Central Bible College (CBC) was a private coed Bible college affiliated with the Assemblies of God. It was founded in 1922 with the main campus located in Springfield, Missouri. The campus closed in May 2013 when the school consolidated with Evangel University and Assemblies of God Theological Seminary. All three institutions were located in Springfield and owned and operated by the Assemblies of God. The consolidated university officially began operating with the Fall 2013 semester and is known as Evangel University. Accreditation Central Bible College was first accredited with the Association for Biblical Higher Education in 1948 and was last reaccredited in 2006. In addition, Central Bible College was fully accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools and was last reaccredited in 2010. History CBC was founded by the General Council of the Assemblies of God in 1922 to meet a need for ministerial training in the young denomination, which had formed in 1914. The first class met in the basement of an old church building but quickly outgrew that space. With a $5,000 donation from local businessmen, CBC purchased a 15-acre tract on North Grant Avenue in Springfield. They moved into the first permanent building on the campus, Bowie Hall, in 1924. The first class graduated in 1925. Additional land was acquired over the years and the campus increased to 32 acres. CBC grew rapidly, fueled by mergers with three other schools in the early years: Bethel Bible Training Institute of Newark, New Jersey in 1929, South Central Bible College of Hot Springs, Arkansas in 1953, and Great Lakes Bible Institute of Zion, Illinois in 1954. CBC operated on the North Grant campus until May 2013 when the campus was closed due to CBC's consolidation with Evangel University and Assemblies of God Theological Seminary. The campus was sold by the General Council of the Assemblies in May 2019 to South Korean-based Good News Mission, an independent Baptist organization. Academics At the time of consolidation and closure, Central Bible College offered 21 undergraduate Bachelor of Arts majors in four divisional categories focused on preparing students for full-time, vocational ministry. Most of these programs were incorporated into the consolidated university through the creation of Evangel's School of Theology and Church Ministries in 2013. The STCM is organized into three departments: Bible & Theology, Church Ministries, and Intercultural Studies. Graduate degrees are offered through