A Short History of the College of the Scriptures

Tibbs Maxey—1973

            W. B. Compton opened such a school and it was continued by Patrick Henry Moss through 1877, four years.  Seven years later it was revived by the purchase of a campus in New Castle, Kentucky, forty miles east of Louisville, Kentucky.  Classes were conducted (1886-1887)  by J.  N.  Mainwaring.  In 1882-1892 it was taught by D. Augustus Reed.  In 1892 that property ws sold.  The school moved to rented quarters (1820 Duncan Street) in Louisville.  C. C. Smith urged the move to the city.  October 11, 1892, the school opened with a new leader, Adoniram Judson Thompson.  In 1894 he was joined by Octavius Singleton, the first Black graduate of Hiram and Southern Christian Institute.  In 1896 the Duncan Street campus was purchased by the Negro Board of Education.  In 1904 Isaiah Henry Harrison Moore enrolled as a student.  In 1913 this school closed its doors.  Its average attendance had been 17 men students during its history.
            On April 21, 1943, I had a dream of starting this school that I shared in a letter with Dr. Dennis Helsabeck, now of Milligan.  Thirty years later I am resigning as administrator of that college to become effective the day after Commencement this spring (1973), may 21st.
            A number of Bible Colleges opened their doors for action in the fall of 1945 besides our own: Lincoln Christian College, Colegio Biblico, Midwest Christian College, and others.  This move in Christian Education is noteworthy.  But few were ore significant than the move toward the minorities with schools like Colegio Biblico and our own.  The people whom man forgot, God remembered.
            On September 13, 1944, I was chosen president of the College of the Scriptures.  Since then all of my dreams have come true.  What more could anyone ask?
            The beginning of the College of the Scriptures can be traced to the very seed bed of the Restoration Movement.  The faith that dwells in the current President, Tibbs Maxey, dwelt first in his great grandfather, Asa, who preached the gospel in Kentucky within a few miles of his contemporary “Raccoon” John Smith.
            The realization of the need of a Bible College among the Negro brethren originated in the heart of Tibbs Maxey when at a meeting of the Missionary Volunteers of the Cincinnati Bible Seminary in 1943, he was stirred by some facts and figures as presented by his borther Mark concerning the black people of our country.  By the spring of that year, Mr. maxey and his wife decided to begin a Bible College to help meet the challenge of the need for New Testament Christianity among the black people.
            Brother Maxey contacted men of both races seeking advice and presenting his plans for entering this field.  After encouraging responses from correspondence, conferences, prayer and much planning, a public announcement appeared in the Restoration Herald.  The College of the Scriptures was incorporated on May 17, 1945, at South Louisville Christian Church.  After trustees were elected, the College began its classes with two students in September, 1945.  R. Tibbs maxey, Jr. was elected President and Dr. George Calvin Campbell, Vice president.
            The original building which housed the college activities during its early years was dedicated at 2:30 P.M., Friday, September 14, 1945.  The first commencement was held Tuesday night, may 31, 1949 in the Third Christian Church, Louisville, Kentucky granting the A. B. Degree.  It was in 1951 that the College first offered the Bachelor of Theology Degree.
            The years of sacrificial struggle and accomplishment have rolled by.  The College has grown from the time it occupied the quarters at 709 Magazine, to the place where it now occupies two buildings on a seven acre campus near the southeast edge of Louisville.
            “Although a greater spirit of understanding and sincere interest has recently developed among the racial groups, there are still many needs to be met.  The unique demands of the fields of interracial evangelism require an increasingly intensified program of preparation.  The College of the Scriptures remains committed to providing such a program and asks the full support of brethren everywhere.”  (College Catalog)
            The College of the Scriptures is a five-year seminary offering the degrees of B.S.L., A.B., and the Th.B. ministerial, recognized by many colleges of the Restoration Movement.  The school was incorporated in 1945, opening its first classes in September of that year.  It is in itself by practice an instrument for racial amity and understanding, being the first seminary of the Christian Church designed to provide qualified laborers in the field of interracial evangelism.
            Quite naturally, being influenced by a numerical deficiency in black ministerial leadership in the Restoration Movement, we seek first those young men and women whose primary desire to preach the gospel is coupled with the desire to labor among their people and pave the way to greater love, fellowship and understanding among Christians of all races.  To that end, he school, neither condoning nor practicing segregation, endeavors to enlist Negro young people in its student body. Our doors, however, are open to all races.
            “As regards the school’s position on contemporary religious tendencies: the College is committed to training ministers to preach and live the faith once for all delivered unto the saints.  It does not recognize centralized  human authority in Christianity.  The Bible is our chief textbook and we teach it as God’s direct revelation; not as a development of religious evolution.  Specifically, “The College of the Scriptures wishes to remain free of any entangling alliances.  It will not seek to control any agency or convention.  It will accept no gift when there is reason to believe any qualifications are attached that will be out of harmony with the spirit of the school.” (from the By-Laws)
            We quote Article Three of our Constitution: “The Corporation, in its endeavor to equip and train young men and women for Christian service shall make the Bible its
Chief textbook, arrange all its courses of study, and conduct its work in harmony with the spirit and letter of the Word of God.  To this end, every trustee and teacher must be a member of the Church of Christ (Undenominational) and MUST BELIEVE, WITHOUT RESERVATION, in the full and final inspiration of the bible to the extent  that it is to him the infallible Word of God, and therefore, the all-sufficient rule of faith and life; in the deity and suprememauthority of Christ; obedience to the Gospel; the edification of the church; and the restoration  of its duty on the New Testament basis.
            The Corporation shall endeavor to so train and inspire its students as to make them effective servants of Christ, believing that such faith and a church with a program in harmony with this faith are essential to the salvation of the World.
            The College of the Scriptures is designed to provide a terminal program of study for those interested in the field of interracial evangelism.  It is an associate member of the Southern Accrediting Association of Bible Institutes, Bible Colleges and Seminaries.  Its students are accepted for graduate studies in accredited institutions throughout the brotherhood.
            The campus of the College of the Scriptures is located on the southeast side of Louisville only a few hundred feet from the city limits.  A residential area is within walking distance and four shopping centers ar located nearby in several different directions.  The campus faces Old Shepheerdsville Road which connects with numerous main routes of Louisville.  Watterson Expressway connecting the extreme east and west sides of the city is just three minutes from the College.  Downtown is only 20 minutes away by car.
            The student is provided with quiet, comfortable surroundings on a 8 acre campus.  Two brick, a frame storage building (35x60 feet) and a new sectional home located on the grounds constitute the available facilities.
            SAMUEL BUCKNER CHAPEL – This building, constructed in 1958, contains administrative offices, kitchen, dining room, chapel, library and two classrooms.  Specifications for maximum comfort have been rigidly met in these rooms, providing the student and instructor with spacious, well-lighted and well-ventilated surroundings.
            Samuel Buckner Chapel is the center of College spiritual life