Christian churches and churches of Christ, which is part of the Restoration Movement
. MACU is a four-year, co-educational institution and is authorized to award Bachelor's
and Associate's
degrees.
and his wife, Sarah, to train preachers for churches in eastern North Carolina
and the Tidewater
region of Virginia
. The BonDurants had previously founded Atlanta Christian College
in 1937 and George BonDurant served as its first President until 1947, when he left over a dispute with the trustees. George BonDurant then found employment as an evangelist of the Roanoke District Churches of Christ in eastern North Carolina
in 1947.
The BonDurants founded MACU due to the extreme lack of preachers in the area at the time. Classes began in 1948 with 12 full-time students. The first group of transfer students graduated in 1950 and the first class to complete all four years at MACU graduated in 1952.
MACU has been accredited by the Association for Biblical Higher Education since 1979. It has been accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
since 1999.
MACU absorbed the remaining funds, library holdings, and equipment from Eastern Christian College
when it closed in 2005.
MACU officially changed its name to Mid-Atlantic Christian University in the summer of 2009. Enrollment at MACU reached 178 students in the fall semester of 2010.Hampton, Jeff. Elizabeth City university identifies student slain on campus, October 4, 2010, The Virginian Pilot.
On October 3, 2010, sophomore Jonathan Schipper was shot to death in his room in the Pearl A. Presley Hall, bringing MACU national news attention. The school normally does not allow guns on campus. This is the only violent crime ever reported on MACU's campus.
and College of the Albemarle
allowing dual enrollment. The school has a Student-faculty ratio of 14-1, an average class size of 15, and 80% of faculty have a Ph.D. or equivalent.
All students major in Bible
, and can double major in Applied Linguistics, Cross-Cultural Ministry, General Ministry, Leadership & Administration, Preaching, or Youth and Family Ministry.
In addition to the previously mentioned sports, MACU has had in the past, and hopes to have in the future, the following varsity sports: women's basketball, co-ed soccer, and men's soccer. MACU also has intramural sports that vary by semester. They have included but are not limited to the following: flag football, basketball, volleyball, kick ball, wiffle ball, and many more.
There are also tournaments played among the students in the lobbies utilizing the pool table, ping pong table and foosball table. MACU is an active campus if you plug yourself in and be a part of what's happening!
, less than a mile from downtown Elizabeth City
, North Carolina
. East and West campus are divided by North Poindexter Street.
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
college located in Elizabeth City
Elizabeth City, North Carolina
Elizabeth City is a city in Pasquotank County and Camden County in the State of North Carolina. With a population of 18,683 at the 2010 census, Elizabeth City is the county seat of Pasquotank County....
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, United States. It is supported by Christian churches and churches of Christ, which is part of the Restoration Movement
Restoration Movement
The Restoration Movement is a Christian movement that began on the American frontier during the Second Great Awakening of the early 19th century...
. MACU is a four-year, co-educational institution and is authorized to award Bachelor's
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
and Associate's
Associate's degree
An associate degree is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by community colleges, junior colleges, technical colleges, and bachelor's degree-granting colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study usually lasting two years...
degrees.
History
Mid-Atlantic Christian University was founded as Roanoke Bible College in 1948 by George W. BonDurantGeorge W. BonDurant
George William BonDurant is a retired American preacher who was influential in the Restoration Movement of Christianity during the 20th century. He was the founder and first President of both Atlanta Christian College and Mid-Atlantic Christian University...
and his wife, Sarah, to train preachers for churches in eastern North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
and the Tidewater
Tidewater region of Virginia
The Tidewater region of Virginia is the eastern portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia formally known as Hampton Roads. The term tidewater may be correctly applied to all portions of any area, including Virginia, where the water level is affected by the tides...
region of Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. The BonDurants had previously founded Atlanta Christian College
Atlanta Christian College
Point University is a private, Christian, liberal arts university in East Point, Georgia, southwest of Atlanta....
in 1937 and George BonDurant served as its first President until 1947, when he left over a dispute with the trustees. George BonDurant then found employment as an evangelist of the Roanoke District Churches of Christ in eastern North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
in 1947.
The BonDurants founded MACU due to the extreme lack of preachers in the area at the time. Classes began in 1948 with 12 full-time students. The first group of transfer students graduated in 1950 and the first class to complete all four years at MACU graduated in 1952.
MACU has been accredited by the Association for Biblical Higher Education since 1979. It has been accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools is one of the six regional accreditation organizations recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation...
since 1999.
MACU absorbed the remaining funds, library holdings, and equipment from Eastern Christian College
Eastern Christian College
Eastern Christian College or ECC is a defunct co-educational, private Christian college that was located in Bel Air, Maryland, United States. It was supported by Christian churches and churches of Christ, which is part of the Restoration Movement.- History :...
when it closed in 2005.
MACU officially changed its name to Mid-Atlantic Christian University in the summer of 2009. Enrollment at MACU reached 178 students in the fall semester of 2010.Hampton, Jeff. Elizabeth City university identifies student slain on campus, October 4, 2010, The Virginian Pilot.
On October 3, 2010, sophomore Jonathan Schipper was shot to death in his room in the Pearl A. Presley Hall, bringing MACU national news attention. The school normally does not allow guns on campus. This is the only violent crime ever reported on MACU's campus.
Academics
Current enrollment is 190 with approximately 15 faculty members. MACU has agreements with Elizabeth City State UniversityElizabeth City State University
Elizabeth City State University is a public, historically black college located in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, in the United States...
and College of the Albemarle
College of The Albemarle
College of the Albemarle is a community college located in the Albemarle region of northeastern North Carolina. The main campus is located in Elizabeth City with satellite campuses in Manteo and Edenton...
allowing dual enrollment. The school has a Student-faculty ratio of 14-1, an average class size of 15, and 80% of faculty have a Ph.D. or equivalent.
All students major in Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
, and can double major in Applied Linguistics, Cross-Cultural Ministry, General Ministry, Leadership & Administration, Preaching, or Youth and Family Ministry.
Athletics
MACU fields two varsity sports currently, women's volleyball and men's basketball, and competes in the Shenandoah-Chesapeake Conference. No athletic scholarships are currently offered. All athletes join on a walk-on basis.In addition to the previously mentioned sports, MACU has had in the past, and hopes to have in the future, the following varsity sports: women's basketball, co-ed soccer, and men's soccer. MACU also has intramural sports that vary by semester. They have included but are not limited to the following: flag football, basketball, volleyball, kick ball, wiffle ball, and many more.
There are also tournaments played among the students in the lobbies utilizing the pool table, ping pong table and foosball table. MACU is an active campus if you plug yourself in and be a part of what's happening!
Campus
The MACU campus is located on the Pasquotank RiverPasquotank River
The Pasquotank River is a coastal water-body in Northeastern North Carolina in the United States. Located between Camden and Pasquotank counties, the Pasquotank connects directly to the Albemarle Sound and is part of the Intracoastal Waterway via Elizabeth City.-History:The name "Pasquotank" is...
, less than a mile from downtown Elizabeth City
Elizabeth City, North Carolina
Elizabeth City is a city in Pasquotank County and Camden County in the State of North Carolina. With a population of 18,683 at the 2010 census, Elizabeth City is the county seat of Pasquotank County....
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
. East and West campus are divided by North Poindexter Street.
West Campus
- Wilkinson Hall, original building—administration
- Faith Hall, 1951—faculty offices
- Heritage Hall, 1965—classrooms and cafeteria
East Campus
- Pearl A. Presley Hall, 1976—women's dormitory
- Harold C. Turner Hall, 1985—men's dormintory and student center
- Albert C. Blanton III Campus Life Center, 1998—library, gymnasium, and chapel
Sneak Day
Every year during the fall semester, the seniors organize a Sneak Day. They wake up the rest of the students shortly after 4:00 AM and take them to a secret location off campus for a day of fun and relaxation. Faculty and staff are unaware of exact date of Sneak Day until they find no one attending morning classes.Alumi Rally & Homecoming
MACU's annual Alumni Rally & Homecoming has been held in Elizabeth City every year since 1949. It normally takes place in March and has been on MACU's campus since 1999. Typical rallies include an alumni basketball game, praise and worship sessions, and a variety of speakers.Notable alumni
As of 2010, over 3,000 students have attended MACU and 1,140 have graduated.- Ajai LallAjai LallAjai Lall is a Christian preacher and missionary in India. He is the founder and first Executive Director of Central India Christian Mission. Lall is associated with the Christian churches and churches of Christ, which is part of the Restoration Movement....
BA 1982, Christian missionaryMissionaryA missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
to IndiaIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and founder of Central India Christian MissionCentral India Christian MissionCentral India Christian Mission or CICM is a Christian missionary organization in India. It is supported by Christian churches and churches of Christ, which is part of the Restoration Movement. Its United States office is located in Houston, Texas.... - Barry McCartyBarry McCartyC. Barry McCarty is an American preacher and current senior pastor of the historic Peachtree Christian Church in Atlanta. He is primarily associated with the Christian churches and churches of Christ, which is part of the Restoration Movement. He is one of the three current speakers for the...
BA 1975, National radio host and former President of Cincinnati Christian UniversityCincinnati Christian UniversityCincinnati Christian University is a private Christian University in Cincinnati, Ohio. It is supported by the Christian churches and churches of Christ, which are part of the Restoration Movement....
Presidents of Mid-Atlantic Christian University
- George W. BonDurantGeorge W. BonDurantGeorge William BonDurant is a retired American preacher who was influential in the Restoration Movement of Christianity during the 20th century. He was the founder and first President of both Atlanta Christian College and Mid-Atlantic Christian University...
(1948–1986) - William A. Griffin (1986–2006)
- D. Clay Perkins (2006–present)