Moody Bible Institute is a
ChristianA 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...
institution of higher education and related ministries that was founded by evangelist and businessman Dwight Lyman Moody in 1886. Since its founding, MBI's main campus has been located in the
Near North SideThe Near North Side is one of 77 well-defined community areas of Chicago, Illinois, United States. It is located north and east of the Chicago River, just north of the central business district . To its east is Lake Michigan and its northern boundary is the 19th-century city limit of Chicago,...
of
ChicagoChicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. MBI's primary ministries are education,
broadcastingBroadcasting is the distribution of audio and video content to a dispersed audience via any audio visual medium. Receiving parties may include the general public or a relatively large subset of thereof...
and
publishingPublishing is the process of production and dissemination of literature or information—the activity of making information available to the general public...
.
History
In early 1886, D.L. Moody established the Chicago Evangelization Society, for the "education and training of Christian workers, including teachers, ministers, missionaries and musicians who may completely and effectively proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ."
In 1870, Dwight Moody was introduced to Emma Dryer. Emma was a principal and teacher at Illinois State Normal University. Dryer was also deeply devoted to teaching the youth of Chicago about Christian doctrine and Scripture. In 1871, after the
Great Chicago FireThe Great Chicago Fire was a conflagration that burned from Sunday, October 8, to early Tuesday, October 10, 1871, killing hundreds and destroying about in Chicago, Illinois. Though the fire was one of the largest U.S...
devastated much of the Chicago area, Moody began to simultaneously minister to the needs of those damaged financially and physically by the fire. Moody invited all the youth to his Church, and Dryer was invited to teach Bible Study classes to these masses of people. This fueled Moody's interest in education, which would later lead to the creation of the Institute.
In 1883, Dryer, with the permission of Moody, organized and headed what was known as the "May Institute." These were weekly meetings in which church members would meet and pray. Most importantly however, would be the open discussions facilitated among the church members. Many of the church members began to request that Moody open up a new school. This school would serve as a training school for the youth of the Church, a place where future evangelists could learn the skills necessary to carry on in the Revivalist tradition. On January 22, 1886, Moody addressed church members with the following, "I tell you what, and what I have on my heart I believe we have got to have gap-men, men to stand between the laity and the ministers; men who are trained to do city mission work. Take men that have the gifts and train them for the work of reaching the people." This formal meeting, held at Farwell Hall, resulted in the group founding the Chicago Evangelization Society, which was later renamed the Moody Bible Institute after Moody's death.
Shortly after MBI was established, in 1894, Moody Publishers was founded under the name Bible Institute Colportage Association (BICA). This publishing house made Moody’s vision real by publishing books to reach a larger audience of Christians and non-Christians.
Before 1900, Moody played a significant role in fund raising to support MBI. After he died, however, the Institute began to struggle financially. At the time,
James M. GrayJames Martin Gray was a pastor in the Reformed Episcopal Church, a Bible scholar, editor, and hymn writer, and the president of Moody Bible Institute, 1904-34....
, president of the school, invited
Henry Parsons CrowellHenry Parsons Crowell was an American businessman, founder of the Quaker Oats Company and a philanthropist.At the end of the 19th century, steam engines, telegraph and telephone systems, electricity and typewriters were part of the explosion of technology in America.- Character :Henry Parsons...
to restructure the Institute to become more financially self-sustainable. Under Henry Parsons Crowell, the school was founded on business principles of productivity and performance. The MBI Executive Committee met on Tuesdays, nearly every week for the next 40 years. An administration building took years to complete, but when the building was dedicated, there was no mortgage, and only $50,000 left to pay.
In 1926, the Institute expanded its reach beyond education and publishing by sponsoring the first non-commercial Christian radio station in America, WMBI. Over time, MBI’s radio outreach grew to the Moody Broadcasting Network (MBN) which now owns and operates 35 commercial-free stations and provides programming via satellite to more than 700 outlets.
Educational programs
MBI's goal is to train students specifically for full-time ministry in churches and parachurch organizations. Ministry intent is a necessary prerequisite for admission.
MBI is accredited by the
North Central Association of Colleges and SchoolsThe North Central Association of Colleges and Schools , also known as the North Central Association, is a membership organization, consisting of colleges, universities, and schools in 19 U.S. states, that is engaged in educational accreditation...
,
the Association for Biblical Higher EducationThe Association for Biblical Higher Education or ABHE is a nationally recognized accrediting agency in the United States. It is recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation...
, and the
National Association of Schools of MusicThe National Association of Schools of Music is an association of post-secondary music schools in the United States and the principal U.S. accreditor for higher education in music...
.
Undergraduate
The undergraduate division is divided into eleven departments. The primary degree offered by the undergraduate school is the
Bachelor of ArtsA Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
. The BA is available in more than two dozen fields, including Theology, Bible, and Missions of various emphasis.
In addition to the BA, MBI also offers a
Bachelor of ScienceA Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
(BS) degree in Biblical Studies, a two-year Associates of Biblical Studies degree (ABS), and a five-year
Bachelor of MusicBachelor of Music is an academic degree awarded by a college, university, or conservatory upon completion of program of study in music. In the United States, it is a professional degree; the majority of work consists of prescribed music courses and study in applied music, usually requiring a...
degree (BMus) in Sacred Music. Furthermore, non-degree
TESOLEnglish as a second language , English for speakers of other languages and English as a foreign language all refer to the use or study of English by speakers with different native languages. The precise usage, including the different use of the terms ESL and ESOL in different countries, is...
and Biblical Studies certificates are also available, which require one year to complete.
For those looking to attain a Bible degree online, three of MBI's undergraduate programs are available through distance learning formats such as online, independent study, or regional classroom courses: the Bachelor of Science in Biblical Studies (BSBS), the Associate of Biblical Studies (ABS) and the Certificate of Biblical Studies (CBS).
Graduate
The graduate division of Moody Bible Institute offers degrees at the seminary level. The graduate programs do not require that the student have an undergraduate background in Bible. The school offers the following degrees:
Master of ArtsA Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
in several fields, Master of Ministry, and
Master of DivinityIn the academic study of theology, the Master of Divinity is the first professional degree of the pastoral profession in North America...
with several fields of emphasis, and a Master of Counseling/Psychology. The school also offers a graduate certificate that is a one-year program of study at the graduate level.
All graduate degrees are available through traditional courses on the Chicago campus, or through distance education models by combining online and modular courses.
In addition to the Chicago graduate programs, what is now Moody Theological Seminary–Michigan was founded as Michigan Theological Seminary by the Michigan Theological Society in 1994 in
Ann Arbor, MichiganAnn Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County. The 2010 census places the population at 113,934, making it the sixth largest city in Michigan. The Ann Arbor Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 344,791 as of 2010...
and later moved to Plymouth in 1996. In November 2009, Moody Bible Institute and Michigan Theological Seminary jointly announced that plans for Michigan Theological Seminary to merge with Moody Bible Institute's Moody Theological Seminary and Graduate School had been approved by the relevant accrediting body. In January 2010, Michigan Theological Seminary became Moody Theological Seminary–Michigan.
Continuing Education
In addition to the undergraduate and graduate programs that offer courses for academic credit, Moody Bible Institute also offers non-credit continuing education courses for personal enrichment and professional development.
Student life
All students are expected to adhere to a Student Life Guide (SLG) that provides guidelines for living while on and off campus. Students must abstain from tobacco and drinking alcohol while enrolled at the Institute. Students are free to take dance lessons and dance at celebration ceremonies, but there are no school sanctioned dance activities. In addition, Freshmen are under curfew requirements (11 p.m. on week-days, and 1 a.m. on week-ends).
Athletics
Moody fields intercollegiate athletic teams in men's basketball, volleyball and soccer, and for women's basketball and volleyball.
Broadcasting
Moody Radio is one of the largest Christian radio networks in the country.
Moody Radio got its start seemingly by accident. A violent storm in October 1925 prevented the talent for WGES’ scheduled broadcast from performing on the radio. This opened the door for two cornet-playing MBI students, who happened to be on-site and could fill the time slot.
With the support of businessman
Henry Parsons CrowellHenry Parsons Crowell was an American businessman, founder of the Quaker Oats Company and a philanthropist.At the end of the 19th century, steam engines, telegraph and telephone systems, electricity and typewriters were part of the explosion of technology in America.- Character :Henry Parsons...
, less than a year later
WMBIWMBI is an AM Station broadcasting on 1110 kHz in Chicago, Illinois. It is owned and operated by Moody Radio, and it broadcasts from the campus of Moody Bible Institute Transmitter and tower located in Addison, Illinois....
was launched with the state of the art, with a high-powered transmitter, tower, studios and staff. Now the oldest Christian radio station in the country. Despite changing technology, audiences and formats, the station has maintained a presence on the air for eight decades.
This station was the beginning of what would come to be known as Moody Radio. By the end of the 1960s, the network’s potential audience had increased to 30 million listeners.
Publishing
Founded in 1894 by D.L. Moody under the name Bible Institute Colportage Association (BICA). Moody founded BICA to facilitate the school's mission of affordable Bible education. In 1941, BICA became Moody Press.
External links