Moody Bible Institute facts for kids
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| Motto | "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." 2 Timothy 2:15 |
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| Type | Private Bible college |
| Established | 1886 |
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Religious affiliation
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Evangelical Christian Higher Life movement |
| President | Mark Jobe |
| Provost | Timothy Sisk |
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Academic staff
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88 full-time |
| Students | 3,442 (2018) |
| Location |
41°53′50″N 87°37′59″W / 41.8973°N 87.6330°W |
| Campus | Urban, 18 acres (7.3 ha) |
| Colors | Blue and White |
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Sporting affiliations
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NCCAA |
| Mascot | Archers |
The Moody Bible Institute (MBI) is a private Christian college in Chicago, Illinois. It was started by a famous speaker and businessman named Dwight Lyman Moody in 1886. Today, MBI offers college programs and a special school called Moody Theological Seminary in Chicago. The Seminary also has a campus in Plymouth, Michigan. MBI also runs Moody Aviation, which is a flight school and airplane mechanic program in Spokane, Washington.
Contents
The Story of Moody Bible Institute
How It All Started
In 1883, a woman named Emma Dryer started a weekly meeting for prayer. She had permission from Dwight Moody. People at these meetings thought Moody should start a school. They wanted to train young people to share Christian messages.
On January 22, 1886, Moody spoke to church members. He said they needed "gap-men." These would be people trained to do Christian work in cities. From this meeting, the Chicago Evangelization Society was formed. Its goal was to train Christian workers, teachers, and missionaries. After Moody passed away in 1899, the society was renamed "Moody Bible Institute" in his honor.
Before 1900, Moody helped raise a lot of money for MBI. After he died, the school had money problems. James M. Gray, the school's president, asked Henry Parsons Crowell to help. Crowell used business ideas to make the school stronger financially. An administration building took many years to finish. But when it was ready, there was almost no debt left to pay.
Recent Years
Since 2012, MBI has received money from the government. This means the school must follow federal rules. One rule is Title IX, which stops unfair treatment based on gender. In 2016, MBI changed a rule that only allowed male students into a certain program.
In November 2017, MBI announced it would close its campus in Spokane, Washington. It also cut back on other programs. This was because fewer students were enrolling. Teachers were worried about losing their jobs. They wrote a letter saying they were concerned about layoffs. This happened while the school was spending a lot of money on a new building. Two months later, the president and chief operating officer left their jobs. The provost also retired. The school said these changes were due to "widespread concerns" about its direction.
Mark Jobe became the new president in January 2019. He had started a large church called New Life Community Church. In July 2019, Jobe shared a plan to update parts of Moody's campus. Money from selling some land would be used for school improvements. It would also help with scholarships and savings. The plan was approved by the Chicago Plan Commission in July 2021. The Chicago City Council also approved it in October 2022.
What Students Learn
MBI's main goal is to train students for full-time work in churches and other Christian groups. The school has been officially recognized since 1989. This means its programs meet high standards.
College Programs
Students can earn a Bachelor of Arts degree in many subjects. These include theology, the Bible, and different types of ministry. MBI also offers a Bachelor of Science degree in Biblical Studies. There is also a Bachelor of Science degree in Missionary Aviation Technology. This is for students who want to fly planes or work on them. Students can also get a two-year Associate's degree in Biblical Studies. A five-year Bachelor of Music degree in Sacred Music is also available. For those not seeking a degree, one-year certificates are offered. These include TESOL (teaching English to speakers of other languages) and Biblical Studies.
Graduate Programs
The Moody Theological Seminary offers advanced degrees. These include a Master of Divinity, a Master of Arts in Biblical Studies, and a Master of Counseling/Psychology. A one-year graduate certificate is also available.
In November 2009, Moody Bible Institute and Michigan Theological Seminary decided to join together. In January 2010, Michigan Theological Seminary became Moody Theological Seminary–Michigan. It is located in Plymouth, Michigan.
Media Ministries
Besides its school programs, Moody Bible Institute also has two Christian media groups. These are Moody Radio and Moody Publishers.
Moody Publishers
In 1894, Moody Publishers started as the Bible Institute Colportage Association (BICA). Moody's son-in-law, A. P. Fitt, managed it. They published books that were easy to read and from well-known authors. The books were about Christian topics and were sold at a low price. In 1941, BICA changed its name to Moody Press.
Moody Magazine
In 1900, Moody Bible Institute began publishing a monthly magazine. It was first called The Institute Tie. Later, it was renamed The Christian Workers Magazine. This showed its focus on Sunday school teachers and other Christian workers. It was then called Moody Bible Institute Monthly, and finally Moody Monthly. The magazine stopped being published in 2003.
Moody Radio
In 1926, the Institute started the first Christian radio station in America that did not have commercials. It was called WMBI-AM (now WXES). Over time, Moody's radio work grew into the Moody Broadcasting Network. This network now owns and runs 36 stations without commercials. It also sends programs by satellite to more than 700 other places.
See also
- List of Moody Bible Institute people
