Vineyard Bible Institute
Encyclopedia
Vineyard Bible Institute (VBI), with its world headquarters in Urbana, Illinois
, is a world-wide Christian
on-line school with local sites in over 20 countries.
in the 1990s and initially ran as a tape-based, correspondence bible school. Dr. Derek Morphew, Vineyard scholar and pastor located in Cape Town, South Africa, was solicited by Bob Fulton (with John Wimber
’s endorsement, the founder of the association of Vineyard churches) to assume leadership in 1997. At its relaunch in May 2000, an internet-based curriculum with full-text materials replaced the older tape-based correspondence. Having the school on the internet ensured its accessibility to the Christian community worldwide and kept running costs and student fees to a minimum.
In 2006, VBI took a significantly progressive step forward when Derek and Dr. Quinton Howitt, Derek's academic colleague and lecturer at South African Theological Seminary, constituted a partnership with St. Stephen's University
on the East Coast of New Brunswick
, Canada, whereby St. Stephen’s became VBI’s degree issuing confederate for their recently developed four year Bachelor of Christian Studies programme. In 2009, Derek Morphew entrusted leadership of VBI over to Happy Leman, who functions as its current CEO. VBI is based in Urbana, Illinois, with Jeff Augustine (President) and Quinton Howitt (Academic Dean) overseeing its daily operations.
VBI is also notably involved in third world education projects, particularly with regard to the translation of courses into Mandarin, Russian, Spanish, Portuguese and French; the latter two being paramount in reaching African countries with biblical education and training.
s in their appropriate fields of research or are senior pastors and structural leaders within the Vineyard movement. Some of the better known authors include John Wimber
, Wayne Grudem
, Craig Keener, Derek Morphew, Don Williams, Peter Davids, David Pytches
, Alexander Venter, Gary Best, Andy Park, J John and Bill Jackson.
. Although Jesus
has been known and worshiped as Lord and Saviour by countless generations, in another sense he has been rediscovered, for the first time since the first century, following the modern discovery and translation of the literature of His era. He has been rediscovered as the Jewish prophet/messiah, who came announcing and demonstrating the kingdom of God, a reality that belongs to the end of the age. It was this rediscovery of the eschatological Jesus that George E. Ladd introduced to the evangelical church. It is now common in theological circles to speak of the ministry and message of Jesus as ‘inaugurated eschatology
’, a phrase originally coined by N.T. Wright. However, it is not at all common to have churches and leaders believe that we should do the same today, or “enact” the message and ministry of Jesus, or make this theology the basis of their entire ministry. This was the particular step taken by John Wimber
, the early Vineyard leadership, and it is this legacy of “enacted inaugurated eschatology” that runs through the very fibre of VBI and the Vineyard’s theology and philosophy of ministry.”
Urbana, Illinois
Urbana is the county seat of Champaign County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 41,250. Urbana is the tenth-most populous city in Illinois outside of the Chicago metropolitan area....
, is a world-wide Christian
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...
on-line school with local sites in over 20 countries.
History
VBI was birthed in Anaheim, CaliforniaAnaheim, California
Anaheim is a city in Orange County, California. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was about 365,463, making it the most populated city in Orange County, the 10th most-populated city in California, and ranked 54th in the United States...
in the 1990s and initially ran as a tape-based, correspondence bible school. Dr. Derek Morphew, Vineyard scholar and pastor located in Cape Town, South Africa, was solicited by Bob Fulton (with John Wimber
John Wimber
John Richard Wimber was a musician, charismatic pastor and one of the founding leaders of the Vineyard Movement, a neocharismatic Evangelical Christian denomination which began in the USA and has now spread to many countries world-wide.-Life and ministry:John Richard Wimber was the son of Basil...
’s endorsement, the founder of the association of Vineyard churches) to assume leadership in 1997. At its relaunch in May 2000, an internet-based curriculum with full-text materials replaced the older tape-based correspondence. Having the school on the internet ensured its accessibility to the Christian community worldwide and kept running costs and student fees to a minimum.
In 2006, VBI took a significantly progressive step forward when Derek and Dr. Quinton Howitt, Derek's academic colleague and lecturer at South African Theological Seminary, constituted a partnership with St. Stephen's University
St. Stephen's University
St. Stephen's University is a small Christian trans-denominational university located in the town of St. Stephen, New Brunswick, Canada.-History:Planning for the institution began in 1971 and the first students enrolled in 1975...
on the East Coast of New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
, Canada, whereby St. Stephen’s became VBI’s degree issuing confederate for their recently developed four year Bachelor of Christian Studies programme. In 2009, Derek Morphew entrusted leadership of VBI over to Happy Leman, who functions as its current CEO. VBI is based in Urbana, Illinois, with Jeff Augustine (President) and Quinton Howitt (Academic Dean) overseeing its daily operations.
International Involvement
VBI staff have provided theological tuition for hundreds of pastors and approximately 4,500 Christians in the US, South America, South Africa, Malawi, Mozambique, Kenya, the UK, Benelux, China, Australia and New Zealand.VBI is also notably involved in third world education projects, particularly with regard to the translation of courses into Mandarin, Russian, Spanish, Portuguese and French; the latter two being paramount in reaching African countries with biblical education and training.
Authors of Curriculum
Currently, there are 38 contributors to the VBI curriculum who hail from a wide range of evangelical backgrounds. These authors generally hold doctorateDoctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
s in their appropriate fields of research or are senior pastors and structural leaders within the Vineyard movement. Some of the better known authors include John Wimber
John Wimber
John Richard Wimber was a musician, charismatic pastor and one of the founding leaders of the Vineyard Movement, a neocharismatic Evangelical Christian denomination which began in the USA and has now spread to many countries world-wide.-Life and ministry:John Richard Wimber was the son of Basil...
, Wayne Grudem
Wayne Grudem
Wayne A. Grudem is a Protestant theologian and author. He was born in 1948 in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin and married Margaret White on June 6, 1969 in Eau Claire, Wisconsin...
, Craig Keener, Derek Morphew, Don Williams, Peter Davids, David Pytches
David Pytches
David Pytches is a bishop of the Anglican Communion and the former Bishop of Chile, Bolivia & Peru. Pytches was also vicar of St Andrew's, in Chorleywood England. He is the author of many books, including Come Holy Spirit and his autobiography, Living at the Edge...
, Alexander Venter, Gary Best, Andy Park, J John and Bill Jackson.
Theology and Academics
VBI’s distinctive contribution to the church is its emphasis on the theology of the kingdom of God in both Old and New Testaments and the systematic field of eschatologyEschatology
Eschatology is a part of theology, philosophy, and futurology concerned with what are believed to be the final events in history, or the ultimate destiny of humanity, commonly referred to as the end of the world or the World to Come...
. Although Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
has been known and worshiped as Lord and Saviour by countless generations, in another sense he has been rediscovered, for the first time since the first century, following the modern discovery and translation of the literature of His era. He has been rediscovered as the Jewish prophet/messiah, who came announcing and demonstrating the kingdom of God, a reality that belongs to the end of the age. It was this rediscovery of the eschatological Jesus that George E. Ladd introduced to the evangelical church. It is now common in theological circles to speak of the ministry and message of Jesus as ‘inaugurated eschatology
Inaugurated eschatology
Inaugurated eschatology is the belief in Christian theology that the end times were inaugurated in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, and thus there are both "already" and "not yet" aspects to the Kingdom of God....
’, a phrase originally coined by N.T. Wright. However, it is not at all common to have churches and leaders believe that we should do the same today, or “enact” the message and ministry of Jesus, or make this theology the basis of their entire ministry. This was the particular step taken by John Wimber
John Wimber
John Richard Wimber was a musician, charismatic pastor and one of the founding leaders of the Vineyard Movement, a neocharismatic Evangelical Christian denomination which began in the USA and has now spread to many countries world-wide.-Life and ministry:John Richard Wimber was the son of Basil...
, the early Vineyard leadership, and it is this legacy of “enacted inaugurated eschatology” that runs through the very fibre of VBI and the Vineyard’s theology and philosophy of ministry.”
External links
- http://vbivc.org/
- http://www.vineyardusa.org/
- http://www.vineyardbibleinstitute.org/blog/
- http://www.vineyardresources.com/equip/category/resource-series/vbi
- http://www.vineyardbi.org/